Few things in the magical world are more synonymous with a wizard than their wand. Getting your first wand is personal and special and each wand is as unique as the wizard who holds it. Not unlike a Patronus, no two wands are alike. When it comes to the finest quality of wands in history, no one holds a candle to Mr. Ollivander. There’s a reason that everyone goes to Ollivander’s to get his or her wand; it is an experience you won’t soon forget… just ask Harry Potter. When entering Diagon Alley, though, one has to remember that the wand chooses the wizard and you never know what connection you might make in that dusty little shop with the boxes stacked to the ceiling.

All right, a show of hands; who plans to (or already has) taken a trip to Orlando to visit Hogsmeade for some Butterbeer and Diagon Alley to finally get their chance to own a wand from Ollivander’s? Same my fellow Potterheads, same. My husband and I actually have an agreement that next year we will attend Star Wars Celebration and take a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida. What am I most excited for you ask? That’s right, finally getting my hands on a bona fide Harry Potter licensed wand. Let’s be honest these things are absolutely incredible, the quality and design are exactly what a diehard fan is looking for. When I started doing my research on what wands were available I learned that there were way more replicas made than you would expect. Surprisingly there are actually a lot of places to get good quality wands, but buyers beware. Not all wands available will hold up in Charms Class.

For the biggest fans, of course, Ollivander’s is the only place to get a wand. You can bet I will proudly wear my Marauder’s Map t-shirt and march into that store with Butterbeer in hand when I arrive at Universal Studios. The thing I love the most about the Ollivander’s store in Diagon Alley is that it is an interactive experience. Mr. Ollivander himself will be there smiling from behind the counter to assist you. If you’re a huge Snape fan you can purchase a replica of his wand; Dumbledore? You betcha; Hermione, Sirius, Luna, Ginny, Harry, Ron? Check. Vold— er He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? They even have his wand. Hey, I’m not judging here.

What a lot of people don’t know though is that you can also get a wand all you own. That’s right, you can let the wand choose you. To top it all off you can actually use the wand in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley at certain points in the park when reciting certain incantations. So let’s just take a minute to let that sink into the 11-year-old inside us all that never got the owl with their Hogwart’s Letter. Have I given you enough reason to start saving your pennies for that trip? Good. Moving on.

If you aren’t lucky enough to make the trek to Orlando fret not. There are a plethora of wands available via the World Wide Web. Now as I said, not all wands are created equally so that $5 eBay listing you’ve been eyeing – pass. That measly selection of cheap knockoffs from Barnes and Nobel – pass. Here are my suggestions for the best options online if you are too young to apparate or you’re out of floo powder to make the trip.

The Noble Collection has probably the most impressive (and widely known) array of wands and displays. To my surprise, they aren’t all that expensive either. You can find these exquisite wand replicas on The Noble Collection’s website, via the Platform 9 ¾ website though the selection is much smaller or from the Official Harry Potter Shop. Each wand comes packaged in an Ollivander’s wand box so you can still have that little kid moment when it arrives in the mail right before you run around using a disarming charm on everyone in your house.

A few of my favorites from the Noble Collection are actually some of the less recognizable wands. Luna Lovegood’s wand, for example, is beautiful; I never realized she had a tulip carved into the handle. Professor McGonagall’s wand is another I never noticed was so detailed. The carvings at the end remind me of an old staircase or a fancy bedpost.

The Nobel Collection even has both (wand and wand) of Bellatrix’s wands and a few more generic “Death Eater” wands (Thorn, Stallion, Skull, Snake, Swirl, and Brown) for when you’re feeling a little dark. The one I find the most amusing is the remote control version of Harry’s wand. You can actually program the wand to control any infrared device so you can turn on your TV, change the channel, control a DVD player a stereo or even a remote control fan. Talk about feeling magical! I’m just going to apologize now to the parents who’s kid thinks that is the coolest thing in the world right in the middle of the battle of Hogwarts. Sirius’ wand, as well as Hermione’s, has lovely patterns that run the length of the wand. If you’re feeling really fancy Nobel even offers display cases that hold anywhere from 2-10 wands and a handful can be purchased cast in bronze. That will cost you about triple the price of the basic model.

Now that you know where to get the best wand for your next Harry Potter viewing party you just have to decide which Witch or Wizard you wish to honor. Me? I’m going to give some joy to my inner child and let a wand chose me in that dusty little shop in Diagon Alley. Which wand made by The Noble Collection will you be adding to your collection?