A rare Harry Potter first edition picked up at a jumble sale for 25p goes for a spellbinding £28,500 at auction on Bargain Hunt today.
It was one of only 500 hardback copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – the first in JK Rowling’s blockbuster series – originally published by Bloomsbury in June 1997.
Of these, 300 were sent into libraries, including this one, bought soon after in Staffordshire.
The owner, a 54-year-old office worker, read it then left it on the shelf for 20 years before finally deciding to have it valued last year.
It went under the hammer at Bishton Hall, Staffordshire, last summer and, after a bid-ding war, was bought by a UK collector.
The owner said afterwards: “I can’t believe it. It’s what I’d hoped for but
I never really believed my book would make that price.”
Auctioneer Charles Hanson tells presenter Natasha Raskin on the BBC1 show: “All our client wants to do with [the money] is buy a new bathroom.”
Auctioneers knew the book was the real thing because it still had a sticker inside showing it had previously been owned by Staffordshire Libraries but had been withdrawn from stock.
Mr Hanson adds: “Even now the softback publications, which were first editions, are fetching thousands of pounds. But this is a hardback and one of only 500. It’s so important in that great history of Harry Potter.”
Jim Spencer, head of books at Hansons, said: “I was slightly caught in disbelief when I first saw it. I receive calls every week from people saying they have a first-edition Harry Potter.
“In fact, when news of this discovery broke, I was receiving 50 emails a day. But most copies can invariably be ruled out in seconds.
“I found the book when I was called to a client’s house near Stafford to value three boxes of books.
“And here it was – the holy grail of Harry Potter books. I was so excited. Every book valuer dreams of finding one of these.”
The 500 genuine originals can be spotted by the fact the word “philosopher” is spelt wrongly on the back cover, and “wand” appears twice in a list of spell equipment on page 53.
Also the author’s name appears as Joanne Rowling on the inside page – in later editions it was changed to initials.
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webtv@trinitymirror.com or call us direct 0207 29 33033
