A second-hand Harry Potter book has sold for £478 on eBay after sparking a 45-way bidding war.
The item, listed as a "HARRY POTTER & THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE Ted Smart 1st edition 1st print UK HB" was put up on the online auction site by a seller from Congleton in Cheshire. From a starting price of just 99p, keen bidders soon pushed the price up and up, until one lucky buyer purchased the book for £478, plus a £47.29 expedited delivery fee to the United States.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has sold millions of copies worldwide, and is the third best-selling book of all time.
READ MORE: UK bank says it will give people £175 cash for free
That said, some editions can fetch large sums of money depending on their condition. WeBuyBooks said: "Technically, all Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone books are worth something.
"However, that value will be determined by what print you have. For example, if you have one of the first printed issues, you could sell it for a large sum. If you have a standard copy, you’ll be able to sell it for some cash."
First edition copies in a "fair" condition could fetch up to £4000, according to the book selling experts. Two books sold for £9000 pounds in 2007, and one sold for £43,750 in 2018.
However, it is important for buyers to check the book they're buying is the genuine artefact. There are a number of ways to tell a first printing apart from others, including a Wendy Cooling quote at the bottom of the front page, and these are listed here.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
READ NEXT:
New date set as Spain, France, Portugal and Greece to charge UK tourists to enter
DVLA warns drivers could face £1,000 fine for not declaring common medical conditions
Mum not allowed on TUI flight had to pay another £634 to get to Spain
Coronation Street star confirms comeback as a brand new character
Jennifer Ellison poses in bikini after swearing off fad diets
