Rare Harry Potter Book Sells For Over $110k At Auction
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
A rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone by J.K. Rowling sold for over $110,000 at a recent auction in Leyburn, UK.
One of 500 hardback first edition books from 1997, the book was bought from a book store in Nottingham, and features J.K. Rowlings name as Joanne Rowling on the copyright page. The total auction gathered roughly $357,000, with the collection consisting of various maps, manuscripts and books – including a Bible from 1660.
The rare first edition was estimated to sell for between $27,000-$41,000, but ended up selling for roughly $110,119 , excluding the buyers premium.
The price is one of the highest recorded for one of Rowlings first edition books. In 2013, an annotated first edition copy with over 20 original drawings and notes sold for $228,000 in a charity auction by Sothebys. A new world record was set at Bonhams in November 2017, when a first edition copy of the first book sold for around $139,000. Other Potter antique sales include leather-bound, handwritten and illustrated copies of Rowlings companion book The Tales of Beedle the Bard, an exclusive seventh copy of which was sold by Sothebys for $3.98 million in 2007, benefiting J.K. Rowlings childrens charity Lumos.
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows
UK & US release: 21/07/07
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the finale, focusing on a showdown between Harry and Voldemort, which encompasses the rest of the wizarding world. A massive tome, it comes in at 607 words for the original UK edition, 759 words for the US edition and 620 for the 2014 UK rewrite.
A truly massive release, publisher Bloomsbury spent £10m in an attempt to keep the books contents secure until the release date. The gambit paid off, as it currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most novels sold within 24 hours of release, with 8.3 million sold in the US and 2.65 million in the UK.
However, as the last book in the series, its not worth as much when looking at first edition copies, with a number of exceptions.
These stem from when Rowling launched the book at Londons Natural History Museum.
She signed 1,700 copies of the book for lucky people who won exclusive tickets to the event. Those copies have considerable value in the present day, and prices for signed versions usually begin at the $1,000 mark. A premium copy in great condition can sell for five times as much. If youre hoping to bag a rare copy, this is the one to look out for.
‘harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban’
“The initial hardcover print run was stopped mid-printing after it was discovered that ‘Joanne Rowling’ rather than ‘JK Rowling’ had been printed on the copyright page. Joanne versions are available for prices starting at around £1,500 and go up to $12,000 for signed pristine copies.”
“First edition first printings will have the number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and a block of misaligned text on page seven. Opinions about the number of copies printed before the errors were spotted vary greatly however, it seems that only a small number came off the press which greatly enhances its value.”
“The deluxe editions, with green cloth, of 1999 are also collectible if they are a first edition . However second printings can be picked up for three figures.”
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Short Stories From Hogwarts Of Power Politics And Pesky Poltergeists
Not everything about Hogwarts and the Wizarding World is bright and shiny indeed, the series has birthed some of most memorable villains in literature, from Dolores Umbridge to Lord Voldemort himself. Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Potergeists delves deeper into this darker side of Harry’s universe: in particular, it’ll walk you through the politics of wizards and the backstories of Hogwart’s villains, like Profess Umbridge.
What Is The Most Valuable Harry Potter Book
When you take a look at the list of Harry Potter books, you will figure out that the most valuables are the ones that belong to the first book. You will have to spend around $35,000 to $55,000 to purchase a Harry Potter and the Philosopherâs Stone First Edition Book. Likewise, you will have to spend around $4,000 to $6,000 to purchase a book that belongs to the first edition of Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets.
Along with the popularity of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling was able to become one of the well-known authors out there in the world. Along with that, the other publications from this author became world-famous as well. For example, the book titled The Tales of Beetle Bard was sold at a price of over $4 million back in the year 1997. This was handwritten and illustrated by the author. Only seven copies of the book were published.
Likewise, two different short stories that were written by J.K. Rowling, named Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts were sold at $4,500 and $1,000 respectively.
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How To Sell Harry Potter Books In 2021
Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone got released in the late 90s. Shortly after its release, Nick Reynolds, a journalist, interviewed an author and single mother, Joanne Rowling. They met at a cafe, and after Nick skimmed through the book, he threw it away. If you want to know how to sell Harry Potter books, follow the story closely. You might earn thousands of dollars from the book.
Nick Reynolds was the man that threw away the first-ever edition copy of the most popular storybooks in the world. It was one of about 200 hardback copies. But it was not only him, nobody liked the book, to begin with. J.K. Rowling got rejected 12 times by publishers.
Fortunately, Bloomsbury accepted her offer and decided to publish her book. Five hundred hardback copies were printed. Out of the 500, 300 went into the British library system. And the other 200 were used to evangelize about the young wizard. Also, there were about 1,000 paperback copies printed.
‘harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone’
“Prices for first edition first printings go up to around $6,500 with a fair selection between $4,000 and $5,000 many signed by the author although cheaper copies can be found.”
“US first editions will have the number line of ‘1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 8 9/9 0/0 01 02,’ on the copyright page along with ‘Printed in the U.S.A.23’ and ‘First American edition, October 1998.’ Prices for later editions in good condition are in three figures.”
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Are Harry Potter Books Worth Reading
The books are well worth it the movies allow you to admire the Wizarding World, but the books allow you to immerse yourself in it. J.K Rowling is a fantastic writer, and reading the Harry Potter books is an experience unlike any other.
Things From The ’90s That Are Worth A Fortune Today
- If you happen to find certain rare Pokémon or baseball cards in your attic, you could potentially be thousands of dollars richer.
- From your old Game Boy to Beanie Babies and American Girl dolls, there’s a decent amount of money to be made from your ’90s relics.
- Here are 35 things from the ’90s that are worth a fortune today.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
You might want to check out your old baseball cards or sift through those boxes in your attic, because many toys, books, and collectibles from the ’90s could be worth a fortune today.
While some American Girl dolls or My Little Pony toys can be worth hundreds of dollars, a specific “Harry Potter” first edition could be worth around $55,000.
Here are 35 things from the ’90s that are worth a fortune today.
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A Guide To Collecting Harry Potter Books
The Harry Potter series only began in 1997 and yet J.K. Rowling’s books have become highly collectible. It usually takes decades for a book to become collectible and gain significant value on the rare book market. AbeBooks has sold hundreds of copies of Rowling’s books at high prices, including a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone that sold for $37,000. Do you have a valuable Harry Potter gathering dust under your bed?
Demand for collectible Harry Potters has not decreased even though the last book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was published in 2007. The movies, Rowling’s high profile, and her non-Potter novels have kept interest alive.
One simple guideline to collecting Potter books: anything signed by JK Rowling has significant financial value. A book signed by one of the illustrators is much less valuable.
There Are Three Other Things To Look For When Trying To Determine If You Have A Harry Potter First Edition
- Is there an old or young wizard pictured on the spine or the back of the book? The young Wizard is much rarer and therefore worth more money.
- On the title page of the book does it say Joanne Rowling instead of J.K Rowling? This was changed in later editions as it was felt the series would be great for encouraging boys to read but they might not want to read it if they thought it was written by a woman.
- Harrys equipment list for Hogwarts on page 53 there is a typo in very early editions the word wand is listed twice, once at the top and once at the bottom again this was changed in later editions once the error had been spotted.
Also, take a good look at the tagline on the front cover of the book. The earliest editions have a quote from Wendy Coolidge which reads A terrific read and stunning first novel. Then, later ones have a quote from the Telegraph. Later one again has a Smarties book prize quote.
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Are First American Edition Harry Potter Books Worth Anything
Yes, in order to have a first edition of any of the Harry Potter books they must be published by Bloomsbury in the year of original release and have a number line counting down to one. But generally only the first three in the series have much collectible value, as so many copies were printed of the later books.
How Can You Tell If A Harry Potter Book Is A First Edition
Youre looking for the following number line on the US edition of the first Harry Potter book: 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 8 9/9 0/0 01 02. It also needs to say u201cPrinted in the United States of America.23u2032u2032 and u201cFirst American edition, October 1998.u201d If you can fulfill this criterion, you might have a valuable book on your hands.
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Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban
The initial hardcover print run was stopped mid-printing after it was discovered that ‘Joanne Rowling’ rather than ‘J.K. Rowling’ had been printed on the copyright page. Joanne versions are available for prices starting at around $1,500 and go up to $12,000 for signed pristine copies. First edition first printings will have the number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and a block of misaligned text on page seven. Opinions about the number of copies printed before the errors were spotted vary greatly – however, it seems that only a small number came off the press which greatly enhances its value. The deluxe editions, with green cloth, of 1999 are also collectible if they are a first edition . However, second printings can be picked up for three figures. Look out for Canadian first editions, published by Raincoast, for between $100 and $300. First American editions vary from $150 to $700 for a signed copy.
Harry Potter And The Half
UK & US release: 16/07/05
The penultimate book in the series, the Half Blood Prince was released at the same time as the Goblet of Fire film. It had a wide hardcover release, and it was well-received by critics and fans alike. In the present day, its worth little, even for first edition copies of the UK version.
Thats unless its been signed by Rowling herself, although thats fairly unlikely given shed stopped the book tours by 2005. A signed copy will go for four figures, while the first printings can be picked up on the cheap.
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If Your Harry Potter Book Has This Typo It Could Be Worth Thousands
It’s time to call your mom to dig through the basement boxes! According to The Independent, 500 hardback copies of the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone , contain a rare errorand those unique books can now fetch as much as $26,000 in auction. The error is a typo on page 53 of the book. In the list of school supplies Harry needs for Hogwarts, the item “1 wand” is listed twice by mistake. It was corrected in all later editions of the inaugural Harry Potter tale.
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It’s not that big of mistake, really, but the error is making these books super valuable. One Harry Potter book containing the error is set to be auctioned off in London on November 9, with its worth estimated between £15,000-20,000, which equates to about $19,723-26,298.
Warner Brothers via http://gph.is/YBRAMF
So, why would a muggle pay so much for a book with “1 wand” listed twice? Bonhams Head of Books and Manuscripts Matthew Haley offers his take in the auction listing.
“As the first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has a special place in the affections of the millions of readers across the world and the proof reading error about the wand in the first edition has, of course, become a treasured piece of Harry Potter arcana,” Haley explains.
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General Notes On Harry Potter Book Collecting
As with any kind of collection, the better condition the more valuable it is. Signed pristine copies of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone are obviously going to sell for much higher than cheaper copies. Certain books in the series may also have limited editions that make them more valuable, sometimes referred to as deluxe editions.
Additionally, youre looking for a hardback version. Every Harry Potter fan knows that the books were released in both paperback and hardback, but its generally the hardbacks that rack up the big muggle bucks. Finally, its all about finding a first edition copy. The first print run of any series will be inherently more valuable than later editions.
So, if your old Harry Potter book is the first edition, in good condition, is a hardback, and even better, signed by JK Rowling youre off to a magical start.
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Transformers Action Figures Can Sell For Hundreds Or Even Thousands Of Dollars
While most Transformers action figures from the 1990s can fetch around $20-$40 each, large collections like this one could sell for roughly $350. Rare collectible Transformers can certainly make you rich, however. A mint condition “Omega Supreme” still in its original box is reportedly worth around $2,000.
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix
UK & US release: 21/06/03
The Order of the Phoenix took a while to release, with a gap of just under three years for fans who were waiting to catch up with the next installment. Released during the height of the series popularity, signed copies are what you should be looking out for. Otherwise, first editions are extremely affordable.
To give some idea of the hype, there was a midnight launch, and there are many signed first edition copies as a consequence. People were also starting to cotton on to the idea that books could be seen as collectors items in the future. Ironically, this means that there are numerous versions in good condition today, so theyre not worth much. In terms of values, copies are likely to go for a low three-figure sum.
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Why Are The Older Books Worth More
They were printed before Harry Potter become a blockbuster success, so there are fewer copies of these earlier editions. Later books, typically from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on, are not worth as much because so many more copies of each book were printed.
Could your Harry Potter books help you make a little of extra money? Check out the full breakdown at Entertainment Weekly.
Your Turn: If you had any of the Harry Potter books on Entertainment Weeklys list, would you sell them?
Disclosure: We have a serious Taco Bell addiction around here. The affiliate links in this post help us order off the dollar menu. Thanks for your support!
Kristen Pope is a freelance writer and editor in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
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Mcdonald’s Happy Meal Toys Could Be Worth A Nice Bit Of Money
McDonald’s Happy Meals have been beloved by children of all ages across generations mainly for the small plastic toy found in each and every smiling red box. However, old McDonald’s Happy Meal toys might just make you smile even wider as an adult. Happy Meal Changeables toys have sold for between $20 to $140, depending on the condition and completeness of the set. One of the most valuable Happy Meal toys, “Inspector Gadget” from 1995, could fetch you around $350.
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