Dad Called Harry Potter Sells Rare Copy Of Philosopher’s Stone For Magical Sum
He bought it 24-years-ago
- 11:06, 15 OCT 2021
A dad-of-three called Harry Potter is celebrating the sale of his rare copy of JK Rowling’s first book.
Harry’s first edition copy of the Philosopher’s Stone sold for a whopping £27,500 at auction.
His dad, David, bought the rare book 24-years-ago because his then eight-year-old son’s name was in the title.
READ MORE:
The hardback copy is one of only 500 made in the first print run of the novel, which was released in June 1997.
Harry kept the rare book in a sandwich bag under the stairs at his home for several years following the death of his dad from cancer in 2017.
He decided to sell the novel in order to raise money to scatter his father’s ashes in Africa – his final wish.
The book was sold to a private UK buyer at Hansons Auctioneers, in Etwall, Derbs, for a hammer price of £22,000
Plus buyer’s premium, the total sale came to a magical £27,500.
Harry, 33, from Waterlooville, Hamps, who attended the sale, said: Im happy it sold.
“We plan to use the proceeds to take my dads ashes to Kenya.
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, added: Were delighted to deliver a happy ending, and add a new chapter to the Potter story.
Read More
“Considering its well-used, well-loved condition, the book did extremely well. Im so pleased Harry and Katie can now use the proceeds to honour their father.
He said: People just dont believe me.
Read More
What Signed Books Are Worth Money
To lend perspective, here are some signed book values:
- A true first edition of Ulysses signed by James Joyce is worth up to $500,000.
- A first edition of F.
- An inscribed copy of Ian Flemings Moonraker sold at auction for $50,400.
- An inscribed copy of Beatrix Potters The Tale of Peter Rabbit sold at auction for $94,400.
What Makes A Book Collectible
Books Collectible
To be considered collectible, a book should be unique in a way that could reasonably be assumed to increase the books value to a collector such as first editions and first printings signed, inscribed or scare copies and advance reading copies and uncorrected proofs of out-of-print books.
Don’t Miss: Will There Be Another Harry Potter Movie
Lying Idle On A Shelf Somewhere
A first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has been sold in the US for $81,250 which works out at around 68,000 on this side of the world.
It’s selling cost in the auction makes it worth around 5,000 times more than its original £10.99 price tag when the first edition was originally published in 1997.
It is one of 500 first editions that were released by Bloomsbury in the late-nineties and has set a record for an unsigned work of fiction.
According to the Scotsman, the 67,000 book was kept in pristine condition by a private UK collector.
We have sold great Harry Potter titles – not to mention chairs – in the past, but we never really paid attention to such a thing as a world record, Heritage Auctions Rare Books Director James Gannon said.
This recent copy of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone surpassed the earlier record by more than 30%.
Only 500 or so copies of the first book were printed and of those, 300 are believed to have gone into lending libraries.
Now, we know what you’re thinking, I wouldn’t mind swapping my Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone book for a lot of money.
Here’s how to know whether your novel is a first edition spec:
If your book matches these specific set of rules, it’s just a question of if you want to part ways with it.
How To Sell Harry Potter Books
If you have a collection of Harry Potter books you do not need, it is the perfect time to sell and acquire cash.
Here is how to do it:
Recommended Reading: How Many Publishers Rejected Harry Potter
‘harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire’
“JK’s signature turns any first edition of ‘Goblet of Fire’ into a book with a four-figure price-tag but there are a handful of copies over $10,000. Look out for the limited editions with original watercolor illustrations by Giles Greenfield and Mary GrandPre . If either illustrator has signed a copy, then prices are again in four-figures. Many buyers are also looking for books accompanied by items such as entrance wristbands or golden tickets from events where JK Rowling has conducted a signing.”
Which Harry Potter Books Are Most Valuable
In general, the most valuable edition is an early version of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. The hardback version is worth the most money, but only if it has an image of a train on the cover next to Harry. The softcover version with the same image could also bring in a decent sum.
If you have a copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets lying around, take a look at the cover image. If it shows the flying car with Harry and Ron inside, youve got a valuable version on your hands.
Youll also want to check the publisher listed inside your books cover. Bloomsbury is the most valuable publisher, especially in hardback versions, although the Scholastic version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone might also bring in some money.
Also Check: Which Harry Potter House Am I Pottermore
How To Tell If You Have A First Edition Of The Philosophers Stone
It can be daunting to try and work out whether or not you have a first edition on your hands. However, for the fabled hardback first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, your book will need to meet the following criteria:
2. The copyright page lists no date later than 1997.
3. The copyright line must read 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. The smallest number indicates what edition your book is.
4. On page 53, there will be a typo. When looking at Harrys school supplies list, 1 wand will be accidentally printed twice, like so
If your book features all of the above, your copy of The Philosophers Stone is a first edition and is worth more than a few shillings.
Related: First âHarry Potterâ Movie Was Originally as Long as âEndgameâ
People Will Pay Crazy Money Just Because It Says ‘joanne Rowling’ Instead Of ‘jk Rowling’
Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile
An entire generation of book lovers are likely to have well-thumbed Harry Potter books lurking in cardboard boxes at their parents houses… and some of them could prove to be goldmines.
Online book marketplace AbeBooks, which specialises in rare books, has detailed exactly which editions are worth a good deal more than their cost price – ranging from £200 to over £50,000.
Recent examples of successful finds include the forthcoming auction of a “pristine” first-edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which is one of just 500 hardback copies printed in 1997 300 of which were sent to schools and children’s libraries.
The book, which was kept by a pair of retired civil servants in a code-locked briefcase, is expected to fetch up to £30,000 at auction this week.
Don’t Miss: Which Is The First Harry Potter Movie
How Much Is My Copy Of Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone Worth
As you can imagine, the first book is the big one. First edition copies of this title are the holy grail of Harry Potter books and in turn, there are very few out there. According to AbeBooks, only 500 copies of the original 1997 hardback edition were published. Of those, the publishers sent 300 to libraries.
Prices tend to range between $40,000 55,000, though we recently reported that one of these first editions sold for a whopping $84,000 at an auction house. The higher end of sales will come from a hardback copy in excellent condition. As with all books in the series, having Rowlings autograph will greatly increase their value. For the US version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, youre unfortunately looking at a lot less cash. However, these can still fetch up to $6,500 which would certainly fill out the Gringotts vault quite nicely.
Related: âHarry Potterâ Movie Hits $1 Billion at the Box Office
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.
Ready to stop worrying about money?
Get the Penny Hoarder Daily
Read Also: Jk Rowling Agent Rejections
What To Look For
Harry Potter books are still in print that means you can pick up a copy for £4 and you can buy all 7 of the classic books for less than £30 .
That means for your old books to be worth more than that they need to offer something a little bit different.
First editions especially of the first two books are worth at least £20 no matter what state they’re in and can be worth thousands and thousands of pounds.
A full collection of signed Harry Potter first editions will set you back more than £28,000 while the most paid at auction for a single JK Rowling book was a staggering £1.95million.
Bonhams sold a set of first editions of the Harry Potter books in 2005 for £14,400, and on two occasions in 2007 sold copies of The Philosophers Stone for £9,000, Matthew Haley, head of books at auction house Bonhams, told Mirror Money .
That first book in the series is worth hugely more than the subsequent volumes, and condition is everything. More recently first editions of the first book in fair condition have sold for around £4,000.
“Obviously genuine signatures or even better inscriptions by JK Rowling can add tremendously to the value.
Other things to looks for are rarer versions of the books ones with different covers, illustrations, large print basically anything out of the ordinary that’s no longer available.
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.
Read Also: Harry Potter On Amazon Prime
Your Old Harry Potter Books Could Be Worth A Fortune
Two years ago one sold for more than £60,000
Your bookshelves could be home to a small fortune.
This Thursday, a slightly worn and faded copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is going under the auctioneer’s hammer – and it’s set to make somewhere between £20,000 and £30,000.
The book – lot 535 at Forum Auction – is an ex-library copy with ‘bumped’ corners and peeling laminate, reports the Mirror .
But what makes it so special is that it’s one of just 500 copies of that edition ever printed, making it one of the very first times the wider public was introduced to the boy wizard.
Two years ago one sold for more than £60,000.
Of those 500, some 300 of them are thought to have gone to libraries. But that still makes it “rare in any condition and a far better ex-library copy than usually encountered” as the lot description reads.
Rare Harry Potter Book Bought At Yard Sale Could Fetch Thousands At Auction
Considering its well-used, well-loved condition, the book did extremely well, he said. Im so pleased Harry and Katie can now use the proceeds to honor their father.
While $38,000 is nothing to sneeze at, another first printing of the same book, which additionally bragged an autograph from the author, fetched a cool $90,000 in 2019.
Three years prior, a bedazzled, handwritten tome by Rowling herself a re-creation of The Tales of the Beedle the Bard, a story told within Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows raised a whopping $620,000 for charity.
You May Like: Harry Potter Robe Tutorial
How To Tell If Your Harry Potter Books Are Worth Anything
Technically, all your Harry Potter books are worth something. However, the books value will be determined by the print you have. For example, if you have one of the first printed issues, you could sell it for thousands of dollars. It is not surprising that some copies of Harry Potter books are worth $50,000.
If you have a standard copy of the book, you can get some cash for it when you sell them. Often, most collectors are captured by the rags to riches story attached to the book during that time. Furthermore, there are so many copies of Rowlings book that it is difficult to find a rare Harry Potter book.
Book buying relies on supply and demand. Even though there is a request for first print books, the first print supply is low.
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.
Recommended Reading: What Is The Cure For Boils Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery
Live Action Television Series
On 25 January 2021, a live action television series was reported to have been in early development at HBO Max. Though it was noted that the series has “complicated rights issues”, due to a seven-year rights deal with Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution that included U.S. broadcast, cable and streaming rights to the franchise, which ends in April 2025.
Jk Rowling Harry Potter 1st Edition
Bloomsbury Publishing house released 500 Harry Potter 1st edition copies of the book in 1997, an estimated 300 of which would be sent to English libraries. Nigel Newton, Bloomsbury co-founder and chief executive said, I think the assumption in 1997 would have been that you would sell 500 hardcovers of any good book to public libraries so that edition would be aimed at them. The general edition for the market would be paperback. So, the most expensive Harry Potter 1st edition is the one of just 500 books published, intended almost exclusively for libraries.
Here is the current price pattern for a one-of-500 Harry Potter 1st edition copy:
Read Also: Which Harry Potter House Am I Pottermore
Real Harry Potter Sells First Edition Of Philosopher’s Stone
A rare first edition of a Harry Potter novel has been sold for £27,500 – by Harry Potter.
He was given Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone by his “flabbergasted” father in 1997, when he realised it was about a wizard with his son’s name.
The sale of the hardback from the initial print run of 500, has been described as “emotional and magical”.
The novel sold at auction to a private buyer.
Mr Potter, from Waterlooville in Hampshire, was just eight when the first in the series of JK Rowling’s blockbuster novels came out.
The 33-year-old said his family decided to sell the book to honour his late father, David, who died from cancer in 2017.
His sister, Katie Sign said: “I remember Dad bursting through the front door after work brandishing a book, proclaiming ‘you’ll never believe what I’ve got!’.
“At first glance we were confused. Had someone written a book for Harry?
“The novelty and coincidence of the namesake was what made us open that first book but the magic of the story kept us turning the pages for years and years,” she added.
The hardback copy, one of only 500 in the first print run, includes a number of misprints including the word “wand” appearing twice on page 53 and “Philosopher’s” misspelled on the rear cover.
It was sold to a private UK buyer at Hansons Auctions in Etwall, Derbyshire.
Auctioneer Charles Hanson the sale was “very emotional and magical”.
“The providence is unique – it’s an honour to sell Harry Potter’s Harry Potter.”