How Much Could Your Harry Potter First Edition Be Worth
Even the tattiest and most well-read standard Harry Potter first editions could sell for £20 at the minimum and this includes both The Philosophers Stone and The Chamber of Secrets.
Books in better to near perfect condition could sell for as much as £4000 and anything signed or inscribed by J.K herself will be worth considerably more. The print run can also affect the price the books will sell for.
Very early U.S and Australian copies of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone including the deluxe edition can be expected to make around £1800. These were printed in 1998 and 1999 and you may get more if you have a set of these first editions together I think youd have to be extremely lucky to do so though!
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.
How To Tell If You Have A Harry Potter First Edition Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone
As Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone is the first in series, first editions of this are worth the most so this is what well look at first.
The most important thing to look at when trying to ascertain whether or not you have a Harry Potter First Edition is what Print Run it is. As a first edition, it should count down 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. The earlier the print run, the more its worth. The very early first editions are all hardback editions designed for libraries and initially, there were just 500 released and therefore these can be worth a heck of a lot of money.
There are not many of these editions left making them extremely rare, however, even second and third editions of these copies are worth a fair bit of money.
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The Tales Of Beedle The Bard
This is a surprise winner in the collectible Harry Potter books stakes.
Not only is it the most expensive Harry Potter book ever , anyone who snapped up one of the collector’s editions was on to a winner.
These cost £50 at the time, but are now selling for anything between £200 and £4,500.
Standard editions of the hardback versions can also make more than £50 in good condition.
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The Harry Potter set is always going to be a collectors item, and that is especially true for the rarest first editions.
Its true that Kindles and smart devices have transformed the way in which we consume media, but theres still a burgeoning market for rare books, especially when its one of the most popular series in existence.
However, its unlikely that many of us have first edition copies of the Harry Potter series which just happen to be lying around.
Even if you do, youd have to have taken special care of it, and that didnt happen too often, especially when its a book made for children.
The earlier you look, the more likely you are to pay a significant premium when looking at first editions in the Harry Potter series.
This is especially true when looking at signed versions, although theres also a good market for some of the later releases in the set.
Given current trends, wed strongly recommend looking at the earliest UK first edition options, as long as theyre in decent condition.
Values are likely to rise, and theres a clear rarity when looking at either the early books or signed versions.
With the prices involved, there are a number of fakes on the market, while many books are mis-sold as first edition copies when they were released in later months. If you do plan to make a purchase, only do so from a reputable dealer.
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The Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer
In 1998, a first edition of Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales sold at auction at Christies in London. A billionaire philanthropist named Sir Paul Getty bought the English masterpiece sold for £4.6 million . Earl Fitzwilliam of the County of Tyrone first acquired the copy that was auctioned off at a sale of John Radcliffes library at Christies in 1776. He originally paid £6 for the first edition.
Book printer William Caxton made the first edition of The Canterbury Tales in 1477. There are only 12 rare books still in existence. These toys from your childhood could be worth a fortune now.
Man Named Harry Potter Sells Rare First Edition Of The Philosopher’s Stone For 27500
The hardback copy is one of only 500
A dad-of-three called Harry Potter is celebrating auction success after his rare copy of JK Rowling’s first book sold for a spell-binding £27,500.
Harry’s dad David bought the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone 24 years ago because his eight-year-old son’s name was in the title.
The hardback copy was 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. But he decided to part with the precious novel in order to raise money to scatter his father’s ashes in Africa which was his final wish.
And despite being in well-thumbed condition, it sold to a private UK buyer today at Hansons Auctioneers, in Etwall, Derbs., for a hammer price of £22,000.
With buyers premium, the total paid by was £27,500.
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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.
“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.
Over time we realised the book had changed for us.
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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.
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire
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 J.K. Rowling has conducted a signing. After the Goblet of Fire, these signing events have become increasingly scarce.
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Ulysses By James Joyce
The first edition of James Joyces labyrinthine sophomore novel Ulysses sold at auction in 2009 for £275,000 , which was the highest price for a 20th-century novel recorded at the time. The book was well-preserved and was numbered 45 of the first 100 copies ever printed. It was also considered lost at one time, but it was originally purchased in a bookstore in New York City, despite it being banned for being obscene and salacious when first released in 1922. These are the most expensive books in the world.
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets
UK release: 2/07/98 US release 6/02/99
The Chamber of Secrets saw the return of Harry Potter, just a year after the first book. It was considered to be a minor success at the time, but nowhere near as popular as it is today. This means that author JK Rowling was out and about on book tours and that there are numerous signed copies available.
As they were released back in 98, they command a decent price tag, depending on the condition
The best first edition first printings will go for around $9,000 with a decent selection between the $4,000 and $5,000 price range. Of course, thats for the UK version, as Rowling was yet to solidify her reputation as an author of worldwide renown.
Scholastics US first editions are priced in the three-figure range, but keep an eye out for signed copies. First Australian editions will sell for a modest sum, while Canadian firsts are cheaply priced. Once again, theres a range of great investment pieces, depending on what your budget is.
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The Hobbit By Jrr Tolkien
Before J.R.R. Tolkien released his epic trilogy The Lord of the Rings, he wrote a smaller fantasy novel for children called The Hobbit in 1937. It would be the precursor and blueprint for what would later become the trilogywith its first installment, The Fellowship of the Ring, released 17 years later in 1954.
The London publishers of The Hobbit, George Allen & Unwin Ltd., printed only 1,500 copies for its initial run. The childrens book quickly sold out three months after its release. However, newer editions would also be rare to come across at the time, due to a paper shortage caused by rationing during World War II. Since its so limited, a first edition copy in near-perfect condition runs about $65,000.
A first edition copy of The Hobbit sold for £137,000 at a Sothebys auction in London in 2015. It was a copy with a special inscription that was once given to one of Tolkiens former students.
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.
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How Much Is My Copy Of Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban Worth
Interestingly, first editions of the early version of Prisoner of Azkaban can be worth up to $12,000. This is due to a printing change on the copyright page the original run was credited to Joanne Rowling but stopped mid-print to be amended to JK Rowling. These Joanne versions are the most valuable as there are very few out there. Any later printing of Prisoner of Azkaban is unlikely to be so valuable, though the deluxe edition has been known to fetch over $4,000 if theyre a first edition.
As with the copies of Chamber of Secrets and Philosophers Stone, youll want to see Bloomsbury as the publisher and the printing line of 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page. If it has these elements, your Harry Potter books value could be in five figures!
Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone
The US version released roughly five months later, and it is instantly recognizable as a parallel. For one, the cover is completely different, while the name was changed to make a more magical connection with the reader. It was published by Scholastic and was illustrated by Mary GrandPré.
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. Itll state that it was Printed in the U.S.A.23 and that its a First American edition, October 1998.
It had an initial print run of just 30,000, which is much lower than any of the other US editions. Its still a great long-term investment piece, especially for US collectors whod prefer to have the version they grew up with as children.
The Sorcerers Stone will sell for anywhere from $4,000 to $6,500 depending on the condition, so its not cheap by any means. Its just not as popular as the elusive UK version.
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So How Do You Tell If Your Harry Potter Book Is A Valuable First Edition
For the book to be the first edition, there are four relevant issue points that your book should have in either softcover or hardcover.
Maybe you have been told that if you have the first printing, the name Joanne Rowling is in the copyright. That is not true. All early printings with Joanne Rowling have the same copyright statement.
If you have all these requirements in your book, then you are ready to know how to sell books of Harry Potter.
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.
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These editions are more valuable among collectors. First edition printings of these have the number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and there’s a block of misaligned text on page seven.
You should also look out for original watercolour illustrations by Giles Greenfield, Bloomsbury’s UK edition. If an illustrator has signed a copy, this means it will go up in value.
First edition copies of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix signed by J.K. Rowling at the midnight launch event in Edinburgh are priced in four figures.
For Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, there are very few signed copies on the market, so they can also be worth thousands.
J.K. Rowling signed 1,700 people’s copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at the launch at London’s Natural History Museum. The copies now have considerable value according to AbeBooks.
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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.
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