Removed from a library because of its poor condition, and sold for 38 cents in a book sale, an ultra-rare copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the British first edition of the first Harry Potter book, sold for $13,500 at auction in England recently.
Published by Bloomsbury in 1997 with a laminated board cover, the book is one of only 500 first edition first impressions and, of those, one of only 300 sent to libraries. The book was originally issued to the Wolverhampton Library in England before being withdrawn because of its “much-loved-condition.”
Courtesy Richard Winterton Auctioneers LTD.
“We’re absolutely delighted with this result,” said Auctioneer Richard Winterton, who handled the sale July 10. “The first in the original series of books by JK Rowling, this copy has clearly been well-read and still has its library identification sticker, spine sticker with the letter J, withdrawal stamp and 30p [38 cents] selling price.”
Courtesy Richard Winterton Auctioneers LTD.
The sale attracted international interest, with the winning bid placed over the internet from Los Angeles. Because of the book’s battered shape as an ex-library book, presale estimate was $4,000-$6,500.
How to Identify a first edition Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
- According to Richard Winterton Auctioneers, you must first check that the publisher is Bloomsbury and the latest date listed in the copyright information is 1997.
- The print line on the copyright page must read “10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1”.
- The rarest of the first printings is the hardback issue, with a cover of laminated boards. Only 500 copies were bound this way, 300 of which were sent to libraries.
- Examine the back cover – there should be an ‘o’ missing from the word Philosopher’s.
- In the first edition, page 53 features a list of school supplies Harry receives from Hogwarts. The item ‘1 wand’ appears twice, once at the beginning and once at the end. This mistake was corrected in the second printing – although curiously it did reappear in some later printings.
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