Looking to make some extra cash? It could be worth having a look on your bookshelves to see if you have any rare Harry Potter novels.
That’s because some JK Rowling works can fetch a fortune at auction. So to help people identify if they have a rare book or not, Sotheby’s has released a helpful video on YouTube.
In a clip that’s garnered 683,000 views, an expert showed off a $100,000 novel. They then said: “Is your book of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone worth $100,000? Here’s four ways to tell.” Check out all the advice below.
1) Check the edition
First editions tend to be more sought-after. But as the first Harry Potter book was released back in 1997, they could be hard to find.
A Sotheby’s expert held up an example towards the camera. She added: “This is JK Rowling’s first book and the first in the Harry Potter series. Because she was a completely unknown author, they only issued 500 copies of this first edition.”
Other indicators of value can be limited edition copies, as well as books that have been signed or given a special print run.
2) Identify how many were made available
Books that are harder to get hold of are typically more valuable. This is because there are less in circulation, making them rarer.
The Sotheby’s example was one of just 200 released to sellers. The YouTube video explains: “The initial print run of 500 copies, 300 were sent to libraries and 200 to bookstores. This is from a bookstore.”
3) Look for specific printing code
Check your books’ printing code to get more information – you should find this on the copyright page. Look for the number line, which will often be 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 if it’s a first printing.
The Sotheby’s expert explained: “This is a first edition, first printing of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. And we know this by going to the publisher’s imprint page because this is a first printing, this number line will go down from 10 to 1. In later printings, this will change. For example, for a third printing it would go down from 10 to 3.”
4) Check for mistakes
Printing errors can see the value skyrocket – as collectors want to get their hands on something totally unique.
Sotheby’s said: “Mistakes are often prized when collecting rare books. In later editions, they’re corrected. For example, on page 53 listing Harry’s school equipment, 1 wand is on there twice.”
This post was originally published on here
