Two of the world’s rarest editions of Harry Potter could fetch £100,000 at a West Midlands auction. Potterheads will rejoice as it is the first ever Harry Potter auction, hosted by Rare Book Auctions UK.
Other treasured items dug out of the sorting hat include two hardback and three paperback first editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The world’s own Dumbledore figure and Harry Potter books expert, Jim Spencer, has uncovered two hardback copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone from the first print run in 1997.
Only 500 books came off the presses and over the course of six years, Jim has found 20 of them. The auction takes place in Lichfield, Staffordshire with the timed online sale ending November 27. One of the first editions was bought by a mum at a Warwickshire book shop after seeing it on a children’s TV show in 1997, and has an estimate of £30,000-£50,000.
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The other is estimated at £60,000-£80,000 where the vendor worked in publishing and bought it after reading a review in The Bookseller. The same November auction includes three paperback first editions of Philosopher’s Stone.
Two are guided at £6,000-£8,000 while a third has an estimate of £800-£1,200 due to its well-loved, used condition. Jim said: “These scarce first printings mark the very beginning of the Potter phenomenon and are regarded as the ultimate treasure by collectors. The strongest bids tend to pour in from the USA.
(Image: Rare Book Auctions)
“I was jumping round with excitement when I found the first one in 2019. It was an old Staffordshire ex-library book which the vendor bought at a table top sale in the county for £1 years ago.
“It hammered at £28,000 and I swiftly became the go-to person for Harry Potter books. I’ve been receiving hundreds of Harry Potter emails every single week for years now.
“In that time, I’ve responded to thousands of hopeful owners. One million pounds worth of Harry Potter books have passed through my hands.
“Now feels like the right time to let Harry stand up on his own, rather than being part of a wider book sale. This auction includes some of the most important Potters I’ve ever handled.
“It’s hard to imagine for most of us, myself included, but this sale could provide the ultimate Christmas present for someone with very deep pockets.”
(Image: Rare Book Auctions)
Other magical finds include a Philosopher’s Stone first printing paperback, 1997, in near-fine, unread condition. The vendor’s grandmother bought it for her but it wasn’t to her liking so never read. Sat on a shelf for 27 years it’s estimate is £6,000-£8,000.
The online timed sale ends on November 27, read more about it here
There is also a cast-signed paperback of Philosopher’s Stone, 53rd printing, autographed by a very young Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and others. It was a prize at Langley School, Solihull but the winner wasn’t a Potter fan, so it remained unread and estimates at £800-£1,200.
The auction will also feature an uncorrected proof copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, one of 200-300 printed in 1998. The vendor, a bookseller, received it before publication and estimates are £4,000-£7,000.
Another valuable lot is an uncorrected proof of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, one of 150-250 copies printed in 1999, going for £4,000-£6,000.
Finally, a JK Rowling signed first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, for ‘Harry’. It comes with tickets, gift bag, posters and ephemera, all kept safe from a Moonlight Signing event at London’s Natural History Museum in 2007 going for £1,500-£2,500.
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