Two rare Harry Potter books are auctioned for £100,000 | Great Britain

Two of the rarest Harry Potter books ever printed have fetched £100,000 in the world’s first auction dedicated entirely to the famous boy wizard.

The Philosopher’s Stone specimens are part of a collection of Harry Potter memorabilia that is expected to fetch over £126,000 when it goes under the hammer.

One of the first editions, unwittingly bought by a mother in a Warwickshire bookshop after seeing it on Blue Peter in 1997, is expected to fetch £30,000 to £50,000.

The other, a flawless example, is estimated at £60,000-80,000. The seller worked in publishing and bought it after reading a review in Bookseller.

They were both one of 500 hardcover copies published in the first edition of the Potter book in 1997 and are among the rarest and most sought after copies by fans.

They were discovered by book expert Jim Spencer, who found and sold £1 million worth of Harry Potter books.

Over the course of six years, Jim has found 20 of the 500 first editions of the Philosopher’s Stone and is now hosting the world’s first Harry Potter auction.

Jim said: “These rare first printings mark the beginning of the Potter phenomenon and are considered by collectors to be the ultimate treasure.”

“The strongest offers generally come from the USA. I was really excited when I found the first offer in 2019.”

“It was an old book from the former Staffordshire Library which the seller had bought for £1 years ago at a table sale in the county.

“It cost a whopping £28,000 and I quickly became the go-to guy for Harry Potter books.”

“Now seems like the right time to let Harry stand up on his own rather than be part of a larger book sale.

“This auction features some of the most important potters I have ever seen.

“It’s hard for most of us, myself included, to imagine, but this sale could be the ultimate Christmas gift for someone with a lot of money.”

The same November auction at Rare Book Auctions in Lichfield, Staffs. also includes three paperback first editions of Philosopher’s Stone.

Two are estimated at £6,000 to £8,000, while a third is valued at £800 to £1,200 due to its popular, used condition.

In Jim’s previous sales, the highest total price including premium was £86,000 for a hardcover first edition of Philosopher’s Stone and £13,800 for a paperback.

Jim, director of Rare Book Auctions, added: “I have received hundreds of Harry Potter emails every week for years.

“During that time, I have responded to thousands of hopeful owners. A million pounds worth of Harry Potter books have passed through my hands.”

“As well as the first editions of Philosopher’s Stone, I also unearthed two uncorrected proof copies of the book, which fetched £15,000 and £11,000.

“Other great finds included two prize editions of the Philosopher’s Stone for the competition’s 15th anniversary, the only two ever sold at an auction of 15 copies printed and never released for sale.

“They reached 15,000 and 8,000 pounds.”

Other top lots include a first printing paperback of Philosopher’s Stone, 1997, in near-fine, unread condition.

The seller’s grandmother bought it for her, but it wasn’t her thing, so it was never read. It sat on the shelf for 27 years and could fetch £6,000 to £8,000.

There is also a cast-signed paperback of Philosopher’s Stone, 53rd edition, signed by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and others.

With a guide price of £800 to £1,200, it was a prize at Langley School in Solihull. West Mids., but the lucky winner wasn’t a Potter fan so it went unread.

An uncorrected copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, one of 200-300 copies printed in 1998, could sell for £4,000-7,000.

An Uncorrected Proof of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Akaban, one of 150-250 copies printed in 1999, is expected to fetch £4,000-6,000.

Finally, a first edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows signed by JK Rowling is available for Harry at £1,500 to £2,500.

Included are tickets, a gift bag, posters and ephemera, all protected from a Moonlight signing event at London’s Natural History Museum in 2007.

The time-limited online sale ends November 27th at www.the-saleroom.com.