Posted on October 15, 2019 at 11:24 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek
When one rare copy of a Harry Potter book sold this summer, it brought several more first editions out of the woodwork and onto the auction block.
Last week, a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the U.S.) sold for £57,040 (over $72,600).
The seller, who wished to remain anonymous, had kept the 1997 book in a locked briefcase to prevent its pages from yellowing, reports BirminghamLive.
This mint-edition copy was the crown jewel of last week’s auction, which featured twelve total first editions and netted more than £75,000 (almost $95,500) in sales.
Even more astounding is the sale that preceded this one.
In July, a first-edition copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone that had been picked up for just £1 (about $1.25) at a tabletop sale — somewhat like a garage sale or flea auction — wound up going for £28,500 (almost $36,300).
Book expert Jim Spencer said the publicity around that sale prompted other readers to examine their Harry Potter books more closely in hopes of a similar payday.
Read more about the twelve books that did yield such gold in BirminghamLive.
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Categories: Today in Books