Rare Harry Potter Book Purchased for 30p Sells for £10,500 in Lichfield Auction
Collector's First Edition of The Philosopher's Stone Fetches Impressive Price
Hidden Treasure Unearthed
A rare first edition copy of Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, initially purchased for a mere 30p, has recently been sold at auction for a staggering £10,500. This valuable book, one of only 500 copies ever produced, belonged to a collector from Staffordshire who tragically passed away earlier this year.
Due to a house move, the book had been placed in storage, causing concern that it had been lost forever. However, the winning bid was successfully placed online by a buyer from Los Angeles, as announced by Richard Winterton, the auctioneer based in Lichfield.
Expressing his satisfaction with the outcome, Winterton stated, “We’re absolutely delighted with this result.” The coveted book, published in 1997, was originally among the 300 copies distributed to libraries. The late collector had acquired it from Wolverhampton Library, residing in the town of Burntwood.
According to the family, they were aware that their loved one possessed a valuable Harry Potter book but had assumed it had gone missing. During his move four years ago, hundreds of boxes containing his extensive book collection were packed, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact location of this rare gem.
The sister of the deceased collector, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that her brother had a lifelong passion for books and ephemera, which began during his school days when he started dealing in them. Unfortunately, he unexpectedly passed away at the age of 55. However, the valuable book was eventually discovered by a team from Richard Winterton Auctioneers while sorting through his belongings.
