An Edinburgh woman has sold a special Harry Potter for a staggering £3,750 after buying it for just £10.99 more than 20 years ago.
As BBC Scotland reports, Sally Champion worked for a reading charity in London in the 1990s where author JK Rowling read extracts from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The event itself was organised by Sally and after buying a hard back copy for £10.99, Rowling signed it.
Over the last 20 years, it had been sitting on her bookshelf, almost forgotten about until she saw a similar valued one on TV - after being sold to a collector in England, Sally is donating the new found fund to charity.
READ MORE- The airlines and Edinburgh Airport flights most likely to be delayed or cancelled
Speaking about the day, she told BBC Scotland: "She [JK Rowling] was quite tired because she'd been up late as she'd just won the Smarties Book Prize the night before.
"She was just really easy to work with - really relaxed. She wasn't super famous at that time but the momentum was already under way in children's books around her. "
Sally was working for the National Literacy Trust back in 1998 and organised an event for children from disadvantaged communities, where the Harry Potter author read snippets of the second book.
It wasn't until she watched an episode of Antiques Roadshow 20 years later, she was reminded of the book. Sally went on to research her copy and found it was in fact a first print run, first edition, and the signature of Rowling added even more value.
She has pledged her unexpected windfall to Atlantic Body and Soul, a five man rowing team from Edinburgh who are sailing round the Atlantic unaided to raise funds for two children's mental health charities.
Sally said: "It felt kind of magic in its own right - this quiet book that had done nothing for 24 years suddenly became more valuable.
"It's money I didn't have before and didn't expect so I decided to donate it to the Atlantic row."
READ NEXT-
- Edinburgh property: Inside 'stunning' 3 bed flat on the market for £1.5 million
Harry Potter-influenced Quidditch league changes name to 'distance selves' from JK Rowling
- UK holidaymakers could get bank account boost by doing one thing in advance
- Tesco announce Clubcard Christmas Savers scheme in July amid cost of living crisis
- New Netflix series One Day spotted filming 'grad ball' at Edinburgh University
