An ultra-rare Harry Potter book has sold at auction for £10,500. Bought for 30p after being withdrawn from Wolverhampton Library, the hardback copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone went under the hammer with Richard Winterton Auctioneers on Monday, July 10.
Published by Bloomsbury in 1997 with a laminated board cover, the book is one of only 500 first edition first impressions and, of those, one of only 300 sent to libraries. The sale attracted international interest, with the winning bid placed over the internet from Los Angeles. The book was estimated at £3,000 to £5,000 due to its ‘much-loved condition’ as an ex-library book.
Auctioneer Richard Winterton said: “We’re absolutely delighted with this result. The first in the original series of books by JK Rowling, this copy has clearly been well-read and still has its library identification sticker, spine sticker with the letter J, withdrawal stamp and 30p selling price.”
