A family found a rare Harry Potter book while clearing out the attic - and sold it for nearly £6,000 to a bookshop in Chelsea, London. Kirsten Kane received a call from her mum in November 2022 to say she'd found the copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in her loft.
It had Kirsten's name written inside, so her mum asked her if she wanted to keep it. But the book turned out to be a first-edition published by Bloomsbury in 1997. Kirsten, 35, said: "It was the original printing, it was one of only 500 in the entire world. It's insane."
The mum-of-one went through a checklist online, ticking off all of the important markers of a true original - including a serial number of 10987654321.
She also noted that Harry's school supplies list on page 53 had wand listed twice.
"As I was going through it I couldn't believe I found it - but I had written my name in it in biro," Kirsten said.
"I try not to fixate on that too much because I can't change the past, but it was in mint condition otherwise."
She sold the copy a few weeks later to a shop in Chelsea for a whopping £5,750 - allowing Kirsten to launch her dream business.
Kirsten and her family were coming out of a hard time after she and her husband both lost their incomes in the pandemic.
Their daughter Rosa, now three, was struggling to socialise after spending the first years of her life in lockdown.
Kirsten fantasised about finding a venue to launch her own baby and toddler club, one that would be accessible for tots like hers.
She said: "Rosa was seven months when lockdown happened and then basically didn't see anyone for two years. It was really difficult for her and us.
"So I was taking her along to these classes and they were really, really busy or super loud. None of it suited her personality and it was really stressful for both of us."
Around the same time that the Harry Potter book turned up, Kirsten had been to view the perfect location for her playroom.
She said: "We didn't have the money for it, it was not an option, but I'd seen it so I thought I'll keep that in mind for the future."
To take on the unit at the RogArt Street Campus in the East End, Kirsten needed around £6,000.
She said: "There was an auction that I could have put the book into and maybe gotten a wee bit more money, but I needed the money straight away for this.
"I didn't want to be too greedy about it. I basically need £6,000 to start a business, and I've just found it. It's wild.
"So I sold the book, I moved in, and now I'm here. I can't get my head around it. Every morning I walk in, I can't believe this has happened."
Kirsten got the keys to the studio room on January 11 and opened Daisy and Dragon just weeks later on February 2.
She said: "Honestly, it's been incredible. The first time I did the class I almost started crying.
"Every time I look at the booking system or I get a notification that someone has booked I can't get over it.
"It's completely surpassed my expectations of where I would be right now."
Kirsten is now working on writing her own children's books to incorporate into the popular toddler classes.
She said: "The Harry Potter book has allowed me to be able to write my own books because I wouldn't have necessarily been able to afford to.
"It is quite a full circle how the book has allowed the class and the books to be written. We had a tough year last year, last year was a shocker, and this has fully saved me."
Have you found a rare object in your house? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
