A rare copy of the first Harry Potter book, bought from a south Manchester charity shop for 50p and covered in doodles, has sold at auction for a staggering £15,000.
The first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was expected to fetch between £2,000-3,000 when it went under the hammer yesterday (Wednesday). It was one of only 500 copies of JK Rowling's worldwide best-seller published in the first print run in 1997.
But its well-thumbed pages, peeling covers and children's felt-tip pen doodles of the boy wizard failed to deter potential buyers. Bidders from around the world got into a 'colossal' battle when the book went under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers in Staffordshire on Wednesday, with the book eventually being sold to an online bidder from America for £15,500.
