Lucky Harry Potter fan buys first edition books for just £3
By Callum Gunn
First edition books of the Boy Wizard have sold for £60,000 in the past, but one lucky fan got three first editions for a fraction of the price.
When you think first edition books, you just know that they’re going to be valuable. That’s especially the case for the “Harry Potter” novels, which can sell for as much as £60,000 ($85,000) due to how few were made. One lucky fan managed to gain three first edition versions of the novels for just £3 ($4.20) from a local charity shop.
Hayley Malsom picked up “Goblet of Fire,” “Order of the Phoenix and the “Half-Blood Prince” for just £3 from a Gloucester charity shop. She hadn’t realized they were first editions until she got home and it looks like the charity store had no idea either. While she says she’s not yet had them valued, she does know that other first edition books have sold for thousands of pounds.
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However, it does appear that the £60,000 sum is a one-off. Some first editions only sell for £10 ($14) and it’s usually the first novel that sells for such a high amount. Other factors help the books sell for more, including those that have the original illustrations and those with the autograph of author J.K. Rowling.
“The Philosopher’s Stone” is the one that sells for the most, especially due to the mistake in the first edition. On the list of items Harry needs to get to take to Hogwarts on page 53, “1 wand” is listed twice. This mistake was rectified in subsequent editions.
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It’s also possible to tell a first edition from the publishing company. All those that are first editions were published by Bloomsbury Publishing.
Next: Harry Potter illustrated editions will soon be available in paperback form!
The only way for Malsom to know exactly how much her books are worth is through valuation. However, she’s an avid Potter fan with her own site, so she’s likely just keeping hold of the books for the future.