As of: February 27, 2024, 6:00 p.m
By: Sven Trautwein
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In England, an almost flawless first edition of “Harry Potter” and “The Philosopher's Stone” was auctioned for just under 9,000 euros.
The first edition of “Harry Potter – The Sorcerer’s Stone” is not one of the seven most expensive books in the world.
Nevertheless, it recently fetched a price of 7,500 pounds, the equivalent of around 8,770 euros, at an auction in London.
An anonymous donor donated the well-preserved specimen to the animal welfare organization Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) on the Isle of Wight.
A first edition of “Harry Potter – The Sorcerer’s Stone” was auctioned in England for several thousand euros (symbolic image).
© Jacob King/dpa
The starting bid for the first edition of “The Philosopher’s Stone” was 4,200 pounds (approx. 4,900 euros).
The auction took place at Hansons Auctioneers in Staffordshire, The Isle of Wight County Press reports.
Jim Spencer, a Harry Potter book expert at Hansons, estimated the book's value to be between £7,000 and £10,000 due to its "exceptional condition".
A misprint also fetched a high price at auction this year.
This was bought for a few cents and fetched more than 14,000 euros at auction.
Cheap paper but in good condition
Jim Spencer of Hansons Auctioneers confirmed the authenticity of the first edition and its excellent condition.
The book marks the beginning of the Harry Potter phenomenon, he told
The Isle of Wight County Press
.
Many of the books printed in the early 1990s were simple paperbacks that were sold at low prices.
They were printed on cheap paper and purchased primarily by students, who often added scribbles and marginal notes to their copies and carelessly slipped them into their school bags.
The recently auctioned first edition had only minor defects, such as slightly folded corners and slight browning of the page edges.
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All proceeds from the auction went to the animal welfare organization on the Isle of Wight.
This brought a smile to the face of Rebecca Busby, Director of Fundraising and Marketing.
She told the local newspaper she was delighted: "We are sure Harry will help his namesake dog Harry find his magical home and enjoy a fantastic new chapter in his life."
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In July 2023, another first edition of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” was auctioned for 10,500 pounds (12,260 euros).
In March 2022, a flawless copy of the first edition even achieved a price of 69,000 pounds (approx. 80,600 euros).
Take a look at your bookshelf, whether sorted by color or by genre.
Maybe you'll also find one or two rare Harry Potter editions there.
But at what age is “Harry Potter” actually recommended as a book?
If you don't like reading, you might enjoy the upcoming film adaptation as a series.
JK Rowling “Harry Potter” Complete Edition
2023 Carlsen, ISBN-13 978-3-551-55748-3
Price: hardback, jewelry edition, pre-order €129, 3,408 pages