Rare 1st edition Harry Potter book sells for $13,500

A rare first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone bought for 30p was sold for $13,500 in an online auction by Richard Winterton Auctioneers’ Antiques on Monday.

The copy was one of 500 published by Bloomsbury in 1997, and one of 300 sent to libraries around the UK.

“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,” said Auctioneer Richard Winterton.

The family of the copy’s owner, who died at 55, knew he owned the valuable copy, but thought it was missing until they found it later in his belongings.

“For the last four years this book has been ‘lost’ and I think we had come to the conclusion that it had disappeared into the ether somewhere. Now it’s come to light again we, as a family, are quite excited,” said the original owner’s sister.

The winning bid was placed online by a buyer from Los Angeles.

This is not the first Harry Potter book to be auctioned and sold for a high price, three copies of the Philosopher’s Stone were sold in 2019 for $59,400, one for $42,600 in May 2020, and another for $87,800 late in 2020.

A copy of the second book in the Harry Potter series, the Chamber of Secrets, bought for 1p was sold for $2970 in 2019.