A rare first edition Harry Potter book bought for 30p is expected to fetch thousands of pounds at auction.
The hardback, which had originally been used at Wolverhampton Library, was one of only 500 produced.
Published by Bloomsbury, the copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will be sold by Fradley-based Richard Winterton Auctioneers on 10th July.
The book is estimated to fetch £3,000 to £5,000 – although auctioneers believe it could far exceed that on the day.
Auctioneer Richard Winterton said:
“What an amazing find – withdrawn and discarded from the library, bought for 30p and now worth thousands of pounds.
“The book still bears its library identification, spine sticker with the letter J, subsequent withdrawal stamp and 30p selling price.
“It has clearly been well-read, which is most befitting of one of the initial run of books which helped fuel the early popularity of Potter, which, of course, rapidly evolved into a global phenomenon.
“We have placed an estimate of £3,000 to £5,000 on the book because of its much-loved condition but other examples have fetched much more than this at auction.
“It will certainly be a magical moment when it goes under the hammer.”
Richard Winterton
The book was part of the personal collection of a Staffordshire man who had a lifelong passion for books and ephemera.
He lived in Brereton for a number of years before moving to Chase Terrace where he passed away unexpectedly at the beginning of the year aged 55.
The man’s sister, who asked not to be named, said:
“He started dealing in books and memorabilia when he was still at school. He would go to jumble sales and church fairs and would come back with a pile of annuals or comics.
“He would then take them to a second-hand shop in Hednesford to sell or take them in to school to swap with friends.
“That was his passion from an early age onwards.”
The family knew that he had acquired a valuable Harry Potter book but feared it had gone astray.
“When he moved house four years ago he literally put everything into hundreds of boxes, many of which went into containers..
“We knew that he had got the book, but if you asked him to pinpoint it he couldn’t.
“So 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.”
The catalogue for the 10th July auction will be online a week before the sale at www.richardwinterton.co.uk/auction-dates.
