Harry Potter first edition fetches £60,000 at auction

.css-14iz86j-BoldText{font-weight:bold;}A first edition Harry Potter book which a father used to teach his children English has fetched £60,000 at auction.

The book, one of only 500 hardback first editions printed, was put up for sale by a retired British expat who lives in Luxembourg.

The vendor, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he had bought the book for his children about 18 months after it was first published in June 1997.

He had said he planned to use money from the sale to pay off his daughter’s student loans.

The book was identified as a first edition, after being posted to the Derbyshire auctioneers in a tea towel, as it has a duplication of phrase ‘1 wand’ on page 53 and an issue number of “10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1”.

Hansons’ said the final bid came from a private international buyer who was bidding by phone.

Mr Spencer, who has dealt with the sale of four first editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, said it was the highest price paid at the auctioneers for a copy.

“I hoped it would make £50,000 but to see it sail past that to reach £60,000 was astonishing.”

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Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-54523938

Harry Potter, Edition, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone