Rare Harry Potter Paperback to Auction Today
Vendor Naveed Younas, from Nottingham, said he received the book as a gift when he was small
A rare copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone goes under the hammer this morning with an estimate of £3,000-£4,000.
The softcover first edition first impression of the boy wizard’s literary debut features in Richard Winterton Auctioneers’ Antique & Home Sale.
Vendor Naveed Younas, 37, from Nottingham, said he received the paperback as a present when he was small. “I liked it very much, read it quite a lot and went on to read the other Harry Potter books in due course. It has been left on my shelf for a few years now and I thought this would be a good time to pass on to someone else who will appreciate it.”
There were 5,150 copies of the first edition first impression softcover of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone printed by Bloomsbury in June 1997. Five hundred hardback copies containing the same text were also issued.
Robert French, valuer at Richard Winterton Auctioneers, said: “This well-thumbed example has clearly been much-loved and read repeatedly. There are some interesting anomalies which identify a first edition first printing of the book, either soft or hard cover. For example, on page 53 is a list of school supplies Harry receives from Hogwarts where ‘1 wand’ appears twice, at the start and again at the end."
