Auctioneer Richard Winterton with the rare Harry Potter book.
An incredibly rare Harry Potter book bought for 30 pence was sold for 10,500 pounds at an auction. The first-edition copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was one of 500 produced and was bought by a collector from Staffordshire who died earlier this year, BBC reported.
The hardback copy of the book went under the hammer with Richard Winterton Auctioneers at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Fradley Park, on Monday, July 10.
Published by Bloomsbury in 1997 with a laminated board cover, the book is one of only 500 first edition first impressions and, of those, one of only 300 sent to libraries.
The winning bid was placed online by a buyer from Los Angeles, according to a release by Lichfield Auction Centre.
The book was estimated at 3,000 pounds to 5,000 pounds due to its ‘much-loved condition’ as an ex-library book.
Auctioneer Richard Winterton said, “We’re absolutely delighted with this result.
“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 (pence) selling price.”
Auctioneers discovered the book after a painstaking search of hundreds of boxes of his belongings, the release said.
The man’s sister, who asked not to be named, said before the sale: “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 into 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 missing.