First edition Harry Potter book bought for 25p at boot sale sells for £28k on Bargain Hunt
24 January 2020, 16:12
The Harry Potter book's owner made a killing on the BBC show.
A rare Harry Potter book ended up fetching its new owners a whopping £28,000 at auction after the lucky sods managed to snap it up for a mere 25p.
The first edition hardback copy was one of only 500 copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone in existence, and was sold on Bargain Hunt.
Of those 500 original copies, 300 were sent to libraries across the UK but some were withdrawn.
The lucky purchasers grabbed the book, first published in 1997 was picked up on the Bargain Hunt episode in a jumble sale for only 25p.
Clearly those selling it didn't realise its true value!
The book then went under the hammer at Bishton Hall, Staffordshire and after a bidding war was won by an UK book collector.
Its seller said "I can’t believe it. It’s what I’d hoped for but I never really believed my book would make that price!"
Auctioneers confirmed that the book was 100 per cent authentic because it still had the sticker inside showing it was previously owned by Staffordshire Libraries, but was withdrawn from stock.
Auctioneer Charles Hanson said on the BBC1 show: “All our client wants to do with [the money] is buy a new bathroom.
“Even now the softback publications, which were first editions, are fetching thousands of pounds.
"But this is a hardback and one of only 500. It’s so important in that great history of Harry Potter.”
Jim Spencer, head of books at Hansons, said: “I was slightly caught in disbelief when I first saw it.
"I receive calls every week from people saying they have a first-edition Harry Potter."
