A woman who snapped up a copy of Harry Potter for a mere £3.50 in 1997 was thrilled to discover, nearly 30 years later, that the book’s value had skyrocketed.
Jane Thompson-Webb, now 54, was just 26 when she bought the original paperback first edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”
The book retailed at £4.99, but thanks to a 30% staff discount it was reduced to £3.50. Taking inflation into account, this would be the equivalent of around £10 today.
27 years later, Jane’s valuable copy is going under the hammer and is expected to fetch a fabulous sum, as the fascination with the wizarding world remains undiminished.
Auctioneer Richard Winterton estimates Jane’s book could fetch up to £5,000. He said: “This is an exceptional copy and we expect great interest at the auction,” reports the Express.
“We have estimated the value of this book at £3,000-£3,500 but hope it could reach £5,000 as the condition is stunning.”
Mr Winterton also offered a tip for those wondering whether their own copies are first editions and therefore potentially worth a tidy sum.
He advised: “If you think you have a first edition of the book – whether softcover or hardback – there are certain important things to look for. I look right at the back cover, where the word ‘Philosopher’s’ should be missing a letter ‘o’.”
“The text reads ‘Appreciation for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’. It also refers to ‘Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft’, which was later changed to ‘Witchcraft and Wizardry’.
“Make sure the publisher is Bloomsbury and that the last date listed in the copyright information is 1997.”
He further explained: “The print line on the copyright page should read: ’10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1′ and in the copyright information for the cover illustration by Thomas Taylor 1997 there is no gap between his last name and the date: ‘Taylor1997’.”
Meanwhile, Jane, a conservation manager at Birmingham Museum’s Trust, told her story about purchasing her specimen.
She recalled: “I bought it when I was working in Ottakar’s bookshop in Birmingham,” Jane said. When the first Harry Potter came out, we reviewed it for an internal newsletter.
“I was 26 at the time and I bought it because I wanted to read it – I’ve always read children’s stories. I remember people coming in before Christmas to buy the book.
“But what’s really striking is how many parents with little boys came in after Christmas and the boys asked when the next book was coming out because they wanted to read the next story. This book got the boys reading.”
