13 rare Harry Potter books rack up £151,000 at Staffordshire auction - including one won in raffle at West Midlands school
Some of the rarest Harry Potter books ever printed have sold for £151,700 at the world's first auction dedicated entirely to the famous boy wizard in Staffordshire.
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The books - both pristine and battered copies - were discovered over the course of three months across the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland.
They included one won in a school raffle 20 years ago and another unwittingly bought by a mum at a book shop after seeing it on Blue Peter in 1997.
Together the 13 lots achieved record results in the world’s first dedicated Harry Potter Auction in Lichfield, Staffordshire, last week.
The sale included two extremely scarce examples of the most sought after book, first edition hardback copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Only 500 were published in the first ever Potter print run in 1997 and they mark the start of the biggest-selling book series of all time.
One which was bought from WH Smith in London as a family gift sold for £85,000 while the other fetched £45,000.
Two paperback first editions of the Philosopher’s Stone hammered at £12,000 each, from an estimate of £8,000.A well-thumbed example of the same paperback reached £6,000 from a £800-£1,200 estimate - despite a battered cover and staining.
Jim Spencer, director of Rare Book Auctions, said: “This sale’s been hugely exciting. "The first auction dedicated solely to Harry Potter books not only broke records in terms of the number of registered bidders and watchers on the world's major global bidding platform [the-saleroom.com].
"There are thousands of worldwide auctions listed at any one time - but in the hammer prices achieved. We've had cast-signed books, uncorrected proofs and paperbacks many times over the years, but this sale soared to new heights.
"We worked really hard to pitch this event perfectly, so it's a huge relief that everything clicked into place. The 13 books are now winging their way to new homes across the UK, the USA and the United Arab Emirates.
“It's taken a lot of miles out on the road, visiting people far and wide to secure the 13 lots that made up this very small, specialist sale. I was always keen to let Harry stand up on his own in this way, and the results have shown how enthusiastically the market welcomes these books.
"Bids were pouring in from all over the world for this auction in the heart of England. I've met some amazing people with moving stories to tell, so the best thing is to know we've done them proud.”
Among the lots was also a cast-signed copy of a 53rd printing paperback of Philosopher’s Stone - won at a school around 2001 - which sold for a record £5,500.
It was signed by the film’s three main child actors, Daniel Radcliffe [Harry Potter], Rupert Grint [Ron Weasley], and Emma Watson [Hermione Granger] as well as numerous other cast members including Tom Felton [Draco Malfoy] and Julie Walters [Mrs Weasley].
The book was won in a raffle held at Langley School, Solihull, West Midlands, after being donated by a teaching colleague whose twin sons played the doubles for the Weasley twins in the first Potter film.
In addition, an uncorrected proof copy of Chamber of Secrets fetched a record £7,000; an uncorrected proof of Prisoner of Azkaban hammered at £5,000 and a copy of Deathly Hallows signed ‘To Harry!’ by JK Rowling achieved £2,600.
