Harry Potter's first edition sold for record price; gained 4 times the estimated price

The first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Book sold for £80,000, a little more than Rs. 82 lakh, four times its estimated price at an auction. The rare Harry Potter book is one among the only 500 hardcover copies belonging to the first edition of the 7-part boy wizard series that were signed by author JK Rowling. Originally, the book was expected to go for Rs. 20 lakhs to 30 lakhs, but eventually sold for such a high price. The book was auctioned at The Tennants Auctioneers of Leyburn in North Yorkshire, UK. 

Other copies of Harry Potter sold at higher prices

Harry Potter is one of the most popular fiction books ever written and since the release of the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, in June 1997, the books have found immense popularity, positive reviews, and commercial success worldwide. There have been other copies of the same edition sold at such high prices as well. Last year, a signed copy of the same edition sold for £125,000 or Rs. 1,29,28,042 in a European auction record.

While another copy sold for £68,000 in Staffordshire in December 2020, reported News18. Similarly, a former British ex-pat bought the same copy of the first edition for £60,000 at an auction in the UK. One copy was sold at a car boot sale for £50,000 at an auction in the UK. Other copies of the book have been sold at prices ranging from £17,500 to £68,000, depending on the condition.

Harry Potter book discovered by four sisters costs whopping £30k

A few months ago, four sisters from Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire got a pleasant surprise after learning that their late mother had bought one of Harry Potter's first edition books back in the year 2005. Their late mother was completely oblivious of the fact that the edition she purchased would be worth tens of thousands of pounds as it turned out to be one of only 500 copies ever printed. The cost of the Harry Potter book was estimated to be somewhere between £20,000-£30,000 but could make much more. The book was auctioned at Hansons Auctioneers in Staffordshire.

(IMAGE: AP)