A rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone purchased for just £10 (around Rs 1,068) in 1997 in the United Kingdom (UK), has sold for an impressive £36,000 (over Rs 38 lakh) at an auction, reported Hindustan Times.
The sale which was held on Wednesday, November 27 in Lichfield, Staffordshire, saw the final bid rise to £45,000 (approximately Rs 50 lakh) with the buyer’s premium included.
According to BBC News, this book is one of only 500 hardback copies printed during the first print run, making it a highly coveted collector's item.
The book, originally purchased by Christine McCulloch in Stratford-upon-Avon for her son, Adam, was bought without any knowledge of its future value. At the time, neither Christine nor Adam realised its significance.
Great stories start in a cupboard
The book was kept stored in a cupboard at their family home in Chesterfield for years. It wasn't until the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, when Adam came across other stories about first-edition Harry Potter books, that they discovered the potential worth of the book's copy.
Speaking to BBC News, Adam, from Tansley, Derbyshire, shared the excitement of having the book verified as a valuable first edition. “Once we got it verified, it was a bit of a pinch yourself moment,” Adam further said. “In some ways, I think having that bit of a story around it, with tea stains and a folded-over corner, adds to the magic.”
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, first published in the UK in 1997, introduced readers to the iconic wizarding world of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. Over time, the book has become a cultural phenomenon, with early editions now fetching high prices at auctions.
