Harry Potter Paperback Sets World Record
A forgotten copy of the hit fantasy book was found in a loft in perfect condition.
and the Philosopher’s Stone. Courtesy Rare Book Auctions via SWNS
Last May, a first-edition paperback copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the United States) sold for a record $21,250 at Rare Book Auctions in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England.
This copy was an unusual case: It had never been read. Katrina McNichol had received it in 1997 when she reviewed books for a magazine in the Scottish Highlands. She recalled having “more than 20 titles to review” every week. Inevitably, some couldn’t make the cut, and the first Harry Potter book was one of them. However, she kept her copy and says she “forgot it existed” until she found it again while cleaning out her loft in Edinburgh, nearly 30 years later.
Jim Spencer, director of Rare Book Auctions, called McNichol’s copy “a time capsule,” saying, “This is the best example I’ve ever handled.” It’s a children’s book, after all, so many copies show the signs of being handled by kids—and not gently. Some are even spattered with food and drink or have scribbles and doodles on the pages.
Spencer has become a specialist in Harry Potter books. He has found 20 first editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and, last year, handled the previous record sale for a first-edition paperback, which achieved $15,000.
In addition to being “the finest example ever to come to market,” as experts called it, McNichol’s copy had all the minor typographical errors that characterize the first edition. For example, the word “philosopher’s” on the back cover was missing an “o,” and a list of school supplies on page 53 repeats “1 wand.”
The book received a presale estimate of about $8,750 to $12,500. Bids came in from all over the world until a buyer from the United Kingdom made the record purchase. Spencer noted that this was unusual; previously, American buyers made the biggest bids for Harry Potter books.
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