I've found an extremely rare Harry Potter book… now I'm selling it for £10,000
AN EXTREMELY rare Harry Potter book that was mysteriously dumped at a charity is now selling for £10,000.
A generous donor gave away the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to the store on the Isle of Wight.
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The beloved classic book is now expected to fetch a staggering amount of money due to its numerous printing errors.
Staff at the RSPCA charity shop were shocked to find the valuable book on the door of the shop as part of a donation.
Rebecca Busby, an RSPCA fundraising officer at the Isle of Wight branch, said: “The book was donated to one of our charity shops as a possible first edition.
One of the volunteers confirmed it was a first edition after discovering errors on the back cover and in the book.
Rebecca added: “She called me and I could hear her excitement as she said, 'I can't believe we're having a Harry Potter first edition, it is the best condition I have ever seen.
“Can you please find somewhere to sell this as we can't sell it in store.”
The book is part of the first 5,000 copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
All the books were printed with the same errors – including the words 'one wand' printed twice on page 53 and a typographical error on the back cover.
Famous author JK Rowling's name also appears to be misspelled as 'Joanne Rowling'.
Harry Potter expert Jim Spencer of Hansons Auctioneers said the copy could fetch up to £10,000 as it is in excellent condition.
He explained: “This book represents the beginning of the Harry Potter phenomenon.
'Not many paperbacks published in the 1990s have the potential to fetch thousands of pounds at auction.
“No one predicted the enormous popularity of Harry Potter, so these books were printed on cheap paper.
“This, combined with the fact that it is a children's book, means that most examples are in very poor condition and show signs of having been swung around in a school backpack, covered in scribbles, smeared with orange squash, or at least faded at first face. the back against sunlight falling on the bookcase.
“This one is exceptional. The only minor flaws are a few slightly creased corners and the usual light brown edges of the pages, which is actually a reassuring sign due to the cheap paper used. I would be concerned if the pages had this light no discoloration.
“It should appeal to collectors all over the world and the lucky buyer can be doubly happy with this knowledge money raised will help animals like Harry.”
The charity is now hoping to raise £10,000 to help dozens of animals in need of care.
Rebecca said: “We have over 50 at the moment pets in our care – inclusive dogscats and rabbits – and because of the cost of living crisis, we, like many animal protection organizations, are having a hard time.
“More animals are coming into our care as owners struggle to maintain them and fewer people are adopting because of the costs involved.”
Mr Spencer added: “This deserves to fly, especially for such a great cause.
'I hope collectors will be generous with their bids and help the RSPCA.
“It would be very difficult to find another example as well preserved as this example, so it deserves to be wagged at auction.”
The first edition will go on sale at Bishton Hall, Staffordshire on February 26.
Is your Harry Potter book worth money?
If you have books gathering dust at home that you think might be valuable, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Firstly, its condition is critical and will affect its value.
First edition books are also highly sought after and will usually be more valuable than a later printing.
Better yet, if the author signed it, you can expect it to be worth more.
The number of existing copies will also have an impact.
To check whether your books are valuable, it's worth first looking up completed listings on eBay and filtering by the highest value.
You can also choose to have it valued by auction houses, but take any costs into account.
If you decide to sell, keep in mind that you are not guaranteed to make any money.
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