A rare Harry Potter book bought for just 30p from a library is tipped to sell for £5,000. The first edition Philosopher’s Stone, which has been well-thumbed, could sell for rare more than £5K, as a similar book went under the hammer for £28,500 earlier this year.
It was one of only 500 copies published by Bloomsbury in 1997 – the first in JK Rowling’s series. The world's most famous author was born in Yate and later moved to Winterbourne before writing her incredible books.
The savvy buyer recognised its value after Wolverhampton Library decided it was too damaged to lend out so sold it for pennies. The collector, who has not been named, kept the book in a box at home but believed he lost it when his collection got too big.
READ MORE: Meet the king and queen of barbecuing taking Bristol's street food scene by storm
Tragically, the man died earlier this year aged 55 and the book was rediscovered by his family as they sorted through his belongings.
It is valued at between £3,000 and £5,000 but is likely to spark a bidding war at Richard Winterton Auctioneers’ Antiques on July 10.
Auctioneer Richard Winterton, said: "What an amazing find. Withdrawn and discarded from the library, bought for 30p and now worth thousands of pounds. The book still bears its library identification, spine sticker with the letter J, subsequent withdrawal stamp and 30p selling price.
"It has clearly been well-read, which is most befitting of one of the initial run of books which helped fuel the early popularity of Potter – which, of course, rapidly evolved into a global phenomenon.
"We have placed an estimate of £3,000 to £5,000 on the book because of its much-loved condition but other examples have fetched much more than this at auction.”
The book was part of the personal collection of a man from Staffordshire who had a lifelong passion for books and artefacts.
The man's sister, who asked not to be named, said: "He started dealing in books and memorabilia when he was still at school.
“He would go to jumble sales and church fairs and would come back with a pile of annuals or comics. He would then take them to a second-hand shop in Hednesford to sell or take them in to school to swap with friends.
“That was his passion from an early age onwards."
The family knew that he had acquired a valuable Harry Potter book but feared it was lost. His sister added: "When he moved house four years ago he literally put everything into hundreds of boxes, many of which went into containers.
"We knew that he had got the book but if you asked him to pinpoint it he couldn’t. So for the last four years this book has been ‘lost’ and I think we had come to the conclusion that it had disappeared into the ether somewhere.
"Now it’s come to light again we, as a family, are quite excited."
The book will go under the hammer at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Staffs., on July 10.
