A rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has sold at auction for £21,000 after it was set to be thrown away.
Daniel Pearce, who runs NLB Auctions, found the hidden gem among the possessions of a deceased man from Brixham.
The book, which is the first in J.K Rowling’s classic fantasy series, was earmarked for the bin before it was saved.
It went under the hammer at the auction house in Paignton on Saturday, selling for over £21,000, the BBC reported.
Mr Pearce said the price was a “great result for a first edition hardback”.
He told the BBC it was from the first print run of 500 copies and was among the 300 distributed to public libraries.
Mr Pearce explained that the misspelling of the word 'philosophers,' with the 'o' missing at the end, was one of the key clues that helped him identify it as a first edition copy.
The book has now made its way overseas, Mr Peace added.
