Harry Potter novel with spelling mistake of author’s name and bought for just pennies in second-hand book store sells for incredible sum after seller found it lying around at home
- British auctioneer Hanson said on Monday that the first edition copy was bought with two other books in a south London shop in 1997 for a total of 50 cents.
- The unnamed seller picked up the book about the famous young wizard as a ‘throw-in’ with other titles and did not read or pay much attention to it
- The book was sold to a private British buyer on Wednesday for a hammer price of 11,000 pounds ($13,900).
A sample copy of the first Harry Potter novel bought for pennies in a second-hand bookstore almost 30 years ago has sold at auction for $13,900.
British auctioneer Hanson’s said Monday that the first copy of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” – known in the US as “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” – to feature “uncorrected proof copy” on the cover was purchased in 1997 from a store in South London with two other books for a total of 50p.
The unnamed seller picked up the book about the famous boy wizard as a ‘throw-in’ with other titles and didn’t read it or pay much attention to it for years – until she read online about the high prices. There are some Potter- copies were made, Hanson said.
The book was sold on Wednesday to a private British buyer for a hammer price of 11,000 pounds ($13,900), and a total of 14,432 pounds ($18,300), including a sales premium.
Jim Spencer, head of books at the auction house, said the copy’s title page incorrectly listed the author’s name as ‘JA Rowling’ instead of JK Rowling.
A sample copy of the first Harry Potter novel bought for a penny in a used bookstore almost thirty years ago has sold at auction for $13,900
British auctioneer Hanson’s said Monday that the first copy of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” – known in the US as “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” – to feature “uncorrected proof copy” on the cover was purchased in 1997 from a store in South London with two other books for a total of 50p
‘This book deserved to do so well. The Harry Potter phenomenon started with this sample copy. This is the very first appearance of the first Potter novel in print,” Spencer said.
The sale comes as it was recently revealed that Rowling has made amends with Warner Brothers ahead of a series of new Harry Potter-based projects.
Rowling was notably absent from a 2022 Warner Bros. special commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the release of the first Harry Potter film.
That led to speculation about a break with the top of Warner Bros., but insiders claim that nothing could be further from the truth.
CEO David Zaslav flew to Edinburgh, Scotland to meet with Rowling about her appointment to the top job in April 2022.
He and his team hope to adapt the Harry Potter books into a lavish TV series that could be the most expensive ever produced and create a whole new generation of viewers for the fantasy series.
Zaslav tried to bond with Rowling — few in the WB universe had her ear before his takeover — by discussing their childhoods and families in London as he tries to “breathe new life” into her beloved book series, according to WJ.
During an earnings call on Friday, the executive said Max aims to debut the new show in the first quarter of 2026. Variety reported. It is rumored to have a budget of $250 million, making it the most expensive TV show ever made.
The sale comes as it was recently revealed that Rowling has made amends with Warner Brothers ahead of a series of new Harry Potter-based projects
The unnamed seller picked up the book about the famous boy wizard as a ‘throw-in’ with other titles and didn’t read it or pay much attention to it for years – until she read online about the high prices. There are some Potter copies were made, Hanson said
Jim Spencer, head of books at Hansons Auctioneers, with the Harry Potter novel in its first edition
The CEO confirmed during that call that he and a delegation of Warner executives had met with Rowling a few weeks earlier.
Rowling is known to be deeply protective of the franchise and is infamous for holding biannual “Ministry of Magic” meetings where she talks to executives – who spend weeks preparing ideas – about what the universe can and cannot do for the future.
She was also given veto power over all “non-authored sequels” to the series in film and TV, likely delaying the upcoming series by several years.
Rowling gave the planned series an approving nod when the show was announced in April, saying, “Max’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of my books is important to me.”
It is part of an ongoing world of projects involving its wizards, including theme parks around the world, a show on Broadway and the West End, shops in most major cities and video games, one of which is based on the fictional game Quidditch in development. .