Rare items, particularly those that have become super popular over the years, tend to fetch significant amounts at auction. That holds true for a rare, first edition copy of a Harry Potter book. It has been sold at auction for around $90,000. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the very first book in the series that went on to become a massive hit worldwide, was initially released in 1998.
It was launched with an initial run of just 500 copies. The author and perhaps even the publisher may not have estimated just how popular this book in particular and the series itself would end up being. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ended up selling 120 million copies globally.
The rarity of this particular book is also attributed to a couple of mistakes in the text which is to be expected of a first edition. There are a few typos including one on the rear cover which spells “Philosopher’s” as “Philospher’s.” There’s even an illustration on the back cover of a wizard that was never mentioned in any of the Harry Potter books. That illustration was eventually replaced with that of Albus Dumbledore, one of the central characters in the series.
Another reason why this first edition book has sold for an outrageous amount of money is that it has been personally signed by the author J.K. Rowling. She did that back in 2003 before it was sold at an auction for charity.
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