A woman who bought a copy of Harry Potter for just £3.50 in 1997 discovered that the book is worth an astonishing amount today, almost 30 years after she bought it.
Jane Thompson-Webb, now 54, bought the original first edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” in paperback format when she was 26 years old.
The book was originally priced at £4.99, but she received a 30% staff discount, bringing the price down to £3.50, which is about £10 today, adjusted for inflation.
Now, 27 years after its purchase, Jane’s copy of the book is for sale for an astonishing sum, as the character’s fame shows little sign of fading.
Auctioneer Richard Winterton said Jane’s specimen could be worth up to £5,000. He said: “This is an exceptional specimen and we expect great interest at the auction.”
“We have estimated the value of this book at £3,000-£3,500 but hope it could reach £5,000 as the condition is stunning.”
Mr Winterton also explained how owners of first editions can tell if they have a valuable copy. He said: ‘If you think you have a first edition of the book – whether softback or hardback – there are certain important things to look for. I go straight to the back cover, where the word ‘Philosopher’s’ should be missing a letter ‘o’.
It says “Acknowledgement for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”. It also refers to “Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft” – this was later changed to “Witchcraft and Wizardry”. Check that the publisher is Bloomsbury and the last date listed in the copyright information is 1997.”
He added: “The print line on the copyright page should read: ’10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1′ and in the copyright information for the cover illustration by Thomas Taylor 1997 there is no gap between his surname and the date: ‘Taylor1997’.”
Meanwhile, Jane, who works as a conservation manager for Birmingham Museum’s Trust, has spoken about when she bought her copy.
She said: ‘I bought it when I was working in Ottakar’s bookshop in Birmingham,’ said Jane. When the first Harry Potter came out, we reviewed it for an internal newsletter.
“I was 26 at the time and I bought it because I wanted to read it – I’ve always read children’s stories. I remember people coming in before Christmas to buy the book.
“But what’s really striking is how many parents with little boys came in after Christmas and the boys asked when the next book was coming out because they wanted to read the next story. This book got the boys reading.”
