What's the most you've ever paid for a book? I bet it wasn't €34,000.
An original first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is going on auction this week for between a whopping £20,000 and £30,000, which is equivalent to around €34,000.
The slightly worn and faded edition of J.K Rowling's first edition of the book series is just one of 500 first edition copies originally printed in 1997.
The book is described as an "ex-library copy with ink stamp", with "bumped" spine ends and corners and "chipping to the joints" and peeling laminate. The extremities are also "a little rubbed and chipped" and the text margins have been subject to some "light browning".
According to the seller, it's "a very good, bright copy, preserved in a fine example of a later dust-jacket."
So, I know exactly what you're wondering. How much is your old Harry Potter book worth?
Well, if you're hoping that you might earn a whopping 30,000 blips for yours, there's one little thing you need to look out for.
First of all, the book has got to have a print line with code 10987654321 and should be credited to Joanne Rowling rather than J.K. Rowling.
Also, go to page 53 and see if "1 wand" is there twice on the list of things Harry Potter needs for Hogwarts.
Out of the 500 copies, it is thought that 300 went to libraries. That probably leaves the other 200 copies perched at the back of a bookshelf somewhere quietly accumulating serious value.
But if you don't have this exact edition, do not fret, my friend. Because other editions of the book are also worth some serious buck nowadays.
Other editions might go for around €15,000.
The book goes up for auction at Forum Actions at 10.30am on Thursday, May 23, in case you have a spare €30,000 floating about.
