Harry Potter first edition set for auction in Lichfield

Vendor Naveed Younas, from Nottingham, said he received the book as a gift when he was small.

A rare first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is set to go under the hammer in Staffordshire.

The softcover first edition, first impression of J.K. Rowling’s debut novel is expected to sell for between £3,000 and £4,000 when it is auctioned by Richard Winterton Auctioneers on Monday 13th April at The Lichfield Auction Centre.

The book is being sold by Nottingham-based owner Naveed Younas, who received it as a gift when he was a child.

I liked it very much, read it quite a lot and went on to read the other Harry Potter books in due course. It has been left on my shelf for a few years now and I thought this would be a good time to pass on to someone else who will appreciate it. – Naveed Younas, Vendor

Around 5,150 copies of the first edition, first impression softcover of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone were printed by Bloomsbury in June 1997.

Robert French, valuer at Richard Winterton Auctioneers, said the book shows clear signs of being well-read but retains key features that identify it as an early printing.

This well-thumbed example has clearly been much-loved and read repeatedly – exactly what it was printed to do. There are some interesting anomalies which identify a first edition first printing of the book, either soft or hard cover.

For example, on page 53 is a list of school supplies Harry receives from Hogwarts where ‘1 wand’ appears twice, at the start and again at the end.

On the back cover there is a letter ‘o’ missing from the word philosopher’s and it also refers to ‘Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft’, which was later swapped around to ‘Witchcraft and Wizardry’.

Conversely, the most obvious tell-tale sign that you do not have a first impression is if the bottom of the front cover states that the book is ‘a Triple Smarties Gold Award Winner’! – Robert French, valuer at Richard Winterton Auctioneers

The book will feature in Richard Winterton Auctioneers’ Antique & Home Sale, which begins at 9am on 13 April.

Bidding will be available online, in person or by prior arranged telephone bid.

The auction catalogue will go live online a week before the sale date via www.richardwinterton.co.uk/auctions/auction-calendar.

The item can also be viewed in person at The Lichfield Auction Centre in Fradley Park.

The softcover first edition goes under the hammer with Richard Winterton Auctioneers on Monday, April 13th.

Do you have a first edition, first impression of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone?

To be a first edition, first printing, in either hardback or paperback format, the book must meet the following criteria:

The publisher must be listed as Bloomsbury at the bottom of the title page
The print line on the copyright page must read 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 exactly
The copyright page credits text by Joanne Rowling, not J.K. Rowling
On the copyright information for the cover illustration, there is no gap between the surname and the date: ‘Taylor1997’
On page 53, in the list of school supplies, the item ‘1 wand’ appears twice — once at the beginning and once at the end
On the rear cover, the second ‘o’ is missing from philosopher’s, reading ‘Philospher’s Stone’, and it states ‘Wizardry and Witchcraft’ rather than ‘Witchcraft and Wizardry’

In the list of school supplies on p53, ‘1 wand’ appears twice at the start and at the end.

For more information, to arrange a free valuation of all types of collectables or to enquire about a home visit for large collections or house clearances, email office@richardwinterton.co.uk or call 01543 251081.