A copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has sold for a record-breaking £17,000 at auction.
The rare first-edition paperback copy, described as "the finest example ever to come to market," was found in mint condition after spending nearly 30 years in an attic.
It was discovered by Katrina McNichol, a former book reviewer now living in Edinburgh, who received the book in the late 1990s while working in the Scottish Highlands.
Ms McNichol, now 53, said: "Each week I received more than 20 titles to review, and it was impossible to feature them all.
"I’ve never quite known why I set this particular book aside, long before the Harry Potter phenomenon began, but I carried it with me from home to home with dozens of others, and I’m so glad that I did.
"I genuinely forgot it existed. When I came across it in a box 30 years later, I did a double-take. It felt surreal.
"I knew how old it was and suspected it might be worth something.
"You don’t expect to stumble across something so valuable in your own attic.
"The book deserves to be with someone who truly appreciates what it is, a small but genuine piece of publishing history."
Harry Potter book sells for record £17,000 at auction
This copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which would have cost £4.99 when first released, has now sold for a "world record" £17,000 at Rare Book Auctions in Lichfield.
The final sale price far exceeded initial estimates, which had valued the book at between £7,000 and £10,000.
It attracted interest from bidders around the world before selling to a UK buyer.
Jim Spencer, director of Rare Book Auctions, said: "This is the best example I’ve ever handled – and I’ve handled a few.
"Many were passed among friends, squished inside school rucksacks, splashed with orange squash, and scribbled with doodles, but this example has been perfectly preserved in a time capsule.
"It is as good as the day it was made."
The previous record was set last year, when a copy of the Harry Potter book from Rare Book Auctions sold for £12,000.
Mr Spencer said: "This sale blew it out of the water and, to be honest, I am not surprised. Because it had been kept in storage it was in pristine condition.
"It is amazing to think first edition Harry Potter paperbacks are now achieving almost as much as hardbacks were a decade ago."
How to spot rare Harry Potter book that could be worth £1,000s
When J.K. Rowling’s debut novel (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) was first published in 1997, publisher Bloomsbury printed just 500 hardbacks and slightly over 5,000 paperbacks.
The limited print run means both editions are now highly sought after by collectors.
This paperback is especially valuable because it includes a number of printing errors only found in the earliest copies.
Mr Spencer said: "The first quirk to look out for is the missing ‘o’ in the word ‘philosopher’s’ on the back cover.
"It also refers to ‘Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft,’ which was later changed to ‘Witchcraft and Wizardry.’"
On page 53, Harry’s school list also includes '1 wand' listed twice.
Do you have a rare copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone at home? Let us know in the comments below.
