First Harry Potter Book Up for Auction

Bids for First Harry Potter Book Already at Record $15,000
February 23, 2009

(Dallas, Texas) — Despite the gloomy economy, bidding for a softcover copy of the first Harry Potter book already is at a record $15,000 with more than a week remaining in a rare books auction online and in Dallas, Texas, March 6 and 7. It is one of only 200 such copies issued by the London publisher, Bloomsbury.

“This is a 1997 first edition of Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone with the original publisher’s illustrated softcover wrapper and an illustrated card signed by the author, J. K. Rowling. The bidding already has reached $15,000; nearly $18,000 with the buyer’s premium included. The previous auction record was $10,750,” said James Gannon, Director of Rare Books at Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas (www.HA.com), the firm conducting the auction.

The anonymous consignor, described by Gannon as “an avid book collector from England,” said he’s frankly surprised — and delighted — at the early bidding: “It takes a lot to shock me, but this is probably as shocked as I have ever been regarding auction bidding. Has the world gone mad? We are in the deepest recession for 80 years and a Harry Potter children’s paperback book is setting a record price.”

Why is it so valuable?

“Now that the final book in the Harry Potter series has come out and the movies are nearing completion, I think collectors are finally realizing that this is not just going to be a rare book but also an important piece of cultural history,” said Gannon.

For additional information, contact Heritage Auction Galleries at (800) 872-6467 or visit online at www.HA.com.