From cupboard to cash: Rare first edition Harry Potter book fetches £36,000

A rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has sold for an eye-watering £36,000 at an auction. Christine McCulloch originally bought the book for just £10 in 1997, intending it as a gift for her son, Adam, with no inkling that the magical tome would one day fetch such a hefty price, reported BBC.

The first edition was sold on Wednesday at Rare Book Auctions in Lichfield, Staffordshire, where the final price reached £45,000, including a buyer's premium. According to the British media house, the book is one of only 500 hardback copies from the original print run, making it a true collector’s treasure.

Experts had valued it between £30,000 and £50,000.


Adam, from Derbyshire, recalls the book being stored in a cupboard under the stairs of the family home—eerily reminiscent of main character of Harry Potter’s own hiding place. The family only discovered its potential value in 2020, when they saw stories about first editions making headlines.

"Once we got it verified it was a bit of a pinch yourself moment," Adam told BBC. "In some ways I think having that bit of a story around it, some tea stains there and a folded over corner here where someone's enjoyed reading it - I think that adds to the magic," he added.

Christine recalls buying the book in a Stratford-upon-Avon bookshop, with no idea it would one day be worth thousands.

"We went in [the bookshop], bought it for £10...Adam really loved the book and it started off this sort of fascination, as with so many children all over the world now," she told BBC.

The first book in the Harry Potter series, the Philosopher's Stone, was written in 1997 by JK Rowling who would subsequently gain international acclaim for the works. Since it's publication by Bloomsbury, the books have prompted two film series, a play penned by Rowling herself, an HBO tv series due to hit the screens in 2026.