An inheritance can take many forms as a family found out recently when the Harry Potter book their mum had left them turned out to be a rare edition worth about £30,000, the Mirror reported last week.
The woman died in 2005, but as a former primary school teacher she’d been a strong advocate of reading and had wanted her children to keep all the books that were in the family home. The books included JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone that had been bought at a school fete in 2001 for £1.
This particular version of the book had been part of a first edition print run of only 500 copies. Rare books that are in good condition can fetch astronomical sums. A pervious copy of the book that had ben part of that same print run sold for £68,000.
Huge windfall
But Birmingham Live report that the version of the Philosopher’s Stone is now expected to earn the women a huge windfall.
The book is to be auctioned at Hanson’s Auctioneers in Staffordshire and is expected to earn the four women £20,000-£30,000, and possibly more.
The woman’s oldest daughter called the book a “heaven-sent gift”, and that she and her sisters will split the money between them. Their mother, who died when she was only 44, hadn’t realised the worth of the book among her collection.
Books filling the house
Hansons Auctioneers had confirmed the book as genuine. Finding out its worth, the woman said, had felt like she was on Antiques Roadshow. Her mother had always loved books and the daughter remembered that the study in their house had been filled floor to ceiling with them.
As their mother had appreciated books so much, she had made her daughters look after them properly, so that despite all four reading the book it is in very good condition.
Just before Christmas, the family had worked out they might have something valuable in their collection. The book had been at their dad’s house in South Derbyshire, and their father had spotted news stories about Harry Potter first editions, and how much money they were fetching.
When they researched it, they saw the book had first edition issue points. The number on the copyright page needed to read 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, as the one they owned did. Their mother had always enjoyed buying things at fetes and car boot sales.
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