A rare edition of Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone has sold at auction for £43,750, after a bidding war went extremely well.
The sale of the J.K. Rowling classic, which has previously been known to fetch in up to £1,800, was described as being in "excellent condition", and had estimated sale price of £15,000-£20,000.
It was purchased by a London-based businessman at Bonhams Fine Books and Manuscripts Sale in the capital.
The Philosopher's Stone is the first in the series of JK Rowling's novels about the boy wizard - and also marks the first in the chapter of Harry Potter blockbusters - which has raked in billions at box office.
Part of the first edition's appeal was down to a rare printing mistake on the back cover, in which the second "o" was missing from the word "Philosopher's".
The extract reads: "Acclaim for Harry Potter And The Philospher's Stone".
Another defining factor in that particular copy's value was the numbering of 10 down to 1 on the back of the title page, otherwise known as the verso.
Simon Roberts, Bonhams Books and Manuscripts senior specialist, said: "This was an exceptional price for a much-loved modern classic.
"The book was in excellent condition which added to its appeal for collectors and I am not surprised that it attracted so much interest and such intense bidding."
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was first published on June 30 1997 by Bloomsbury and became an instant best-seller, including in the US where it was renamed Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone.
Earlier this year, Mirror Online revealed how a full collection of signed Harry Potter first editions can set you back more than £20,000 – while the most paid at auction for a single JK Rowling book has been a staggering £1.95 million.
But they are far from the only books worth far more now than what people paid for them – with even some 2008 books now fetching hundreds if you sell them.
This is what you need to know to find out if any of your old Harry Potter books are now worth a mint.
Harry Potter books are still in print – that means you can pick up a copy for £2.85and you can buy all 7 of the classic books for less than £30.
That means for your old books to be worth more than that they have to offer something a little bit different.
First editions – especially of the first two books – are worth at least £20 no matter what state they're in and can be worth thousands and thousands of pounds.
“Bonhams sold a set of first editions of the Harry Potter books in 2005 for £14,400, and on two occasions in 2007 sold copies of The Philosopher’s Stone for £9,000,” Matthew Haley, head of books at auction house Bonhams, told Mirror Money.
“That first book in the series is worth hugely more than the subsequent volumes, and condition is everything. More recently first editions of the first book in fair condition have sold for around £4,000. Obviously genuine signatures or even better inscriptions by JK Rowling can add tremendously to the value.”
Other things to looks for are rarer versions of the books – ones with different covers, illustrations, large print – basically anything out of the ordinary that's no longer available.
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