When you take a look at the rare books available out there, you will often see how Harry Potter books are included in the list. If you own a First Edition Harry Potter book, you will be curious to learn more about the price tag associated with it. Then you can even go ahead with trading that book.
Harry Potter is one of the well-known names all around the world. You can find Harry Potter movies, Harry Potter games, Harry Potter toys, and even Harry Potter clothing. It all started with the Harry Potter books, which were written by J.K. Rowling. This is the main reason why the first edition Harry Potter books are worth thousands of dollars. Keep on reading this article and you will be able to learn more about the value associated with Harry Potter First Edition books.
What is the most valuable Harry Potter book?
When you take a look at the list of Harry Potter books, you will figure out that the most valuables are the ones that belong to the first book. You will have to spend around $35,000 to $55,000 to purchase a Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone First Edition Book. Likewise, you will have to spend around $4,000 to $6,000 to purchase a book that belongs to the first edition of Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets.
Along with the popularity of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling was able to become one of the well-known authors out there in the world. Along with that, the other publications from this author became world-famous as well. For example, the book titled The Tales of Beetle Bard was sold at a price of over $4 million back in the year 1997. This was handwritten and illustrated by the author. Only seven copies of the book were published.
Likewise, two different short stories that were written by J.K. Rowling, named Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts were sold at $4,500 and $1,000 respectively.
What is the value of your Harry Potter book?
If you have a Harry Potter book or if you are looking forward to investing in a new Harry Potter book, you will be curious to learn more about the value associated with it. This value is determined by numerous factors. Let’s take a look at some of the most important factors that determine the value of a Harry Potter book.
First state, first printing and first edition
London-based Shapero says that some people assume that first state, first printing, and first edition refer to the same thing, but this fact is not true. They are different things. In a first edition, you will be able to discover all the printings within the same typesetting. Likewise, the first printing will be the very first printing located under typesetting.
It is possible for you to determine whether your Harry Potter book is first printing and first edition on your own. All you have to do is to take a look at the key that you can find within the copyright page of Harry Potter book. It will look like: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 1
In this sequence of numbers, the lowest number is representing the printing. In the example we stated above, the lowest number is 1. It indicates that the book belongs to the first printing. Likewise, you will be able to tell whether a book is a First Edition Book or not as well. That’s because you will be able to find the phrase “First Edition” being displayed on the copyright page. If you have a first edition book, the first printing of it is known as 1/1 copy.
While taking a look at these facts, you shouldn’t ignore the state of the book as well. It is possible for a book to contain multiple states. This happens when changes are made to a book during the first printing process. For example, the publisher can change the dust cover of a book in the middle of the printing process. Then the set of books that were printed with the initial dust cover will be the first state. However, it is important to note that not all books belong to first state books.
Autograph from J.K. Rowling
If your Harry Potter book has an autograph from J.K. Rowling, you will be able to sell it at a higher price tag. This would add instant value to the book. However, the overall value would still depend on the edition of the book. J.K. Rowling signed most of the books that were published in the early series. If you have one of those books, you have the chance to auction it at a high price tag. On the other hand, autographs from the Harry Potter movie cast can also enhance the value associated with the book up to a great extent.
Condition of your Harry Potter book
Last but not least, you need to understand that the condition of your Harry Potter book is playing a major role in its value. If your Harry Potter book is in mint condition, you have the chance to sell it at a high price tag. However, you can often see how the first edition books are tattered and worn. You will not be able to go through those books with ease. In such a situation, the overall value associated with the book would drop. Therefore, all the Harry Potter book owners should keep the fact in their minds. Then you can determine the overall value associated with the book.
Final words
Now you have a clear understanding of how to determine the value associated with your Harry Potter book. Keep these facts in mind to proceed with calculating the true value of your book. Then you will be able to get the most out of your Harry Potter book by auctioning it.