Mar 26, 2015 are your old harry potter books worth anything. Hardcover first edition first printings of this 1997 book have become the holy grail for. Rowling is the author of the bestselling harry potter series, and famous for her rapid rise from struggling single mother to multimillionaire. How to tell if you have a harry potter first edition set. Abe books, who sold a first edition of harry potter and the philosophers stone for. The best place to sell any used book for the most money flipsy. The collectible harry potter over 300 million copies of the harry potter series have been sold world wide. Jul 15, 2010 the collectible harry potter over 300 million copies of the harry potter series have been sold world wide. And sometimes signed early editions are pretty valuable, even if they arent first editions from the first printing. Rowlings birth name before she took a pen name and a. Pictures of the true first edition of harry potter and the sorcerers stone u. To be valuable, the books have to be original first edition hardbacks published in the year the book first came out and in very good condition.
Youd better dig out your harry potter books and see if you have a small. The first three harry potter first edition, first print books can be worth thousands of pounds. Generally speaking, they have maybe twothirds to threequarters of the value of a first edition. Unfollow harry potter first edition book canadian to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. A rare first edition copy of a harry potter book has sold at auction for. Jun 27, 2017 five ways to spot if your harry potter books are worth a small fortune. We also look at some things to look for an avoid when buying a first printing copy of sorcerers stone. Octavo, 7 volumes, original decorative cloth as issued. Dec, 2017 the first four books in the harry potter series are highly sought after. When the book was successful in the united kingdom, united states publishers printed thousands of books on the first release. If youve had it signed by jk rowling then its worth even more. Oct 10, 2019 culture books news how to tell if your old copy of harry potter is worth up to. If there are two or more books described as a first edition, then a collector will want to know which one is superior.
How do you tell if its a genuine valuable first edition. If you find one in the attic, then youve hit the jackpot. Identifying and collecting first editions shop for books. How to tell if your old copy of harry potter is worth up. The value goes down with each release due to large numbers that are available, but they are still worth several hundred dollars. How much is a first edition of harry potter and the.
Well, this section on mugglenet will explain all the intricacies associated with the rare harry potter books, from the first editions to the misprints and covers associated with each. It usually takes decades for a book to become collectible and gain significant value on the rare book market. Unless, of course, its a proof with the authors corrections on it. There are four main identifying points of these first edition copies.
Its in mint, perfect condition, not read, wrapped in tissue and the spine is uncracked. People will pay crazy money just because it says joanne rowling instead of j. How to tell if you have a harry potter first edition set and. As weve mentioned elsewhere, first edition means the first printing of a book. What are your harry potter bloomsbury edition books worth. First editions of the deluxe edition of each book in rowlings harry potter series. Mar 29, 2018 today we look at first printing issue points of the american first edition harry potter books. While not as valuable as a first edition harry potter and the philosophers stone, a first edition of harry potter and the sorcerers stone is still worth money especially to the right person.
Her favorites are horror movies and horror stories, thanks to some inspiring parents. How to identify first editions book collecting guide. As it turns out, only firstedition purists have a shot at enacting some fiscal wizardry. Do you have these harry potter books lying around your. We also look at some things to look for an avoid when buying a first. First edition criteria and points to identify harry potter. How to identify first editions or a first printing of.
Those questions and more answered in this potter collector book. Rowling has changed the face of publishing, book selling and indeed reading for millions of people. How do you tell if you have a first printing of the first edition of a harry potter book. Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats available. Also, proofs and advance copies generally dont have dust jackets, and theyre usually printed as paperbacks. Her first book was published in the uk in 1997 as harry potter and the philosophers stone, and in the united states as the. Positively identifying first editions from later editions in the shortest possible time greatly increases the enjoyment and satisfaction of book collecting.
The following table is an excerpt from our book the childrens picturebook price guide. How to identify first editions or a first printing of a book. Any first editions of collectors editions can be worth a fair amount of money too. Mar 29, 2015 are your harry potter books worth selling. Today we look at first printing issue points of the american first edition harry potter books. Print runs are the set number of copies of the book printed at one time.
Large print editions without clearly identifying them as the less. Back of title page in the first edition of harry potter. A wellresearched and authoritative lexicon reference to the harry potter books and related materials. Great savings free delivery collection on many items. Each new book, when it was released, toppled sales records on the first day of sales the later books selling 59 million copies in one day. The confusion around first editions is illustrated by 1984 by george orwell. How to tell if a book is a first edition or valuable. His writing is very popular, and his books are in high demand.
Rowling first editions adrian harrington rare books. Pictures of the true first edition of harry potter and the deathly hallows by j. The first edition trade soft covers do hold more value than their us. If you buy, sell or collect books, these should be your first investment.
Edition and printing can be used fairly interchangeably in talking about collectible books, especially in regard to modern fiction. Seuss books 2002, by helen younger, marc younger, and dan hirsch. Alice gave it the thumbsup and the harry potter series was on its way to becoming a. Rising meteorically from relative poverty and difficulty in edinburgh to creative superstardom in an incredibly short space of time it is not too much of a stretch to say that ms. Bloomsbury publishing first edition identification and. Collecting harry potter the new antiquarian the blog of. Thus, they lack the iconic and visual appeal of a first edition.
If you think you have a first edition contact a wellknown auction house, such as sothebys or christies. What is the value of first edition us harry potter books. Hardcover first edition first printings of this 1997 book have become the holy grail for potter collectors. Rowling and were collected in person by the previous owner. The first edition trade soft covers do hold more value. Hardcover first edition first printings of this 1997 book have become the holy grail for potter collectorsonly 500 were published and 300 went to libraries.
At first this can become somewhat confusing because when a book becomes very popular and is often reprinted many times over a number. If your copy is a 3rd printing, or a book club edition, it wont have the same value as a first edition. Limited edition and first edition books, particularly collectible books related to popular franchises like star wars and harry potter, can be valuable. Of the 500 first printing copies, 300 ended up in libraries. As weird as it may sound, printing errors make for valuable books. If you happen to be in possession of a full collection of first edition books that have been. A new version of the book is then typeset, which becomes the second edition. I thought i would take a moment to explain a few key factors when looking for harry potter first editions and some issue points for identification purposes. Harry potter is a worldwide phenomenon today, but that wasnt always the case. Amazon, ebay, and alibris can be good places to sell to collectors.
K rowing will have a much higher value even if it isnt an early edition or part of harry potter first edition set. Harry potter first editions harry potter at catch the snitch. We are currently interested in acquiring signed copies only of these titles. How to tell if your old copy of harry potter is worth up to. Harry potter and the philosophers stone was first released in 1998, in an. Five ways to spot if your harry potter books are worth a. Includes identificaton criteria and points of issue to help collectors identify the original book. Beatrix potter,tale of peter rabbit first edition 1902 14. First editions of the last three books order of the phoenix, the. Dealers rely on experience and reference books to identify valuable first editions. The estimated values are for first edition books, with dust jackets. Oct 03, 2019 print runs are a way for collectors to identify which first edition is truly the earliest version of the book to exist in the world. The value of a book may also be dependent on other factors, such as whether or not there were any printing errors in any of the print runs. The harry potter series only began in 1997 and yet j.
Rowling without personalisations on the title page and certified by her official hologram bearing the publication date of the book 2107 07. The first four books in the harry potter series are highly sought after. By the time the fourth book in the series was released harry potter mania had well and truly taken hold and copies were printed by the millions. A first edition paperback of harry potter and the chamber of secrets is on. The value then decreases incrementally with the second, third and fourth prints, and so on. They came with stickers on them which certify them to be signed by the author. Whats the difference between a first edition and a first printing. The majority of booksellers and collectors want the true first edition the edition of the book that supersedes all other editions chronologically and sometimes detective work is required to identify the true first.
Harry potter complete set 1st edition 1st prints jk. A full collection of signed harry potter first editions will set you back more than. Rowling this is a first editiion hardcover of harry potter and the half blood prince, signed by j. However, signed copies remain rare and can command fourfigure pricetags.
Like old, rare books, youll get the most money selling them to private collectors or via auction. Rowling 2007 harry potter and the deathly hallows, us first edition, first printing, published by arthur a. Many people desire to have a first edition set, but are not aware of the large price tag that these books are commanding. The first edition of harry potter and the philosophers stone is the only book in the series that credits joanne rowling as its author j. Stephen king is a very recognizable name in the genre of horror fiction, though not all of his books fall into this category. Only an expert can truly identify the value of a harry potter first edition. Harry potter and the deathly hallows, first edition, signed. In fact, the first printing of the original titles first edition only ran 500 copies. Collecting harry potter the new antiquarian the blog. The desire to acquire first editions could be considered the backbone of the book collecting world. The book series follows the adventures of harry potter during his time spent at hogwarts school and his faceoffs against the dark wizard voldemort. Do you have these harry potter books lying around your house. Lately, first edition has become widely accepted tto mean first edition, first printing when buying or selling books although, technically speaking, it shouldnt be. Seuss books should also own a copy of first editions of dr.
New listing harry potter books full set including 1st editions bloomsbury 1st run ref b. Feel the magic with harry potter first edition antiquarian collectible books the harry potter books are a childrens fantasy series written by the bestselling author j. How you can tell whether your harry potter books are worth a fortune. If you guessed a first edition harry potter and the philosophers stone that was published by bloomsbury on june 30, 1997, then you are correct.
The potter collector website linked above is a great resource, as is peter harringtons video, although theres no substitute for professional experience, and anyone who believes they own or are about to purchase a first edition of any of the harry potter books should seek professional assistance and advice from an abaa member. Pom harrington, owner of rare book company peter harrington, looks at the. Collecting harry potter first editions raptis rare books. By far the most valuable book in the series is the first, harry potter and the philosophers stone, published on 30 june 1997 by bloomsbury in london. But to have any real collectable value, it has to be a copy of the first edition, first impression also known as the first printing. In the world of book collecting, a first edition is generally considered to be the first appearance of a work, in its first printing. Rowling is obviously best known as the author of the harry potter stories. Buy 1st edition harry potter books and get the best deals at the lowest prices on ebay. Only 500 were published, and 300 went to libraries, so if you have one, go ahead and treat yourself to a nice dinner.
Firstly, anything signed by the author is clearly valuable a book signed by one of the. The following books will arm you with years of knowledge found nowhere else. Rowling s harry potter series has gained immense popularity, critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide, and first editions of her books have very quickly become collectable. How to tell if a book is a first edition or valuable book riot. Rowling published harry potter and the philosophers stone in the u. What follows is an overview of how to determine whether the book you have is a 1st edition. Signed copies of harry potter and the order of the. Your harry potter books could be worth a fortune heres how to. You can have a large print run or a small print runits completely up to the publisher, and generally speaking the size of a. Many sellers sell ted smart and large print editions without clearly identifying.
The first edition continues until the book is changed. How to identify first editions or a first printing of harry. First edition books are the first appearances in print of a particular work, and as such convey value and meaning to their owner, aesthetically, emotionally and monetarily. Pictures of the true first edition of harry potter and the deathly hallows u. Identifying, and valuing first edition dr seuss books. Mar 20, 2018 whats the difference between a first edition and a first printing. Rowling, including first editions and signed first edition copies of the harry potter books. An unsigned first edition copy of harry potter and the philosophers sorcerers stone may be worth between. Books to identify first editions and help the book seller in the book collecting world, there are exceptions to the exceptions, and many publishers indicated first edition in their own unique way.