Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

'Harry Potter' first edition sells for US$471,000

A first edition copy of the first Harry Potter book, 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' is seen in London on Monday, May 20, 2013. (AP / Matt Dunham) A first edition copy of the first Harry Potter book, 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' is seen in London on Monday, May 20, 2013. (AP / Matt Dunham)
Share
LOS ANGELES -

A first edition of "Harry Potter" sold for US$471,000 on Thursday in what the auctioneers said was a world record price for a 2Oth century work of fiction.

The hardback 1997 British edition of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," with a color illustration on the cover, was described by Heritage Auctions as "magical, incredibly bright and so very near pristine."

The book was published in the United States as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

The Dallas-based auction house said only 500 copies with the specific binding were printed. The final price was more than six times the pre-sale estimate of US$70,000.

Previous auction prices for Harry Potter first editions have ranged from about US$110,000 to US$138,000.

"Not only is it the most expensive Harry Potter book ever sold, it’s the most expensive commercially published 20th-century work of fiction ever sold," Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President Joe Maddalena said in a statement.

The book was sold by an American collector and the name of the buyer was not released.

British author J.K. Rowling went on to write six more books about the adventures of the orphaned boy wizard that have sold some 500 million copies worldwide in 80 languages, according to U.S. publisher Scholastic. The books were turned into eight films which made US$7.8 billion at the global box office.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Debate gets testy as MPs consider confidence motion in PM Trudeau

MPs debated the first non-confidence motion of the fall House of Commons sitting today, seeing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre push once again for a snap election. But with votes secured to keep them afloat, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals were quick to turn the discussion into a referendum on the Conservative alternative.

A city councillor in British Columbia says an online mob of "extremists" and "politically motivated hackers" is responsible for uncovering and publicizing a photo of him wearing a blackface costume to a Halloween party in 2007.

After Ontario Premier Doug Ford made controversial comments about solutions to get people out of homeless encampments, advocates and members of the opposition spoke up on Tuesday.

Four puppies were found near County Road 21 in Essa Township after a passerby spotted one when it ran out of the ditch and onto the road.

We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.

An advocate organization is calling for an inquiry following the death of a six-year-old boy who went missing in Shamattawa First Nation.

Local Spotlight

Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.

Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.

Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.