A woman was left stunned after discovering the true value of a charity shop item that cost her just 50p. She spotted a book in a bargain bin and, on closer inspection, began to realise its significance. The book was Paradise Lost: A Poem In Twelve Books, written by English author John Milton. The shopper's particular edition dates back to the mid-18th century. When she picked it up for just 50p, her mind was blown when she realised what it's actually worth, as it was a 1751 edition of Paradise Lost with original engravings.
Why the book caught her eye
Writing in a Reddit post, she began: "Bought for £0.50 in the book bin." The woman revealed why the book was of interest. "I had recently finished my degree in English literature and had studied the Industrial Revolution and how the printing press transitioned from copper to steel plate engravings," she said. "So I honestly just thought the engravings were super cool and liked the signature from 1822, only really clicked when I got home that it’s actually a very valuable prize that I’ll keep ahold of."
Reactions from fellow Redditors
The find prompted other Reddit users to share their excitement too. "Wow, what a find, could be worth £100+," one person said. "An eBay seller has theirs for £98, but yours looks in much better condition." A second declared: "Those illustrations are exquisite, I'd love to see more! What an absolute corker of a find!" While a third individual commented: "You won in a lottery." Then a fourth Reddit user shared: "Oh, that's a badly run shop. Looks like they thought, 'Oh, old religious poems', and threw it in the bargain bin. They probably have Reader's Digest Condensed Reads on the shelves! I would look up the value of that."
The book's condition and value
The happy shopper later returned to her post to add: "I think they just got a big box of books and the person working that day couldn’t be bothered to sift through them. Sadly mine has been rebound which impacts the value but the pages and engravings are better preserved because of it so I’m happy!"
About Paradise Lost
According to GoodReads, Paradise Lost tells the story of the Fall of Man, a tale of immense drama and excitement, of rebellion and treachery, of innocence pitted against corruption, in which God and Satan fight a bitter battle for control of mankind's destiny. It adds: "The struggle rages across three worlds - heaven, hell, and earth - as Satan and his band of rebel angels plot their revenge against God. At the centre of the conflict are Adam and Eve, who are motivated by all too human temptations but whose ultimate downfall is unyielding love." Marked by Milton's characteristic erudition, Paradise Lost is a work epic both in scale and, notoriously, in ambition. For nearly 350 years, it has held generation upon generation of audiences in rapt attention, and its profound influence can be seen in almost every corner of Western culture.
As other Reddit users pointed out, Milton's book has been used for decades as study material in A-Level English Literature.
