A rare first-edition Harry Potter book that lay forgotten in an attic for 30 years has sold for a staggering £17,000 at auction, setting a new world record for a paperback copy.
Discovery in the Attic
The pristine paperback of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was originally purchased for just £4.99 when it was released in 1997, long before the boy wizard became a global phenomenon. Book reviewer Katrina McNichol received the novel while working for a magazine in the Scottish Highlands but never found time to read it. She stored the untouched copy in a box, where it remained forgotten for decades until resurfacing during a loft clear-out at her Edinburgh home.
Auction Record
Auction experts described the rare paperback as "the finest example ever to come to market" due to its near-perfect condition. The book attracted global interest before selling to a private UK buyer for £17,000 at Rare Book Auctions in Staffordshire. Book specialist Jim Spencer said the sale comfortably exceeded the previous world record for a first-edition Harry Potter paperback, which sold through the same auction house for £12,000 last year. He attributed the high price to the book's untouched condition, noting, "Because it had been kept in storage it was in pristine condition. It is amazing to think first edition Harry Potter paperbacks are now achieving almost as much as hardbacks were a decade ago."
Printing Errors and Rarity
The rare copy contains several famous first-edition printing errors prized by collectors, including a missing 'o' in the word 'Philosopher's' on the rear cover and a reference to 'Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft', wording later changed in future editions. Another typo appears on page 53, where '1 wand' mistakenly appears twice on Harry's school supply list. These quirks help experts authenticate genuine first editions. When Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was first released, publisher Bloomsbury reportedly anticipated limited demand, printing just 500 hardback copies and slightly more than 5,000 paperbacks, making first editions highly sought after.
Owner's Reaction
Katrina, now 53, said: "Each week I received more than 20 titles to review, and it was impossible to feature them all. I genuinely forgot it existed. When I came across it in a box 30 years later, I did a double take." She described the discovery as "surreal" and expressed happiness that the novel would go to someone who truly appreciated "a small but genuine piece of publishing history."
