Rare Harry Potter book sells for thousands

Jane Thompson-Webb purchased the copy from a bookshop in Birmingham

A first-edition Harry Potter book bought for £3.50 has sold for £6,600 at auction in Staffordshire.

Jane Thompson-Webb purchased the copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997 while working at a bookshop in Birmingham.

It now belongs to a mystery telephone bidder who paid in excess of £8,000 including fees.

It was verified as a rare copy by the missing o in the word "Philosopher’s" on the back cover.

Ms Thompson-Webb, from Erdington, explained she had used her Ottakar’s Bookshop staff discount to purchase the fantasy novel, meaning she had not even paid the full retail price of £4.99.

The soft cover J K Rowling debut went under the hammer with Richard Winterton Auctioneers near Lichfield on Monday.

More than 30 bidders from the UK and the USA took part, with the mystery purchaser as yet unnamed.

Richard Winterton knows what to look out for when it comes to rare Harry Potter books

Mr Winterton described the sale as a fantastic result reflecting the book's condition.

He explained others could also have special copies sitting on bookshelves at home.

The first edition has some unusual quirks

"I go straight to the back cover where there should be a letter ‘o’ missing from the word 'Philosopher’s'," Mr Winterton said.

“It also refers to ‘Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft’ [which] was later swapped round to ‘Witchcraft and Wizardry’.

“Another good one to spot is on page 53, which features a list of school supplies Harry receives from Hogwarts. The item ‘1 wand’ appears twice, at the start and again at the end.”

In July 2023, an ultra-rare hardback copy of the book went under the hammer and fetched £10,500.