Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: record auction for a first edition signed by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

And if you have the chance to buy a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone signed by J.K. Rowling, would you take the opportunity? Well, because a copy of the first book of the most loved fantasy saga of all time by both adults and children, arrived in Italy for the first time in 1997 published by Salani, was sold at auction for the incredible price of 80,000 pounds. .

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: sold at an exorbitant price

Yahoo! News reports that the first signed edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, whose film adaptation celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, has been sold for three times higher than the auction house's estimates, as the The book was initially to be sold for between £ 20,000 and £ 30,000. It eventually sold for the exorbitant sum of £ 80,000.

To give you a yardstick, another signed copy of the same edition sold for £ 125,000 at a European auction in 2020.

The copy was first purchased in Nottingham in 1997, shortly after the first film of the saga was released in the UK, and was one of only 500 hardcover copies that JK Rowling signed in 1997.

The increase in the price of this rare copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was potentially caused by the general condition of the book, which the auction house described as “a copy exceptional, first edition, hardcover edition. " In fact, of that group of 500 hardcover books from the first print, only 200 remained intact and available to collectors and fans, as many copies were donated to libraries or damaged beyond repair.

Not only. The copy also features a number of typos and errors, making it a unique collector's item for avid Harry Potter fans. Another factor that contributed to the increase in the price was then, as already mentioned before, the fact that, with this year, exactly 20 years have passed since the release in theaters of the film adaptation, marketed by Warner Bros. with releases. specials and new content

There is also one more thing to say. The book was sold at this incredible price despite arriving after the storm unleashed by J.K. Rowling about being transphobic following homophobic comments posted on her social media and an essay she posted in 2020 in which she opposed the trans rights movement, which sparked criticism from fans, activists and cast members.

Additionally, Johnny Depp was fired from his role as Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts films after a UK court ruled that a British newspaper was not guilty of libel for describing the actor as a "Beater of wives". According to the court, the newspaper's description was "substantially true". Additionally, actor Kevin Guthrie, who played Abernathy in the first two Fantastic Beasts films, is currently serving a three-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a woman in Glasgow, Scotland.

Immerse yourself in the magic world of Harry Potter by purchasing the book Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone available on Amazon!