The Most Expensive "Harry Potter" Book Ever Sold At Auction

A first edition of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" -  the first book in the "Harry Potter" series - has been sold for at auction for a record price.

The event took place on Thursday, December 9, and was organized by Heritage Auctions in Texas, according to DPA.

The book written by British author Joanne "Jo" Rowling sold for 471,000 dollars, the highest price ever paid for the first part of the literary series whose main character is the young wizard Harry Potter, the auction house said.

The Most Expensive 'Harry Potter' Book

"It is not only the most expensive 'Harry Potter' book ever sold but also the most expensive commercially published work of fiction in the 20th century to be sold," Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President, Joe Maddalena, was quoted as saying in an official statement.

Only 500 hardcover copies of the book were printed, most of which were destined for public libraries.

The few copies that have appeared at auction have become among the most coveted titles in modern literature. Two of them sold in 2021 for more than 138,000 dollars, Joe Maddalena said.

Over the years, more than 500 million copies from the famous series were sold around the world.

The Power of The Literature & Cinema Mix

"The book Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was brought to life on big screens two decades ago, and this result demonstrates the power of that combination - literature & cinema. These books are rewarded for the results of their films," Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President added.

There are millions upon millions of Harry Potter fans across the globe. 

Among the other rare books sold were first editions of all seven titles in CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series and JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the first edition of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, signed by the author.

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