The 20 most valuable books that could make YOU a fortune revealed
A first edition of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone could have an estimated value of £50,000
DO you have £50,000 lurking in your loft?
An antique book expert has shared his list of the 20 most valuable titles, and they include a host of well-known children’s classics such as Harry Potter, Peter Rabbit and Winnie the Pooh.
Matthew Haley, director and head of books and manuscripts at auction house Bonhams, revealed a first edition of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone could have an estimated value of £50,000.
But it must be a hardback and have the numbers 10 to one printed on the title page.
The second most valuable book on the list is a first edition of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, which can fetch up to £40,000.
It must be in a perfect condition and have a typo on the back, which has been corrected by hand.
The list, which was conducted by loveantiques.com, also features work by Beatrix Potter, Agatha Christie and Charles Dickens, plus poetry collections.
Matthew said first editions, or a full set of volumes, can command the highest prices, as well as those that were manufactured as a one-off.
If the book is damaged in any way, such as a battered spine or missing title page, the value will decrease.
Matthew says it’s a good idea to keep books in dust jackets – and most 20th century books need to have their original dust-jacket to be of collectable value.
He commented: “Searching your bookshelves for treasures can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack, but in every auction, we have sellers who are stunned by how much their old books make.
“If you have an extremely old, rare or a book similar to the ones on this list, which is in good condition, you really could be looking at a small fortune.”
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The 20 most valuable books... so how many do YOU have?
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1997), J.K. Rowling: £50,000: Hardback copy with 10 to one printed down the back of the title page
- The Hobbit (1937), J.R.R. Tolkien: £40,000: In perfect condition, first version of the dust-jacket has a typo corrected by hand on the back
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1901), Beatrix Potter: £35,000: It can be difficult to identify a first edition as it has been reprinted in similar formats
- A Christmas Carol (1843), Charles Dickens: £15,000: Must be in perfect condition
- The four Winnie-the-Pooh books (1924-1928), A.A. Milne: Between £4,000 and 10,000
- Eleven Poems (1965), Seamus Heaney: £3,500: Must have been published in Belfast
- Foundation trilogy (1951-1953), Isaac Asimov: £3,000+: Collectors will pay £3,000 or more for a set of the three volumes
- Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (1906), Arthur Rackham-illustrated: £2,500+
- The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1921), Agatha Christie: £2,000
- Verve, 1950s art magazine: £1,500: Can be worth more if they have original lithographs by Matisse and others
- Television: Seeing by Wire or Wireless (1926), Alfred Dinsdale: £1,000
- The Cat in the Hat (1957) Dr. Seuss: £1,000: With '200/200' and no mention of 'Beginner Books' on the dust-jacket
- High Street (1938), Eric Ravilious and J.M. Richards: £1,000
- A Clockwork Orange (1962), Anthony Burgess: £900
- Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (1916): £600-£800: With a reduced wartime print-run, and an obituary for W.G. Grace
- The Ladies’ Flower-Garden (1840's), Jane W. Loudon: £500-800
- The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902), Arthur Conan Doyle: £500+
- The Bible (1600 – 1630): £300: In English
- The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book (1894-1895) Rudyard Kipling: £200-£4,000
- A History of British Birds, (various editions), F.O. Morris – £150