'STUFF OF LEGEND'
Rare first edition of debut James Bond novel bought at car boot sale for £1 set to sell for HUGE sum
Its owner bought it because she liked the love hearts on the dust jacket
A RARE first edition of the debut James Bond novel — bought at a car boot sale for £1 — is set to sell for £15,000.
The 1953 copy of Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale is one of only 4,750.
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It was bought by a woman at a car boot sale in North Yorks because she liked the love hearts on the dust jacket.
She then left the book in her loft for eight years.
It it expected to sell for up to £15,000 at auction later this month.
The unnamed owner, 48, said: “It is so exciting. I don’t know what I’ll spend the money on — maybe a holiday.”
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Chris Surfleet, of Adam Partridge Auctioneers in Hele, Devon, said: “She was thrilled. It is truly the stuff of legend to find such a valuable item at a car boot sale.”
Casino Royale was made into a film in 2006 starring Daniel Craig as suave spy 007.
Last month The Sun reported that a 1953 Bentley custom ordered for James Bond creator Ian Fleming was up for sale.
Images from the Gullwing Motor Cars auction house showed the stunning white 1953 Bentley R-Type as it prepared to go on sale.
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Between late 1952 and early 1953, Fleming ordered a new Bentley R-Type Continental on behalf of his dear friend from the British Security Service Ivar Bryce, who is said to have inspired the Bond character Felix Leiter.
Kitted out with California Black-Plate Car Retaining Original Interior and a Matching-Numbers Engine, the motor is one of 41 left-hand drive examples produced.
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A 1971 Pebble Beach Class Winner, it is desirably equipped with a left-hand drive, manual gearbox and lightweight seats.
Despite its age, the Bentley is described as "mechanically sound" and "driving well" on the Gullwing Motor Cars listing.
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