Antiques Roadshow guest stunned by value of battered old Harry Potter books

24 May 2022, 14:27

A guest on Antiques Roadshow was amazed to find that her old Harry Potter books were worth thousands.

It might be time to finally give your attic that clear-out you've been putting off, because some of your old books might be worth a huge sum of money...

A guest on Antiques Roadshow was stunned to discover that her battered Harry Potter books were worth thousands, despite the fact the cover was falling off one of them.

The woman - named Helen - brought her copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Camber of Secrets along to the BBC show. She was then told that they were worth an eye-watering £5,000 together.

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Expert Justin Croft initially told Helen: "These are possibly the worst condition I've seen on the Roadshow."

After discovering that the Chamber of Secrets was a first edition and that both had been signed by author JK Rowling, however, he told her of the high price tag.

Helen explained: "Growing up, Harry Potter meant an awful lot to me and my family.

"The Harry Potter paperback I have there I was given in my stocking one year for Christmas and when I started reading it I couldn't put it down.

"When the second book came out JK Rowling came to the Edinburgh book festival and she did a signing afterwards. She signed it for me."

The message in the book, which remarked on the bad state of the novel, read: "To Helen - This is the condition I like to see my books in! (Read)."

Referring to the first book, Justin said: "I think I would say £1,000 to £1,500 on this which is really just for the inscription."

Pointing to the second, he continued: "And this, being a first edition albeit without the dust jacket, £3,000 to £3,500."

A shocked Helen then replied: "Thank you very much."