Harry Potter sells off his Harry Potter for £27,000

A RARE first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has sold for £27,500 – by a man named Harry Potter.

The 33-year-old was given the hardback book as a gift from his father when it was released in 1997. There were only 500 copies in the initial print run and they have been described as the ‘holy grail’ for collectors.

Mr Potter kept the rare book under the stairs at his home for several years following the death of his father from cancer in 2017. But he decided to part with the precious novel to raise money to scatter his father’s ashes in Africa, which was his final wish.

Despite being in well-thumbed condition, it sold online to an anonymous UK buyer yesterday at Hansons Auctioneers, in etwall, Derbyshire.

Mr Potter, from Waterlooville, Hampshire, was eight when Harry Potter first hit the shelves. Thanks to its huge fanbase, he has spent years trying to convince people his name is real. He said: ‘People think it’s a wind-up.’

Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: ‘We’re delighted to deliver a happy ending, and add a new chapter to the Potter story.’