A worn copy of the "Harry Potter" series was sold at auction for £15,000, having been purchased by its owner from a charity in Manchester for 50 pence in the late 1990s. This edition, which tells the first part of the famous series, dates back to 1997 and is one of 500 copies released in the first edition of the book. Auction officials initially expected the copy, filled with scribbles, to fetch £3,000, but it brought in five times that amount in a "bidding war," according to a report by the BBC. The individual who ended up with the book resides in the United States.
Charles Hanson, the auctioneer, expressed his surprise at "the battle fought for this battered copy of Harry Potter." He stated, "The book deserves to be in a museum... The scribbles drawn by a child inside the book demonstrate its enchantment among children in the late 1990s. It's truly appealing. I am happy for the seller and the buyer who acquired a piece of history."
The seller of the book said he was "stunned" and added, "I know it is a piece of modern history, but the result was astonishing." This was not the only "Harry Potter" book sold at the auction; another copy from the series fetched £69,000. That particular copy had been hidden away for 25 years without being read, and auction officials described it as "in like-new condition."
