The highest price for a first edition hardback of JK Rowling’s debut novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone sits at just under $500,000 (Australian) for a copy in immaculate condition that sold in December 2021 at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, USA. But most of us would probably be pretty happy with the $155,000 paid for another first edition sold at UK auction house Lyon & Turnbull in late February.
The novel, which had been bought by the vendor at their local Waterstone’s bookshop at the time of publication in June 1997, was in unusually good condition. Its sale comes after the December auction of a pre-publication inscribed hardback first edition that made $480,000 at Sotheby’s London.
Dated June 11, 1997, the book was inscribed by Rowling: Deirdre & Gerry, with love & thanks for everything from ‘You-Know-Who a.k.a. “J.K. Rowling X”. Only two other pre-publication inscribed copies of the Philosopher’s Stone from such an early date have appeared at auction, both of them in paperback: A copy inscribed to Rowling’s father and stepmother, which sold for $18,000 at Sotheby’s New York in 2003, and a copy to the author’s friends Martin and Nicole that made $102,000 at Sotheby’s London in 2024.
Meaningful inscriptions that make collectable association copies are becoming increasingly hard to find and today’s intensive book tours with mass-signings don’t produce many, which is a shame, says specialist book dealer and conservator Andrea Boltresz.
‘Future collectors will have to be content with such things as: Hi Marty! Enjoy the book!! Stephen King,’ she says. ‘This type of inscription is generally worth much less than a flat-signed book (signature only), especially for a big-name author like King. It’s also a type of inscription that’s easier to forge, and if genuine, more likely to become a ‘cut’ – literally, a signature cut out of a bigger piece e.g. a book, and either sold on the open autograph market or ‘tipped-in’ (glued into) a book, minus the pesky inscription.’
This action both devalues the signature and ruins the book, but is an unfortunately common practice amongst autograph dealers, says Andrea, who adds, ‘Luckily, there are plenty of books filled with contextually-rich inscriptions that greatly enrich the book-collecting experience.’ And you can read all about them in the current Autumn 2026 issue of Antiques to Vintage magazine, which features a three-page spread on collecting inscribed books. Click here to subscribe today:
https://antiquestovintage.com.au/shop/magazine/
Andrea Boltresz is director of Book Appraisal & Conservation Australia. BACA has been providing conservation advice, management and research services to the public and private sector since 1996 with a specific focus on books, ephemera and textiles, along with detailed palaeographic analysis and signature authentication. You can contact Andrea on 0423 635 041 or email bookappraiser@gmail.com
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Antiques to Vintage magazine is researched, written and designed by humans, in Australia for Australian collectors.
