A LUCKY man who bought a Harry Potter for just £1 has been left astounded after it was valued at a whopping £20k.
Retired headteacher Bob Alder bought the ultra-rare copy at a school fundraiser in Oxfordshire.
SWNSBook Auctioneer Jim Spencer said the rare book could fetch up to £20k[/caption]
SWNSThe Uncorrected Proof Copy was found during a school tidy-up[/caption]
The Uncorrected Proof Copy was one of only 200 printed in 1997 and – which marked the start of the Harry Potter fandom.
The book, printed by Bloomsbury, is so rare it even has the author’s name misspelled stating ‘J A Rowling’ instead of J K Rowling.
St Kenelm’s Primary School in Minster Lovell, Witney, purchased the book for a quid during their annual sale.
The novel bears a stamp from the school as it was originally available at the library for all pupils to read.
Former St Kenelm’s School headteacher Bob Alder, 75 said: “Books were usually about half price, some even less, and the school would purchase something like 50 books in each of the annual sales.
“It was quite by luck that the Harry Potter was spotted in the sale. It had none of the attractiveness of a typical child’s paperback.”
But the book went missing in 2015 for eight years after it was accidentally found during a summer school clean up.
Concerned teachers thought the item had been thrown away in a clear out of old and damaged paperbacks.
Mr Alder added: “As soon as Harry Potter mania developed, the school wisely removed it from the borrowing shelves.
“Fortunately, first editions were soon purchased by children as well as the school, so the Uncorrected, Proof Copy was left largely untouched.”
However, it was luckily rediscovered this year laying around at the school storage.
The extremely rare copy could now sell for tens of thousands of pounds at auction.
Head of books at Hansons Jim Spencer explained, “This book is where it all began. This is the very first appearance in print of the first Harry Potter novel.
“This modest little paperback is the beginning of it all.”
“I’m guiding this Uncorrected Proof Copy at £15,000-20,000. However, bearing in mind its place in history, it could surprise us all.”
The Uncorrected Proof Copy will go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers, in Etwall, Derbys on September 5.
Other valuable copies were previously sold for thousands of pounds as they were part of the first wave of publications from the saga.
A first hardback edition of the Philosopher’s Stone could fetch prices ranging from £15,500 to £69,000, if found in good condition.
The super rare copy was initially published in the very first 500 book print run.
It comes as another man bought a dust-covered painting for just £12 but it was worth a whopping £5,000.
The amateur artist was the only bidder for this unloved piece at a local sale in Hertfordshire.
AP:Associated PressHarry Potter books became one of the most read in the market[/caption]