Ask any 10-year-old what they want for their birthday and undoubtedly he or she will say, “to go to Hogwarts”. The feeling’s mutual (though admittedly I’m now well past the age of 10).
Well, let’s say heading to school on the red Hogwarts Express isn’t a feasible option. The next best thing is probably owning a Harry Potter collectors’ item that’s worth a small fortune. We might not be as lucky as the owners of these seven items, but here are their magical tales nonetheless.
7. £7,000, Harry Potter’s Hogwarts Acceptance Letter
Complete with red-wax Hogwarts seal (unlike the many printed versions that were used in the scene), this hero envelope and letter were used in Chris Columbus’ first Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001).
The lot featured in the scene where owl post inundated the Dursley household with letters informing Harry Potter of his acceptance into Hogwarts – despite Uncle Vernon’s best efforts.
The envelope is made from marble-effect paper, with Harry’s address printed in green on the front of the envelope, and the Hogwarts crest on the reverse. It originally sold at a charity auction but later sold on 27 September 2016 at Prop Store for £7,000 – 133% above its original £3,000-5,000 estimate.
6. £13,000, Gary Oldman as Sirius Black’s Grey Linen Overcoat
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Another item from one of the films, this grey linen overcoat with suede collar and wooden buttons (not to mention extensive ink staining and tears) was worn by Gary Oldman when portraying Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). It sold for £13,000 in 2007 at Bonhams.
5. £15,200, Harry Potter’s Glasses
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A pair of silver metal wire frame glasses with round clear lenses, worn by Daniel Radcliffe for his role as Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001), sold for US$20,000 (£15,224) at Julien’s Auctions on 16 December 2015.
It was one of several pairs of glasses made for the film, bordered in black matte finish with no nose pads. Provenance was from the collection of Simon Murray, spectacle marker.
4. £20,000, ‘Lumos Maxima’ Sterling Silver Charm Bracelet
This ‘Lumos Maxima’ sterling silver charm bracelet was created to mark five years since the publication of The Tales of Beedle the Bard and to raise funds for J.K. Rowling's children's charity Lumos.
Based on designs by author J.K. Rowling inspired by her Harry Potter books, the unique charm bracelet was crafted by Scotland's leading jeweller and silversmiths, Hamilton & Inches, and sold for £20,000 at Sotheby’s on 10 December 2013.
The charms comprise Harry Potter's bolt of lightning, glasses and broomstick, alongside a Golden Snitch, Dark Mark skull set with amethyst eyes, Slytherin locket, winged key, The Tales of Beedle the Bard book, sorting hat, Deathly Hallows symbol and the logo of Lumos. It fastens with a magic wand charm.
J.K. Rowling noted that "the most precious charm of the lot is a little butterfly, which is the logo of Lumos, beaming with moonstones and amethysts – a symbol of transformation and liberations, of the beauty that can emerge from dark confinement".
3. £127,238, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, first edition, first printing, 1997
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On 4 December 2018, Christie’s New York knocked down the gavel at $162,500 (or £127,238) for this rare, signed first edition Harry Potter book – not bad considering it was 261% above its original estimate.
While the story of the boy wizard Harry Potter would go on to take the world by storm, Rowling was totally unknown upon its first publication. Only 500 copies were printed of the initial run, 300 of which went to libraries. This is signed by Rowling on the half-title, with a ticket laid in from the signing event at Harrods.
Even un-signed editions covered in stamps are still worth a small fortune. On 30 May 2019, Forum Auctions knocked down the gavel at £28,000 for a first edition book in this 500 print run. It was an ex-library copy, replete with library stamps, library barcode sticker, bumped spine ends and corners, laminate peeling and chipping to joints.
2. £280,000, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter chair
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The wooden chair that J.K. Rowling sat in to write the first two Harry Potter novels sold at Heritage Auctions, New York, for US$394,000 (£280,000) in April 2016.
The chair has hand-painted decorations by Rowling and features the phrase: "O you may not find me pretty, but don't judge on what you see," (which of course die-hard fans will recognise as the Sorting Hat's opening lines in the first book). The chair also reads: "I wrote Harry Potter while sitting on this chair" and "Gryffindor", and includes Rowling's signature and lightning bolts.
Rowling commented that her ''nostalgic side [was] quite sad to see it go, but my back [wasn’t].''
1. £368,750, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, one of seven manuscript copies, 2007
Though some of us believe the magical world of Harry Potter to be priceless, the laws of money prevails: the most expensive item of all is one of seven manuscript copies of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, individually handwritten and illustrated by the author. It sold at a charity auction at Sotheby’s for £368,750 on 13 December 2016.
It was the first presentation copy of the manuscript to appear at auction and, as told by the price, a major piece of Harry Potter history. It includes 155 pages, 6,000 words and 17 vignette illustrations.
The book was sent by courier to Barry Cunningham OBE on 12 December 2007 (the day before the charity auction at Sotheby's), and the original envelope was included in the lot. The other recipients have never been named although Rowling's American publisher, Arthur A. Levine, exhibited his copy (number 5) at New York Public Library in December 2008.
Each of the seven copies was uniquely embellished by Hamilton and Inches, inspired by an ancient Italian prayer book, and set with different kinds of gemstones. This copy carries seven mounted rhodochrosite stones. At the end of the volume, the author has noted that these stones are 'traditionally associated with love, balance and joy in daily life'.
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