Harry Potter’s nostalgia is all around us and has rightfully found its place in the collectors’ market, with items often worth small fortunes. On 15 July, Ewbank’s, Surrey’s leading auction house, will be hosting a sale dedicated to Entertainment & Memorabilia, Vintage Posters and Harry Potter collectables, including a signed edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, movie props and original issues of The Quibbler magazine. With one of these 715 lots available, ‘yer a wizard’!
Despite Uncle Vernon’s best efforts, Harry Potter made it to Hogwarts. This hero envelope and letter were used in Chris Columbus’ 2001 fantasy-adventure Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, featured in the scene where owl post stormed the Dursley household with letters informing Harry Potter of his acceptance into Hogwarts.
The envelope is made from marble-effect paper, with Harry's address printed in green on the front and the Hogwarts crest on the reverse. The envelope is complete with a red wax Hogwarts seal, unlike the many printed versions that were also used in the scene. It is accompanied by a printed letter of donation from Warner Bros., a copy of the letter contained within and a photocopied front cover of a 2001 edition of USA Weekend featuring Radcliffe opening a similar letter.
Before the movies came the books, and it took a while for their author J.K. Rowling to be recognised on the international scene. Upon the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Rowling was totally unknown, and only 500 copies were printed in the initial run in 1997. It would take until August 1999 for the book to reach the top of the New York Times list of best-selling fiction, where it would stay for a while, eventually being translated into 73 other languages.
This Bloomsbury paperback edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (the first book of the Potter series) is signed by J.K. Rowling and comes with a certificate of authenticity from JJG Autographs.
The Quibbler, Hogwarts’ wizarding tabloid, was published by Luna Lovegood’s father, who marketed it as The Wizarding World's Alternative Voice. This in-universe original issue comes during the height of the Second Wizarding War, when Voldemort took over the Ministry of Magic and The Quibbler became one of the few sources of truths which used its voice in support of Harry Potter.
This original issue of the magazine features a picture of Potter on the cover as ‘Undesirable No.1’, along with other in-universe headlines. The copy on the back is also fully realised with in-universe text, as well as the interior pages, containing headlines such as ‘How far will Fudge go to gain Gringotts?’. The ‘Undesirable’ issues were printed for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, but they do not appear in the final cut of the film.
In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter discovers a vault full of coins left for him by his parents at the Gringotts Wizarding Bank. This Gringotts coin is a gold-plated metal coin featuring a wizard's head and ‘Gringotts Bank’ on one side, and a dragon with ‘Unum Galleon’ and ‘1’ on the reverse.
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione) and Rupert Grint (Ron) were all 11 years old when they first started filming Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. By the time they had finished with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the 8th film of the series, they were 22-23 years old. As fans watched them grow up, they became fond of not only the characters, but the actors who played them. This colour photograph shows the invincible trio in action, and is signed by all three.
This collection of movie memorabilia would have guaranteed you the VIP treatment: the set includes a Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone World Premiere invitation letter, two Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Premiere tickets, Cast and Crew Screening tickets including a dinner invitation at the Savoy 2002, two Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Premiere Party invitations, five Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Premiere tickets accompanied by a crew lanyard and two Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 World premiere tickets, amongst others. This lot is accompanied by a custom made black leather bound Smythson notebook, with gold engraving at the front which reads, 'To the faithful Harry Potter Crew of 2010. Many, many thank yous, Love Emma'. The reverse reads 'The Pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again' - Charles Dickens.
Whether you're a die-hard fan of the cult series or looking for some historic collectables, make sure to check out Ewbank’s upcoming Entertainment & Memorabilia auction, live on 15 July.
