Rare Harry Potter book sells for £13,000

A woman who bought a Harry Potter book for £10.99 today sold it for £13,000 (€20,000) at auction.

Mother of three Monica Timms bought the hardback version of the then unknown Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone five years ago.

Mrs Timms, 56, from Swindon, recently saw a TV news bulletin about the rising value of the smash JK Rowling book.

Dominic Winter Book Auction in Swindon, which sold the copy today, identified it as one of just 300 printed. Only a few are privately owned.

The edition, which was expected to fetch up to £10,000 (€15,000), was bought by a book dealer in Bristol.

Mrs Timms said today: “I’m absolutely overwhelmed. I just need to sit down and get over it now.”

She said she did not know what she would spend the money on but a small part will go towards replacing her well-read book with a far cheaper paperback version.