Harry Potter

Harry Potter first editions are among the most searched-for collectable books in the UK, and among the most misunderstood. Millions of copies of each title exist, but only a handful of printings are scarce. This guide covers the seven Bloomsbury titles in their first hardback and first paperback editions, with the points that separate a valuable first impression from a later printing.

Start here: Philosopher's Stone, 1997

If you remember only one book in the series, make it Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Bloomsbury printed about 500 hardbacks, most of which went to libraries, and issued them in pictorial boards without a dust jacket. The first paperback was printed at the same time and counts as a first edition too.

Three checks settle most questions about a 1997 copy:

1. The copyright page shows the full number line, 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, and no date later than 1997.
2. Bloomsbury is named at the foot of the title page.
3. On page 53, "1 wand" appears twice in Harry's list of school equipment.

The page 53 slip also appears in some later printings, so it confirms a first rather than proving one. On the paperback, look for the title misspelt "Philospher's" on the rear cover as well.

The rest of the series

Chamber of Secrets follows the same pattern as the first book: check for the full number line. Its first hardback came in a pictorial jacket, and the jacket matters as much as the book. Prisoner of Azkaban is the one with two states. The first state credits Joanne Rowling on the copyright page and has misplaced text on page 7, and the second state corrects both.

From Goblet of Fire onwards, Bloomsbury's first printings ran to very large numbers. Those first editions state First Edition on the copyright page and are easy to find, so their value rests on condition, a clean jacket and verified signatures.

Common traps

• Same text, different book. Bloomsbury published adult-cover, deluxe and special editions alongside many of these titles. They have their own ISBNs and are valued separately.
• Reused ISBNs. The Philosopher's Stone paperback ISBN was used for reprints for years, so an ISBN alone never proves a first.
• Married jackets. Jackets from later printings can end up on first-impression books. The book's copyright page decides the printing, not the jacket.

How we value

Every value on MyVolumes belongs to a specific printing and a specific condition, with book and jacket graded separately on the trade scale from Fine to Poor. Each range shows its basis and the date it was set. Ranges marked as estimates are working figures that we replace with evidence from recorded sales as it comes in. Use them as a guide to what a copy might fetch, not as a formal valuation.