Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneBloomsbury
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
J. K. Rowling · Bloomsbury, 1997
First edition
Check: title page: Bloomsbury named at the foot of the page (Bloomsbury UK edition)
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Book scanner and ISBN lookup
Scan a book's barcode or type its ISBN to see the edition, whether it is a first edition, what to check on the copyright page to confirm the printing, and its value where we have one. It runs in your phone's browser and keeps scanning, so it suits book fairs, charity shops and your own shelves.
Log in to see which books you already own.
Tip: add MyVolumes to your home screen to open the scanner like an app.
- Editions you can scan
- 53,896
- First editions among them
- 33,860
- Special editions
- 115
- Cost
- Free
How to scan a book
- Find the barcode. Turn the book over: the barcode on the back cover carries the ISBN-13, starting 978 or 979. Older books print the ISBN or SBN on the copyright page instead.
- Scan or type it. Press Scan and hold the barcode inside the frame, or type the number. Hyphens and spaces do not matter.
- Read the result. See the edition, whether it is a first edition, its value range where we have one, and whether it is already in your collection.
- Check the copyright page. An ISBN covers every printing of an edition, so check the point shown, such as the number line, before you pay a first edition price.
What a scan can and cannot tell you
An ISBN identifies an edition, not a printing. An unchanged reprint keeps the same ISBN, so the first printing and the tenth printing of an edition share one number. That is why a scan alone cannot prove a first edition, and why the scanner shows you what to check next.
| Question | From the scan | What to check yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Which edition is it? | Yes: publisher, year and binding | Nothing, if the ISBN is printed in the book |
| Is it a first edition? | Whether that edition is the first | The edition statement on the copyright page |
| Is it the first printing? | The point to check, where researched | The number line and the issue points |
| What is it worth? | A value range by condition, where recorded | The condition of the book and its jacket |
| Do I already own it? | Yes, with a free account | Nothing |
Where to find the ISBN, and books without one
- ISBN-13 (since 1 January 2007): 13 digits starting 978 or 979, printed above the barcode on the back cover.
- ISBN-10 (1970 to 2006): 10 digits, sometimes ending in X, on the copyright page and often on the back. The barcode of a book from these years already carries the matching ISBN-13.
- SBN (Britain, 1966 to the early 1970s): 9 digits, often printed as "SBN 241 01504 9". Type it in; we add the leading 0 that makes it an ISBN.
- No number: most books printed before 1970. Search by title and author and compare your copy with each edition's identification guide.
The 9-digit Standard Book Number was introduced in 1966 and became the 10-digit ISBN as international standard ISO 2108 in 1970; ISBNs have had 13 digits since 1 January 2007. Sources: ISBN, Wikipedia; What is an ISBN?, International ISBN Agency.
After you scan
Which printing?Number line decoderType the row of numbers from the copyright page to find the printing.
Is it a first?How to identify a first editionEdition statements, number lines and the tells publishers use.
Worth anything?Is my book valuable?Check the printing and condition step by step and get a verdict.
ValueHow much is my book worth?What makes a copy valuable, and why condition matters most.
Sprayed edges?Special editionsFairyLoot, Illumicrate, Waterstones and deluxe editions, told apart.