Auction in London
Expecto Pinkepinke! How fans can make a lot of money with Harry Potter rarities
Harry Potter mania: old books and his magic wand go under the hammer
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Fans of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice can now earn a lot of money with rarities. But they are more likely to spend a lot of money – because various Potter treasures will soon go under the hammer. For hundreds of thousands.
Are you a Harry Potter fan from the very beginning? Then a trip to the bookshelf might be worth it. A possible first edition of the series debut “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” appeared in England, with slightly bent corners and a brownish tint on the edges – this is considered to be in good condition. On Monday the book will be available as part of a charity eventauctioned. The hammer fell after a few minutes at a sum of 7,500 pounds (8,770 euros),
The price is comparatively low; other first editions have achieved sums of 80,000 to 417,000 euros in recent years.
Why do fans spend so much money on a book they already own that is newer, nicer, and in better condition? Answer: Because they are fans (the word is derived from fanaticism) – and so that no one else has it. That’s why a Beatles maniac absolutely had to have a 1967 first edition of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, in mono and for a quarter of a million euros. Without autographs, of course, it would have been really expensive.
Fans pay everything – including 5.2 million euros for old scripts
Because once an object of desire has passed through the hands of the stars, rich fans or museums really pay any price:·
- The copy of the Beatles’ White Album with the serial number 0000001, which once belonged to Ringo Starr, went under the hammer for 700,000 euros. That was back in 2015, and the price has probably increased quite a bit since then.
- Audrey Hepburn’s screenplay for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, 104 pages long and covered in her notes, brought in 5.2 million euros.
- A microphone that Beyoncé breathed on during one of her tours was worth more than 10,000 euros to a mother. She then gave it to her son for his birthday.
- Marilyn Monroe’s dress (silk, set with 2,500 crystals), in which she famously serenaded US President John F. Kennedy, was auctioned for 4.5 million.
- One of John Lennon’s nickel-plated glasses, which he once gave away in a club, changed hands for a bargain price: 20,100 euros. If it hadn’t been cleaned, it would have been worth many times over.
In March, Potter’s wand – and the Ten Commandments – will be auctioned off
If you missed today’s auction of the Potter first edition, you can note another date: March 12th to 14th. Then the US auction house Propstore is auctioning off 1,700 “props” from legendary filmmakers, including the magic wand from “Prisoner of Azkaban”. Also included: Michael J. Fox’s guitar from “Back to the Future” and the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments – of course not the originals, but from the Hollywood epic “The Ten Commandments”.
According to Propstore, there will also be many affordable fan items that can be had for as little as $100. If you believe it: even bankrupt entrepreneur René Benko from Signa Holding has fans who are not afraid of any investment. When the equipment from the Vienna headquarters recently went under the hammer, a set consisting of a toilet brush holder, toilet roll and trash can also went away – for 600 euros.