The Harry Potter Guide - First editions, values and more - An Antique Books Guide

This post is dedicated to the modern fiction phenomenon that is the Harry Potter series.

With the vast franchise estimated to be valued in excess of $24,000,000,000 in 2012, J.K Rowling's world famous books are one of the most collectible of any modern author.

Yet it is often difficult to know which books are the wise choices to collect and this post will hopefully help give a bit more information on collecting the Harry Potter books.

The Philosopher's Stone

As the first book in the series, this book is by far the most collected and valuable.

Below is some information of values, editions and more.

The Young Wizard

My first tip is simple - look for the Young Wizard.

This may not guarantee value but it will mean that the book is at least an early edition.

Read on to find out more.

 Different editions, both firsts

Here is a typical trick that can attract those who don't know much about the Harry Potter books.
A true first edition of the first HP books will sell for £1,500 if in poor condition and can rise close to ten thousand if signed and pristine.
2nd editions can reach over £150 and 3rd editions can still achieve in excess of £50.

However, a Celebratory edition in first edition state can be snapped up for approximately £5 and sell for a maximum of £20.

Whilst many sellers will list the Celebratory edition (seen left, below) as a first edition, it is only a first edition of that specific type. This edition was in fact printed three years after the original 1997 first edition.

Another problem that can face buyers is the listing of a book as 'First Edition' when it may not be a true first.

As seen below, the book is a first edition (i.e the first time the book was printed) but it is a later impression of the first state.

This can be seen from the all important number line at the bottom of the print details page.

If the number line shows 10987654321 then you have a first edition.

The number line below is for the first Celebratory edition.

However, these two aren't the only early editions that might be listed as first editions.

There is also the famed Ted Smart edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

A first edition of this book, printed a year after the first edition yet still appearing the same visually, can reach £300 and a second edition up to £30. Still a good amount but a far cry from the what the true firsts can achieve.

Even if they sport the 'Young Wizard' on the spine and back cover, these copies can still be Ted Smart editions - identified by viewing the spine as seen below.

The title page may appear the same for all four versions of first editions - the Celebratory, the Ted Smart and the True first.

The Old Wizard

One of the least sought after editions of The Philosopher's Stone is the Old Wizard cover version.

This denotes the book to be a later impression and so generally worth far less than the Young Wizard editions.

The Deluxe/ Special Edition

A far more collectible edition of The Philosopher's Stone, and indeed all seven books, if the Deluxe edition.

Sporting gilt edging, a facsimile signature and higher presentation values than standard editions, these can be worth a lot in true first state - up to £150 in fact.

Later impressions generally reach £10.

The Chamber of Secrets

Now we notice a sudden dive in values compared with The Philosopher's Stone and a new division between paperback and hardback.

A first edition hardback is worth in excess of £250 and sometimes up to £500.
A first edition paperback can reach up to £30 but sometimes as low as £10.

Again there are the same four different versions being the Ted Smart edition, the Celebratory edition, the Deluxe edition and the True first.

This pattern actually runs throughout the series.

 The Prisoner of Azkaban

A first edition hardback of the third book is worth up to £100 but generally around £40
A first edition paperback can sell for as little as 99p but can reach £15 at auction.

For this book the Deluxe edition usually commands in excess of £15 for any impression.

The Goblet of Fire

This book has a special variation to the others, unique to this book only.

The first edition was actually printed by two publishers - Clays (as are all the HP books) and the rarer Omnia press.

The Omnia editions were estimated to represent a third of all first editions.

A first edition hardback Omnia book is worth between £20 and £40 whilst the Clays edition can reach £14 but often fails to reach more than £5.

Paperbacks aren't worth even considering.

An important change with this book from the others is that the First Edition was far more printed than all the previous editions - partly to boost initial hardback sales.

This pattern increases throughout the series meaning later editions are almost always firsts!

From this book onwards all first editions are stated as 'First Edition' in the print details rather than identified by number line - another sign that the first edition was aimed more at the general public to boost sales.

The Order of the Phoenix

The last book in the series that is worth collecting for any value at all.

The hardback first edition can reach £5 but generally is worth 99p.

The Half Blood Prince

Worth less still sadly.

Shown below is a paperback edition for diversity.

The Deathly Hallows

This may have been the best selling Harry Potter book but that also meant more First Editions were printed and so firsts are rarely worth more than the standard later impressions.

Thanks for reading - I hope this guide helped you in some small way!

Please share, comment or +1 and take a look at my other posts if possible

The Hobbit - J.R.R Tolkien's most famous book and how much it's worth - An Antique Books Guide

Here's a brief version of a longer post I have written, but this time only focusing on The Hobbit.
As Tolkien's most famous book, people often wonder how much a copy can be worth up to, especially if they happen to own a rather old edition.

Well hopefully this post will help guide anyone who wants to know what their Hobbit might be worth or anything else about editions of the Hobbit currently available.

The Hobbit

Published in 1937 with a very limited print run, this book is Tolkien's most famous and arguably the most famous fantasy book of all time.

Originally written for children but now touted as an adult friendly book due to advanced themes and lexis, this book is one of the most collected of any fictional works.

Look out for hardback copies with the dust jacket that are pre-1975 for real value.

Below are a selection of the editions of The Hobbit currently available and what they might be worth:

George Allen and Unwin Hobbit

The original Hobbit book with the Iconic dust jacket.

This design ran from 1937 up to 1975 with only minor alterations and as such is the classic Hobbit edition.

The first editions can reach over £6,000 at auction whilst later impressions drop to £20 approx. Here's a quick value guide for the George Allen and Unwin illustrated Hobbit:

First Edition/ Impression 1937 - £6,000+

First Edition 1932-1946 - Between £400 and £1,000+

Second Edition 1951-1965 - Between £80 up to £300 

Third Edition 1966-1975 - Between £15 and £80 

Editions with dust jackets and in good condition sell for the most

Folio Hobbit

This recent Folio edition is worth between £10-£20 despite the lovely covers, fine binding and black and white illustrations

Deluxe Edition

These versions started in 1976 and are known for their incredible quality throughout from the luxurious binding to the incredible cover designs.

This is THE edition for the collector.

Worth up to £200 for the first edition to at least £50 for last editions

Longmans Edition

A more obscure edition, this version was created primarily for schools.

Worth between £50 for a first edition and under £10 for a later edition.

The 1975 Hobbit paperback

This book is a a particularly rare year and contains colour illustrations and the unique cover design.

Worth up to £10

The Vintage Paperback

This is the classic paperback edition with covers using a drawing from Tolkien's own hand.

Starting in 1966 this edition ran to the mid 1970's.

Values range from £5 up to £20 for the first impression of this edition

The First Paperback edition

This is the very rare 1961 first paperback.

With a never used before or after cover illustration and poor quality binding, these books are growing rarer and rarer.

Valued at £25 for a poor condition version to £100 for one in very fine condition.

The Guild Publishing Deluxe edition

This rather nice looking copy has a uniform Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion also and is one of the more unique copies.

Prices vary from £10 for a poor condition edition to over £60 in some cases.

The 50th Anniversary Edition

The 1987 50th edition is one of the most collected recent editions.

Valued between £10 and £25

The 1978 Fourth Edition

The fourth edition may not be quite as collectible as the third, second or first editions (all of which have the classic iconic covers) but is nonetheless sought after.

Valued at between £10 and £25

The Michael Hague edition

This particular edition has some of the nicest and most elaborate illustrations of any yet published.

A large book and with completely unparalleled presentation, this book can be worth up to £30 for a first impression and as low as £5 for a later poor condition copy.

Earlier Folio

This particular folio edition is the middle edition between the 1979 deluxe and the 1990's popular Folio in terms of value.

Prices range from £10 to £30 in rare cases

Guild Publishing edition

Another rare GP edition with fine binding

Worth between £10 and £20

Guild Publishing edition

And another GP edition, worth slightly less than the above edition but still a nice rare copy to own.

Valued between £7.50 and £15

The Modern anniversary edition

This 1990's edition is a nice modern revamp of the classic edition and worth up to £10 in some cases

The modern Paperback

The standard modern paperback is ideal for children to read.
Worth generally less than £1 unless a first print of this edition in which case it could be worth up to £10

Limited Box Set

This rare boxset contains a unique edition of the book and many other extras including postcards, a CD with Tolkien reading excerpts and adverts.

Worth between £15 and £30

And there you have it!

The Hobbit is a very well published book and a solid investment with prices continually on the rise thanks to the great work of Christopher Tolkien and the Estate of Tolkien.

I hope this guide helped you in some way - please share, comment and do anything else you can with this blog except for copy it without permission!)

Thanks for reading

TOP 10 - How To Sell On eBay (PHOTO GUIDE)

eBay - How To Sell

eBay is a topic that I have written several posts on already but I thought that a brief little post was needed regarding tips on selling.
I have even written a similar article as this but I realized recently that this advice can be relevant for any item to be sold on eBay and so might be of use to more people.

I have over 900 feedback on eBay and have gained experience along the way so you can (mostly!) trust what I write.

Here is a top ten for selling on eBay:

1. Make sure the item you are selling is well photographed!
Photography is key on eBay, with some items selling for half of what they should just because they are poorly photographed.
If you don't have any white walls to take the photo against try the bath or for larger items against the largest wall in your home.
Make sure the photo is bright with the lights on and a lamp if needed.

Show areas of detail or interest and an overall photo.

2. Title!
The title is how people will locate your listing so include all the key words you can think of relating to your item.
If it's a make put that first or if it's antique then put the year or period too.
Material and colour can be useful in the search too.

3. Subtitle if valuableIf your item is particularly valuable or you are setting a high start price (£50+) then you might want to put a subtitle.
This is searchable like the listing title so put a useful description here.

4. Fill in all categoriesOn the eBay listing page try to fill in as many categories as you can - buyers can search and sort by categories so you want your item as visible as possible.

5. Choose the best photo for the cover photoThis might not always be the overall shot - sometimes a pretty detail, a brand label or a descriptive image can be more useful.
This is especially true if the item isn't in the best of condition - show the ebst bit on the cover photo so buyers click on your listing.

6. Describe accurately and sell your itemNo one else is going to sell your item for you so you need to make sure you do.
Describe as accurately as possible with material, age, colour and dimensions (H, W, L).
The more accurate you are the more likely a buyer will trust your listing.
Also describe the item and sell it's best points.
EG: 'The plate has an especially pretty design with lovely pink flowers and gilt detailing. It is of very fine quality and ideal for a collector due to it's excellent condition'.

7. Set a reasonable priceDon't start too low or too high.
This bit is important as people will rarely bother to click on your listing if the price is too high.
See what else is for sale on eBay and set the price accordingly.
Sometimes undercutting by a few pounds can help and in cases of valuable or collected items a low starting price is ideal if you know they sell well eg Coins
Often auction is the way forward as Buy I Now requires you to know the exact value of your item - you don't want to undersell!

8. Set a wise listing timeSchedule the time at a cost of 6p - it's worth it especially if you are listing a few things.
Times around 7-8 o'clock often work best with buyers.

9. DurationAlways choose the longest possible
This means more exposure for your item. Remember that people looking for your item may not necessarily be browsing every day for it so by giving ten days for example you offer a better chance for the buyer to see your listing.

10. Proof readMake sure your listing is accurate, honest and without error.
You don't want negative feedback from an angry seller!

And there we have it!
Sorry for the lack of photos but this one was just useful information this time.

I hope this guide helps and let me know if you have any queries by emailing me at vaugc002@gmail.com
A like, comment, share or =1 is always appreciated too!

Book Collection - Antique, Rare and Valuable books and what to know PHOTO GUIDE

Book Collecting

Here is a guide that I have created from personal experience of many different aspects of book collecting that can be useful to know.

Ranging from signed copies to Fine Binding, this guide aims to help you start or add to your book collection or even just book knowledge.

I am by no means an expert but I have learned a little throughout the years and I have attempted to put that specific knowledge into this blog.

* For the problems and flaws of antique books please see the below post *
http://anantiquebooksguide.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/antique-book-problems-and-flaws-guide.html

BOOK DEFINITIONS:

Antique pertains to books dating over 100 years old whilst vintage can be considered anything printed between 1930 and 1960

Retro could be considered anything later than 1960 to an extent. Please note that all of these are just loose bands.

Each age group holds some very rare books - not just antique books are collectable and sought after!

Modern first editions are something of a marvel with some of the most collected such as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone selling for late hundreds up to thousands.

Here begins a definition of different book types, features and designs:.

Art Deco Book Cover

Here is an Art Deco cover - a classic William Morris style design. These designs are often floral and always striking with bright colours in bold design.

1910's Period Book Cover

Most likely a highly decorative form of Art Deco design, books like the copy below are highly collectable for the beauty of the design itself

Vintage Book Cover

Here is an Enid Blyton first edition from the 1950's and a classic vintage book+

Fine Binding

Here is a classic example of a finely bound book.

Often with leather, calf or vellum edges and marbled covers, these books were expensive to produce, to buy and are to collect.

They are also often strongly bound even now and are the staple of Dark wood or classic libraries the world over

The Late Victorian Decorative cover

Here is a fine example of the late Victorian book cover.

With exquisite detailing and unique font giving a window into the book, these covers can be captivating and striking such as the example below.

Modern Gilt / Deluxe Cover

Here is a modern cover from the iconic Guild Publishing house. With an intricate gilt design and a faux leather effect cover this book appears to be far older than the 1970's publication it is

Art Nouveau Cover Book

Here is a classic art nouveau style cover, featured on the collectable Chiswick Shakespeare series printed between the late 1890's and  the early 1900's

Front/ Rear Papers (FFEP's)

Virtually every hardback book has a front and rear paper before the main text. Some are plain, others more decorated with a repetitive pattern such as many late Victorian publications, and others unique such as the classic Hobbit map.

Frontispiece

After the cover and the front paper comes the frontispiece.

Not all books have them but a good number of antique and vintage books do. Often in older books these are black and white illustrations but in rarer or more recent publications these can be in colour and really add to the presentation of a title

The First Edition Print Line

The first edition is something that any collector wants. Be it an antique book or a modern one, a first edition is a nearly surefire way to add value to the book.

Ending in a one, the number line can read differently on some books.

Older titles were only really given one publication or printing so first editions for some antique texts were rather easy to come by. Similarly modern first editions are a certain best seller so popular books such as the later Harry Potter books were given a large print run in first edition form meaning values for these are low.

The Dust Jacket

A dust jacket is and was a popular way to protect books. Many antique book after the 1900's were issued with such covers even when the covers were bold and decorative, purely to protect such designs.

Books of an age still with such dust jackets can double in value

Folio Society and the Slipcase

Firstly, some books comes with a dust jacket as seen above whilst others come with slipcases. These are often more recent and valuable or collected texts. 

Secondly, the Folio Society is synonymous with quality, being a publishers that reprints a great range of world famous texts 

Gilt edging or Gilding

Back to the externals of a book.

Gilt edging or gilding is reasonably common on more expensive books of the past with great popularity found in the late Victorian period. To have a book gilded nowadays to such quality can cost hundreds of pounds.

Most antique books have a single edge that has been gilded - often the top. Some nicer books can have tripled gilding which means every visible edge is covered with the shiny gold dusting

Disbound

Below is an example of a book that is no longer bound.

This text is complete and almost as it was printed except for the fact that the binding - most likely glue - has loosened or weakened completely resulting in the text block being completely separate from the covers.

A reparation is needed but this can cost a lot of money so in most cases, such a book is best kept as a 'reading copy' i.e not to sell or collect!

A tipped colour plate (Dulac etc)

Plates are pages with illustrations, maps etc featured throughout some antique books.

Often these are illustrations and can add value to a book.

For example the illustration below is a colour plate painted by Edmund Dulac and is collectable by itself with some collectors separating and framing such images.

Look out for Arthur Rackham, Harry Rountree, Heath Robinson and Mable Lucy Atwell for collectable illustrators. 

Colour Plates

Colour plates are unique to each artist and also rare in pre 1890's books. In earleir cases such as early 1800's and prior, books with colour illustrations can fetch handsome sums purely due to the colour plates. 

Wood Engraving

Another type of illustration is the wood engraving.

Often more basic, more popular and more frequent, these illustrations can be found in many antique books.

Steel Engraving

The steel engraving is a more intricate, advanced form of illustrations often requiring thicker, stronger paper or card to print upon.

These are rarer than wood engravings, often full page and more valuable.

The Fore-Edge Painting

These rarities carry hefty prices but are truly valuable books.
By bending the pages of a book with a fore-edge painting you will suddenly find a miniature painting appear.
Please read my blog post on Fore-Edge Painting to find out more
http://anantiquebooksguide.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/the-fore-edge-painting-antique-book.html

Only copy available

By searching through book selling websites you can find out whether your book is common or rare and thus valuable.

In some cases there will not be any copies of your book for sale and this is something you can capitalize on if you choose to sell.

Vintage paperback

Some classic books can be found as a vintage paperback. Generally Penguin Books published these but there are other publishers too.
Look out for famous authors or books such as 'The ABC Murders'
The copy below sold for £20 despite the fact that the spine was coming away from the inside a little.

Illuminated

An illuminated book features a page or several pages of highly decorative writing, usually with gold/ gilt colouring.

These books are often valuable purely for the artistic value.

Signed

The power of a signed book is quite impressive.

If you have a letter from an author or purely a signed copy then expect the value to rise far above the value of standard editions.

Collections/ Sets

A set or collection can be a valuable asset.

If you have a complete set, especially in early/ first editions then your books will be worth a lot. It is generally wise to keep such sets together to increase the value as collectors often look for complete collections as opposed to buying and searching for individual copies which can be time consuming and cost ineffective.

Leather/ Fine Binding

If you have a leather bound copy of a book then it can be worth more than other copies in some cases. These are generally nicer editions.

A first of a set

The book below is the first Guinness World Record book to be published and is as such the most valuable in the series.

Look our for early or first in series such as The Philosopher's Stone i the Harry Potter franchise.

That concludes this lengthy guide!

I hope that if you made it this far the post helped you in some way.

Please bear in mind that value can be subjective but the values or advice I have given has worked for me.

If you have any questions or need advice please contact me at vaugc002@gmail.com or feel free to comment, +1 or share.

Thanks for reading!