Blackpool family save book which could be worth £50,000 from being sold for 50p

A family from Blackpool could be handed an early Christmas present after they discovered a rare collector's item they were going to sell for 50p could earn them £50,000.

Charlotte Rumsey was helping her mum Karen, who is downsizing houses, put things aside for a car boot sale during a clear-out in lockdown when she came across the rare book.

But it wasn't until Charlotte seen the Antiques Roadshow on TV where someone had taken along a Harry Potter book worth up to £13,000, that she realised she had packed away a hardback copy of the Philsopher's Stone to be sold at the car boot sale in a 50p book box.

The book is of only 500 to be printed by Bloomsbury in 1997 and the publisher sent 300 of those to schools and libraries.

"I thought maybe we might have a first edition and rang mum to ask her to double check our book," said Charlotte.

The family discovered that the issue points inside identified as a first edition and contacted Hansons Auctioneers' expert Jim Spencer, who confirmed what they were hoping to hear.

Jim Spencer said: “This is the fifth hardback first issue of Philosopher's Stone I've uncovered in 18 months, and I've just discovered another two - only 493 left to find! Of the 500 copies printed, 300 went to schools and libraries - so this is a good example of one of the scarcer 200 that went to shops.

"I’m delighted for the family. Charlotte said she was hopping about, and the hairs stood up on her arms, when she received my call confirming it was a first issue."

Before deciding to sell the book at the car boot, Charlotte offered it to her fiancé Kyle, who is a teacher and a "huge Harry Potter fan".

"We actually offered him the book before we put it in the car boot box but he said no as he had plenty," said Charlotte.

“We were a bit half-hearted about selling at first but I’m getting married, mum’s downsizing and there’s no time like the present, particularly after the year everyone has had. We’ve decided this has happened for a reason and we’re grabbing the opportunity with both hands.

The book is due to be sold online on December 11 through Hanson's Library Auction. The last one they sold in October 202 which was posted in a tea towel from Luxembourg, fetched for £60,000.