Three days ago, TIME Magazine published an article stating that a typo in your Harry Potter copy could mean that you own a first printing first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – worth thousands of dollars.
The article in question is this: How a Typo in Your Harry Potter Book Might Be Worth Thousands of Dollars. TIME Magazine is basing their piece on an article published by The Independent, which explains the sale of a first printing of the first Harry Potter book. Sadly, instead of noting every point that verifies that a copy is indeed a first printing, they only name the repeated “1 wand” on page 53.
As mathematicians says, the “1 wand” is a necessary but not sufficient condition to own a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It is dangerous of large media companies to state otherwise because they are misinforming fans who are after a first edition. Due to this article, copies of Harry Potter 1 recently appeared on eBay for 20.000 dollars just because they have the “1 wand” twice on the Hogwarts list. They are not a first edition – the Canadian edition had this error in subsequent prints, so be careful. They have no rarity or collector value – they could be acquired for 20 dollars.
So, keep a constant vigilance – and do your research before purchasing anything online. The marketplace is full of scammers, trying to take advantage of the fans.
Thanks to Jonathan for the tip.
