The Harry Potter set will always be a collector’s item, and that is especially true for the rarest first editions.

The 18 Best Harry Potter Book Collections and Limited

Of the US books, only the first two had different versions that were printed. You’ll find a review quote from the Guardian within the earliest copy, while it was later switched to a review from the American publication, Publisher’s Weekly.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the finale, focusing on a showdown between Harry and Voldemort, which encompasses the rest of the wizarding world. A massive tome, it comes in at 607 words for the original UK edition, 759 words for the US edition and 620 for the 2014 UK rewrite. The penultimate book in the series, the Half Blood Prince was released at the same time as the Goblet of Fire film. It had a wide hardcover release, and it was well-received by critics and fans alike. In the present day, it’s worth little, even for first edition copies of the UK version.

Rowling, Harry Potter Box Set, First Edition - AbeBooks Rowling, Harry Potter Box Set, First Edition - AbeBooks

It had an initial print run of just 30,000, which is much lower than any of the other US editions. It’s still a great long-term investment piece, especially for US collectors who’d prefer to have the version they grew up with as children.Given current trends, we’d strongly recommend looking at the earliest UK first-edition options, as long as they’re in decent condition.

Harry Potter Book Set 1st Edition Book Collectors Guide Harry Potter Book Set 1st Edition Book Collectors Guide

Scholastic’s US first editions are priced in the three-figure range, but keep an eye out for signed copies. First Australian editions will sell for a modest sum, while Canadian firsts are cheaply priced. Once again, there’s a range of great investment pieces, depending on your budget. JK Rowling is probably the most likely person to ruin the cash cow that is Harry Potter. Whatever her personal politics actually are, her comments on gender issues have been widely criticized, and make the news infrequently. For example, here’s one of many tweets from the author which focuses on sex and gender;There are also limited editions with watercolor illustrations by Giles Greenfield (Bloomsbury’s UK version) and Mary GrandPre (Scholastic’s US edition of only 25 copies). If either happens to be signed by the illustrator, it’s another item that should be worth a significant fee. The US version was released roughly five months later and is instantly recognizable as a parallel. For one, the cover is completely different, while the name was changed to make a more ‘magical’ connection with the reader. It was published by Scholastic and was illustrated by Mary GrandPré.