NZ auction house Webb’s sells rare copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for $5000

The 1999 Bloomsbury-printed copy Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has special features which set it apart from newer editions. Photo / Webb's Auction House

By RNZ

A rare copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has been sold for more than $5000 to an overseas buyer at an Auckland-based online auction.

The 1999 Bloomsbury-printed book has special features which set it apart from newer editions, such as dropped text on one page and JK Rowling listed as Joanne Rowling in the copyright section.

The Estate at Webb’s specialist Charlotte Dippie said this was what made it sought-after in the already highly collectable world of Pottermania.

She believed this was one of roughly 2500 first-edition copies of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban available.

“Harry Potter [has] such a dedicated fanbase. There [are] all kinds of collectors all over the world [for whom] this would be quite a dream item,” told Midday Report.

“Also it could be seen as an investment piece, more so overseas, but mainly what we’ve been experiencing is collectors [buying these books].”

The unidentified vendor’s mother is said to have purchased the book in 1999, around the same time the fantasy children’s series was gaining attention.

“I didn’t read many books as a kid ... and this must have been the first one. I did form an emotional attachment to it,” the vendor said.

Harry Potter first-edition books have proven to have big value in global auction markets, with a Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone first-edition copy selling for £21,000 ($46,000) last week.