You may not have thought too much of it when you bought your first Harry Potter book or that old copy of Lord of the Flies from a garage sale, but you might want to look at your bookshelves again. Read on to see some very valuable first editions and what they are worth, using prices from AbeBooks and other book dealers and auction houses.
Note that the highest prices only tend to be achieved for pristine first-edition hardback copies with their original dustjacket coverings, if applicable. All dollar values in US dollars.
Many people will have a copy of the best-selling 1996 novel, and Helen Fielding's 1990s favourite has since been turned into several successful Hollywood films. A first edition of Bridget Jones's Diary could be worth $375 (£300), with a signed copy potentially selling for as much as $660 (£500). A small but tidy profit.
Philip Pullman's 1985 Victoriana novel The Ruby in the Smoke is the first in his Sally Lockhart quartet. The detective mystery is set to become a modern collectable due to its increasing rarity, and a signed first edition is currently worth in the region of $930 (£750). If you happen to have all four signed first-edition books, the collection could realise up to $1,920 (£1,550).
The autobiography of Robert Graves, written candidly and honestly, appeared in 1929. In the second edition of the book nearly 30 years later, Graves described the work as his "bitter leave-taking of England, where [he] had recently broken a good many conventions". The first edition does not include this prologue written by the author, but a well-kept copy could fetch up to $2,500 (£2,020).
To ensure that readers knew what to expect from the book, first editions of Decline and Fall featured a note from the author that read: 'Please bear in mind throughout that IT IS MEANT TO BE FUNNY.' A first edition of Waugh’s 1928 comedic novel telling the tale of the very unfortunate Paul Pennyfeather is now valued at an impressive $8,055 (£6,500).
Another early 20th-century comedy, English author PG Wodehouse’s first novel The Pothunters was published in 1902. Anyone in possession of a first edition of the book is sitting on an enviable $8,055 (£6,500).
First published back in 1953, a pristine first edition of this classic comedy novel is now worth $8,365 (£6,750).
Patricia Highsmith's 1995 psychological thriller of stolen identities, murder and money is the first of five novels featuring main character Tom Ripley. It is the most valuable of the set, and a signed first edition from the US can sell for as much as $9,500 (£7,680).
Deemed by many as one of the most important poems of both vintage and modern poetry, a first-edition copy of TS Eliot’s long poem The Waste Land sells for around $11,000 (£8,875). If you really want to be in the money you’d be better off with a book of the poet’s entire works, as a mint-edition copy is currently on sale for $52,500 (£42,365).
The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money was the last work of noted economist JM Keynes, and it challenged the economic thought of the 1930s more than any of its predecessors. The seminal book gave macroeconomics its central place in economic theory and a first edition is now valued at $12,500 (£10k).
George Orwell's Dystopian classic Nineteen Eighty-Four introduced concepts that are often used in analysing our current political climate, as well as having inspired the international TV franchise Big Brother. Owning a first edition of this book could bag you a $12,500 (£10k) payday.
Half a decade before publishing Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell wrote the politically-astute and commonly-studied Animal Farm. Chronicling the revolt of a group of rebellious farm animals who go on to found their own community, Orwell’s novel critiques the ideology of Stalin in the Soviet Union. In superb condition, a first edition of the book is worth $12,500 (£10k). It isn’t just Orwell’s stories that collectors take an interest in – any correspondences featuring the author can also be worth a hefty sum, and letters between Orwell and his first publisher discussing Animal Farm are currently on sale for a huge $124,000 (£100k).
HG Wells is held as the godfather of science fiction thanks to the wildly imaginative, far-beyond-its-years storyline of The Time Machine. A first print of this 1895 book can now be worth up to $7,500 (£6,060) if signed by the author. There is also a first-edition copy in circulation featuring the signatures of actors Rod Taylor and Alan Young, which is currently on sale for $15,000 (£12,120).
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the inspiration behind the Blade Runner films, was published in 1968, and first editions have been known to sell for as much as $15,000 (£12,120).
The Postman Always Rings Twice is a dark 20th-century psychological thriller that became wildly popular after its 1934 publication. The novel was notorious for its then shocking depictions of violence and sexuality, which led to it being banned in certain parts of America. A copy of this book’s first edition is worth in the region of $7,500 (£6,060), with some signed versions valued as highly as $20,000 (£16,140).
The best-known of the four novels featuring legendary detective Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles was first published over a century ago in 1902 and is still a huge hit today. A rare first-edition copy with the dust jacket is worth $25,000 (£20,175).
Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding’s Lord of the Flies is a classic now included in many school curriculums. The popular novel wasn't a big hit when it was first published back in 1954 and it went out of print in 1955. It was soon picked up again by filmmakers and scholars however, and if you own a pristine first edition you could cash it in for up to $27,500 (£22,190).
Sir Isaac Newton's Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy is considered to be the most important work in the history of science, and a copy recently sold at auction for an astonishing $31,000 (£24,000), smashing its initial estimate of $10,300-$12,900 (£8,000-£10,000). Published in 1729, this centuries-old tome had been in the anonymous seller's family for generations before they decided to sell it through British auction house Hansons. Just a week before this particular auction, another first-edition copy of the same manuscript was sold at auction, after having been discovered on a bookshelf during a lockdown clean. The book wasn't in as good shape as the volume sold the following week, but still fetched $28,400 (£22,000). These were early examples of the English translation of the book, but the very first editions were published in Latin in 1687. Rarer still, one of these manuscripts sold for $635,000 (£491,250) in 2019 at Christie's.
This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel depicts the tragic lives of the Joads, a family living on a farm during the Great Depression. A mint condition first-edition copy of The Grapes of Wrath on your bookshelf is worth up to $17,500 (£14,120). If that good quality copy has author John Steinbeck’s signature, you’re looking at up to $32,000 (£25,000).
This 1940 vintage classic by Graham Greene was named by TIME Magazine as one of the best English novels of the 20th century. Its initial reception was mixed, and it was condemned by a British Archbishop for its paradoxical nature. The book's controversial reputation only inflated the value of a first edition, which in very good condition is around $32,500 (£26,225).
The second book in the James Bond saga, a good-quality first edition of Live and Let Die fetches a healthy $35,000 (£28,245).
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, published in 1932, depicts a warped future society based on an intelligence-based social hierarchy. A copy from the first print run in pristine condition is worth up to $12,500 (£10,085). If you happen to have one of those lying around and it features the author’s signature, you can expect it to fetch something around the $40,000 (£32,380) mark.
Chances are you’ve read a Winnie the Pooh book at some point in your life. But if you have a first-edition copy of any of the books then you could have a small fortune on your hands – mint-condition copies of Now We Are Six, the fourth volume in the collection, can fetch up to $40,275 (£32,500). Any versions featuring the original illustrations from Ernest H Shepard and signatures from either the artist or Milne himself are worth having valued just in case.
This collection of poems written by TS Eliot was first published back in 1917 in pamphlet form, and it features 12 short narratives based on protagonist J Alfred Prufrock's stream of consciousness. Fine copies of first editions of the book are selling for up to $43,370 (£35,000).
Made into huge Hollywood blockbuster films, a first-edition signed collection of JRR Tolkien's three Lord of the Rings books – The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and Return of the King – together can fetch up to $55,765 (£45,000). Unsigned copies are also worthwhile, and a good quality first-edition trilogy is worth around $40,000 (£32,280).
This controversial coming-of-age classic features in many students' academic careers at some point. Owning a pristine first edition of The Catcher in the Rye could make you up to $24,000 (£19,370) richer. Copies signed by Salinger can fetch up to $55,000 (£44,385), but rarer versions signed using the author’s childhood nickname 'Sonny' Salinger are worth up to $60,000 (£48,420).
You’ll be able to cash in around $20,000 (£16,140) for an unsigned first edition of The Hobbit, which, like The Lord of the Rings, has also made its way onto cinema screens around the world. Signed copies have been known to sell for around $50,000-$60,000 (£40,350-£48,420).
This collection of poems from early in William Faulkner’s career earns its hefty price tag thanks to it being one of only 500 copies that were printed. Now seen as a rare insight into the modernist writer’s early work, signed first editions can currently fetch around $71,255 (£57,500). Even unsigned editions can sell for a not too shabby $60,000 (£48,420).
In Our Time is the collection of short stories that propelled Ernest Hemingway to fame. First published in 1924, a signed first edition of the mere 170 copies printed back then has sold for a hefty $75,000 (£60,525). Copy 42 of the 170 was unsigned and even that is currently selling for $55,000 (£44,385).
This spooky 1897 classic is highly sought-after. A first edition of the gothic novel that lacks the eight pages of adverts found in later editions sold at auction for $3,645 (£2,750) in 2014, but copies of the first edition of Dracula are now on the market for as much as $40,000 (£32,280). One copy of the novel is particularly valuable as it was the presentation copy given to American publisher Frank A Munsey. The author’s signature, combined with the story of Stoker’s unsuccessful attempt to get his story published in one of Munsey’s magazines, makes it worth a jaw-dropping $75,000 (£60,525). That's one scarily good profit.
Set across Europe, F Scott Fitzgerald’s 1934 novel Tender Is the Night is the tale of a tragic romance and a first print of the book can sell for $47,500 (£38,330). One edition of especially high value is the copy that Fitzgerald gave to his co-screenwriter Ted Paramore as the pair were working on the film Three Comrades together. This one-off is currently for sale for $85,000 (£68,595).
Before the first edition of her much-loved children's tale was published, Beatrix Potter commissioned a private run of 250 copies of The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1901. Editions of this very rare first publication can be found in antique bookstores and at auctions, and one incredibly unique copy featuring Christmas wishes from Potter herself is currently on sale for $89,220 (£72,000).
The eccentric 1955 tell-tale novel On The Road by beat poet Jack Kerouac is now worth a neat $12,500 (£10,085). The real cash is reserved for the copies with a personal touch though – an autographed version with a note from Kerouac himself is currently on sale for $93,000 (£75,000).
F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is a much-loved classic novel published in 1925. It has since been made into both films and plays, and a first-edition first printing copy can sell for up to $100,000 (£80,700). The big price tag is thanks to little adjustments to cover up typos, such as an inked ‘J’ to correct ‘jay Gatsby’, which was mistyped on the back panel. A first edition without these extra touches or an author signature can still fetch around $12,500 (£10,085).
As first-edition copies of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel are hard to come by, they’re likely to sell for a small fortune. For example, one copy, with a Calcutta Review advertisement included, is currently selling for $125,000 (£100,875). Other good-quality first-edition copies of the book can fetch anything from $15,000 to $65,000 (£12,105-£52,475).
Like many other successful authors, Ayn Rand had her work rejected by 12 different publishers before it became a best-seller. Today a first edition of The Fountainhead is worth up to $27,500 (£22,190). A copy of particular interest to collectors was addressed to Jack L Warner, the driving force behind Warner Bros, who had brought the drama to cinemas in 1949. The personal touch gives it a selling price of $125,000 (£100,875).
Casino Royale is the first book written by Ian Fleming and the first instalment of the iconic James Bond series. Six leading men and 405 dead villains later, the franchise as a whole is now estimated to be worth almost $20 billion (£16.2bn). Pristine first editions of the novel with Fleming's signature aren't going for quite that much, but copies have sold for a very respectable $150,000 (£121,045). Even if your copy isn’t personalised, it could still be valuable – a first printing of the first edition was recently put on sale for $145,000 (£117,010).
Hailed by many as one of the most difficult reads in the English language, 750 first-edition copies of James Joyce’s classic novel Ulysses were published in 1922. A copy of the both brilliant and confusing reworking of Homer's Odyssey can fetch as much as $85,000 (£68,595). If signed by Joyce, it's more likely to fall somewhere around the $150,000 (£121,045) mark.
Jane Austen's most famous work, which has gone on to be adapted for both TV and film, was her second published novel when it came out in 1813. The original three-volume first edition, which tells the tale of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy, is very valuable and in 2010 a copy fetched an astounding $172,555 (£139,250) at auction house Sotheby’s. Impressive as it is, that’s got nothing on an unfinished, unpublished work sold back in 2011. Fragments of The Watsons sold at the same auction house for a staggering $1.23 million (£993,250), and from the text that they could read experts are certain that it would have been a novel equal in merit to those she did publish.
Most books that become serious investments are centuries old but JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series is one of the exceptions. The magical books have become a brand of their own and rare first-edition copies of the first book complete with first printing errors have been known to sell for as much as $185,000 (£149,290). First-edition copies keep cropping up, and the most recent to go up for auction belonged to a retired British expat living in Luxembourg, who had used the book to teach his children English. The rare copy had been valued at $39,000 (£30,000), and so auctioneers were shocked when the hammer came down at $78,000 (£60,000). If you have a copy look to see if the print line reads 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and if there is a mistake on page 53 where "1 wand" is repeated in Harry's list of school supplies. There are also misspellings of ‘Philosopher’s’ as ‘Philospher’s’.
It’s fairly unlikely that you happen to have a first volume of Karl Marx’s iconic book Das Kapital – this exceedingly rare version was the only one to be completed in his lifetime, while the second and third volumes came out after his death. A signed first edition, published in 1867, sells for around $279,580 (£225,615).
And you're definitely not likely to own this one. Perhaps the best-known and most quoted writer of all time, it may be unsurprising that a collection of William Shakespeare’s plays sits at the top of the pile when it comes to rare and expensive books. This 1623 compilation of 36 of the bard’s works was put together by two friends, seven years after Shakespeare's death. The record-breaking final price of $9.97 million (£7.7m) made this First Folio the most expensive printed work of literature ever sold at auction, and is believed to be one of only six complete copies privately owned. Half of the plays featured in the collection hadn’t been published during Shakespeare’s lifetime, and the likes of Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night and Macbeth may have been lost had the playwright’s friends not published them. The last complete First Folio to go to auction sold for more than $6 million in 2001, which is the equivalent of $8.8 million (£6.8m) today.
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