
Scholastic (U.S.) Potter Books
Important note about US First Edition Hardcover US editions - these are STILL in print, meaning published/produced by the publisher EVEN now! The print is way later, like 120s+ for Sorcerer's Stone, but they're still being published. What does this mean - this means I can right now (February 1st 2025) go into Barnes & Noble, or anywhere that sells brand new books and purchase a 1st edition hardcover Harry Potter book. Will that book be rare or valuable - No - it'll be worth the the price paid for it, nothing further.
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Click to listen to Dialogue Alley discuss the Most Valuable American Potter Books.
Advance Reader Copies (ARCs)
RARE and VALUABLE (all 3, with the 1st being the most sought after and highest valuable (condition depending)
An advance reading or reader copy, advance review copy, advance reader's edition, advance copy, or a reader's edition (ARC or ARE) is a free copy of a new book given by a publisher to booksellers, librarians, journalists, celebrities, or others, or as a contest or school prize, before the book is printed for mass distribution. These books, like the Bloomsbury proofs are not for sale to the public. In the case of the Scholastic ARCs, we are fairly certain that 3,000 Sorcerer's Stone ARCs were produced. Of the other two, we assume 3,000 were produced as well, but we don't know. I will say that the other two seem to be more common than the Stone ARC, but that can also be for a myriad of reasons. And you'll notice the cover art for the Azkaban ARC is checkerboard instead of the cover art (like you see with the other two). This is because the publication date for Azkaban was pushed up to meet the demand (and to keep US customers from ordering their books from the UK as they had with book 2). And since the date was pushed forward, GrandPre hadn't finished the cover illustration yet, so the checkerboard was used. Also, each ARC has the same copyright page as the 1st print, 1st edition trade.
ARC, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone




ARC, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets




ARC, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban



First Edition Trades
The simplest way to define a first edition is that it is the first commercially distributed edition of that book. Sometimes first editions are called trades or first edition trades because they are traded or sold to the public via large bookstores like Waterstones, Foyles, Barnes & Noble and so on. It is also important to note that a first edition is NOT the same as a book club edition.
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For the 1st US edition of Harry Potter, the title was changed away from Philosopher's Stone to Sorcerer's Stone after some back-and-forth with Jo. In October of 1998, there were somewhere around 30,000 - 35,000 first print, first edition Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone books released. Twenty-one years later, that same first edition is in its 100th print--a phenomenal feat.
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The first edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone has changed over time as the book and series became more popular. For example, the first print was released with a price of $16.95 and now you can buy the 100th print, first edition for $27.00. There are other changes that have happened as well through time, like the addition of the "1" on the spine sometime around the 26/27th print.
1st Edition, 1st Print Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1998)
RARE and VALUABLE (1st print really only) 1st Print holds the most value by a LOT, with 2nd prints in Guardian jacket selling around $300, condition depending; 4th prints in 2nd state jackets (2nd state jacket is the J.K. Rowling on the spine of the jacket, Publisher's Weekly quote, $16.95 price) can sell around $100, condition depending; 6th print w/ no embossed boards can sell around $50+ condition depending; value after the 6th print drops drastically to being around $20 or less per book b/c by this point the books were being printed in quite high numbers.

*First Edition: VERY FIRST time the book has been published by ANY publisher; if another publisher picks up the rights, then people say First Edition (insert publisher's name) or just "publisher's name" edition.
*Trade: has a price on the book and can be purchased at bookstores, like Barnes & Noble; in the Potter books, the first edition trades (AKA 1st editions) are the most collectible (and sometimes valuable) over the book club and other later editions.
The Sorcerer's Stone First Edition trade is one that is usually misrepresented on eBay, as many people assume that because it's a first edition, it MUST be valuable and/or rare; however, that's not the case as the 1st Edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is STILL in PRINT, it's just many, many prints later. Additionally, some people (easily) confuse the first edition trade with Book Club Editions.
Before discussing value, first, let's properly identify a first edition trade.
Book/Boards: a First Edition trade Sorcerer's Stone MUST have purple boards with bright red spine cloth; ANY other board colors and you don't have a first edition trade - pretty easy.
Spine: The spine top has gone through some changes, so sometimes you will see a book that is missing a "1" on the spine, or has other changes from the now common "Rowling / 1" on the spine's top.






All 1st edition Sorcerer's Stone (regardless of print) MUST have turquoise front end papers/pastedowns at the front and back of the book.
J.K. Rowling on the spine of the boards and jacket (1st Print, 1st Edition).
1st Print, 1st Edition copyright page

Jacket:
The First Edition (regardless of print) trade jacket is textured and MUST have "Harry Potter" in RAISED gold foil lettering, a price to the upper front inside flap, and back bar code that is either cream or pink, and a quote by either the Guardian or Publisher's Weekly. The 1st state jacket is the ONLY 1st edition jacket to have a quote from the Guardian on the back.
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To read more about the different states the 1st edition jacket, Click Here.
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Later state jacket from a later print



Guardian Quote
1st State Jacket
The most valuable First Edition Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the First Print.
*First Print: VERY FIRST time the book has been printed EVER (doesn't count the Advance Reader Copies/Proofs above).
Identifying a First Print, First Edition (sometimes called 1/1 on eBay or other ecommerce sites) Sorcerer's Stone.
Book/Boards: Purple with red spine cloth.Spine says "J. K. Rowling" (no "1") at top.
The First Edition, 1st Print was issued in two separate jackets--the 1st state and the 2nd state; 1st state is the most desirable among collectors.
1st State Jacket: Textured with Harry Potter in RAISED gold letters; J. K. Rowling at Spine's top (no "1"); $16.95 price to the front inside flap; cream back bar code with 51695 above smaller bar code; Guardian quote to the rear.
2nd State Jacket: Textured with Harry Potter in RAISED gold letters; J. K. Rowling at Spine's top (no "1"); $16.95 price to the front inside flap; cream colored bar code with 51695 above smaller bar code; Publisher's Weekly quote to rear.
Copyright Page:
Number Line that reads "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2" at the bottom with 8 9/9 0/0 01 02 / Printed in the U.S.A 23 / First American Edition October 1998 around it. ALL of this information MUST be present to have a first print. The "1" in the number line indicates that the book is a First Print; if the number line is missing the "1", but all the other numbers are present, you'd have a 2nd print, b/c that's the lowest number in the line; a number line with just "10" is a 10th Print.
Note: The Book clubs also have this same copyright page; do NOT confuse the two--the book clubs do NOT have the purple boards with red spine cloth. And don't worry, I'll cover the Book clubs later :)
VALUE of Harry Potter the Sorcerer's Stone, 1st Edition
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: MANY people are under the impression that ALL first Edition Sorcerer's Stone are rare and or valuable; however, that's just not the case. There were approximately 30,000 - 35,000 First Print Sorcerer's Stone books printed; the book, last time I checked a few months ago (January 2021), the First Edition Sorcerer's Stone was in its 106th Print, meaning there are 105 prints AFTER the first print, with each subsequent print run being larger than the last. Essentially, there are millions of these books in circulation and only about 30,000 of then have any real collectible and monetary value. Currently, a 1st Print, 1st Edition Sorcerer's Stone in Very Good or better condition is selling on eBay from $800 or higher; they've sold for much higher and lower than this number as demand and markets fluctuate. But, of all the First Editions, this is the one that will retain its value the best. Second Print Sorcerer's Stone (Number Line 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 5 2): Many people assume that because the First Print sells for $800 or better on average, that the 2nd print will bring close to $500 or better. It doesn't. People don't want to spend a lot of money on a 2nd print when they can save for a 1st. Second Print Sorcerer's Stone books can be found in a 1st state jacket (with Guardian Quote), and these generally sell better than the 2nds in 2nd state jackets because sometimes people just want to own a Guardian quote jacket and don't think they can afford a 1st print. 2nd prints are also found in 2nd state jackets (Publisher's Weekly Quote). These typically don't do as well because it's just not nearly as highly desired. As far as value, in Guardian Jacket and Very Good or better condition, a 2nd Print Sorcerer's Stone can bring $300 or better right now, and maybe a bit higher on average; $300 is average for this book at the moment (01/21). a 2nd print in 2nd state Jacket in Very Good average condition typically goes for around $100 average. Prints 3-10: The Sorcerer's Stone jacket actually changes once again to third state jacket sometime around prints 3 and 4. The J. K. Rowling was dropped from the spine top and replaced with Rowling; still no "1". A Very Good or better 3rd Print (Number Line 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4) in 2nd State Jacket (J.K. Rowling to spine) on average is selling for around $100 - $150. A 3rd print in 3rd State Jacket (Rowling to spine top; no "1") sells for about $75 on the top end. 4th Print (Number Line 5 7 9 10 8 6 4) in 2nd State jackets (these happen, but are more rare than the 4ths in 3rd state jackets) sell for around $75 and 4th prints in 3rd State jackets (Rowling to spine top; no "1") sell for around $60. 5th Print: Currently, there is a 5th Print on eBay for a few hundred dollars; but at least at this time (and for the foreseeable near future), an unsigned 5th won't bring that. A 5th print in Very Good or better usually sells around $50-$60. 6th Print: The majority of these prints were issued without the diamond embossed purple boards, making them a fun book to own. In Very Good or better condition, these can go for $60 or so. 7th - 10th Prints: these can bring anywhere between $35 - $60 condition depending. These prints are fairly common and can be found somewhat easily if hunting through eBay or ecommerce sites; Do NOT overpay for them; they are around :) 11th - Current Prints: Current prints can be bought at Barnes & Noble and other stores as well and haven't entered into the secondary market yet--I've seen people try to sell these for $100 or better touting the rarity of the US first edition; it was a 120th Print, so not rare at all. The 11th - 120s can all easily be found for $30 or less with value decreasing as print number increases; of course condition and whether signed plays a factor in value, so make sure to keep that in mind while purchasing. *All of these values are based on UNsigned books; Rowling's signature definitely ups the value; we will talk about those in another place here.
​For more information, watch my YouTube Video OR read this Blog Post "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Book Club Editions–Valuable?".
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or more information about US Potter Book Club Editions, check out This Video
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For information about the Junior Library Guild (JLG) Book Club, Read On
Books 2 - 7 - NOT rare or valuable in any print w/ 1st prints of 2 selling around $100 condition depending
Books 2 - 7 Coming Soon
Junior Library Guild book club edition
RARE and Valuable - only US Book Club Edition to have monetary value over the book's readability (despite ebay and Book Club Pricing), most aren't rare or valuable; Junior Library Guild, to the right buyer, can sell well upwards of $1,200.




The Junior Library Guild (JLG) edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone IS a book club edition (Junior Library Guild club) and is the ONLY Book Club Edition to have real monetary value. The JLG was released in January 1999 and was available for sale to JLG members for $8.50. Now - in 2025 - in Fine Condition, the book can sell upwards of $1200; even in Acceptable to Poor condition and missing the jacket, the book can sell for around $300. These books are harder to come by than the 1st edition, 1st print as less were printed (more than likely - don't know exact print numbers of JLG Stone, but just guessing from the few I've seen over the years), and their demand is definitely increasing as more collectors enter into the market.


How to Recognize the Junior Library Guild (JLG) Sorcerer's Stone:
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The Jacket and Boards match (ie. SAME Mary GrandPre cover art on both)
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Guardian Quote on jacket/boards - ONLY book club edition to have the Guardian quote on the back of the jacket.
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Spine's bottom of jacket/boards says "A Junior Library Guild Book"
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Back jacket/board says, "This selection has been designed as an outstanding book by the Junior Library Guild for A Group".
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Jacket is textured w/ gold foiling that is NOT raised
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No price on jacket's front inside flap
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front end papers/pastedowns are WHITE
Book Club Editions
NOT rare or valuable (exception above). Many were created (especially of book 1) and they sell for about the readability of the book (so around $5 - $20; don't overpay for one of these.
Coming Soon
LARGE Print Edition (Soft and Hardcover)
NOT rare OR valuable (even in 1st print form)








There are hard and softcover large print editions. The only ones I'm aware of feature the iconic Mary GrandPre cover art. Thorndike Press published both hard and softcover books; all 7 books were published in both editions.
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With the hardcover large print of Sorcerer's Stone, you have to be careful not to confuse it with the JLG edition if you're only looking at the covers/boards. Both books have pictorial boards; if you're not paying close attention, it's quite easy to mistake the the large print for the JLG - so always check ISBNS (large print has different one), look for the publisher emblems, is the gold foiling lettering RAISED (IF RAISED - it's a large print edition) If you think you may have found a JLG, check the above items first to make sure it's not a hardcover large print; large print also has the Publisher's Weekly quote on the back of the jacket/boards..
Hardcover ISBN: 0786222727
Softcover ISBN: 1594130000
Softcover Edition
NOT rare OR valuable (even in 1st print form)
Coming Soon
Collector's Edition
NOT rare OR valuable - only 1st prints produced
Coming Soon
BEA Order of the Phoenix Edition
RARE (5,000 copies) w/ value increasing as demand increases



This book here was give out at the 2004 Book Expo of America (BEA); only 5,000 copies printed. This edition features the same cover art by Mary GrandPre that also appears on the jacket of the US Deluxe Edition (hardcover w/ slipcase). The only wording that appears on the cover is the red Scholastic on the back.
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These books flew under the radar for a while and didn't start gaining a lot of monetary value until the last few years, when demand for them began increasing. It is not uncommon to see one sell for $350 or higher.
"School Market" Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
*RARE and Valuable (in fine can sell around $150 or higher); I have a hard time using the word RARE for this book as is it definitely around and "in-demand" feels more appropriate; however, at times it can be harder to find at any price b/c there just aren't any up for sale at certain times. I would say more are becoming available as more people are becoming aware of them. So for now until I can think of a better term, Rare will stay here.
ISBN: 9780545124508



The Scholastic School Market Edition Sorcerer's Stone was published in 2009 and only available for a very short time on the Book Fair market, so it was NEVER for sale in bookstores open to the public. This edition features a lovely Mary GrandPre illustration; this book is the only book at this time that has the cover.
This book is not "super rare", despire what eBay says sometimes, BUT copies are harder to come by than other editions, and due its lovely cover art, the book is in higher demand by collectors.
Deluxe Edition
NOT rare OR valuable - only 1st prints produced; 100,000 copies of each.
Coming Soon
10th Anniversary
NOT rare OR valuable; only 1st prints produced
Coming Soon
15th Anniversary - Kazu Kibuishi illustrator (box set and individually)
NOT rare or valuable even in 1st print
Coming Soon
20th Anniversary Edition
NOT rare OR valuable even in 1st print form
These lovelies were released in June 2018 to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which was published almost 20 years before in September 1998. The illustrations by Brian Selznick are lovely independently, but also work together as 1 beautiful illustration when all lined up together. Selznick's black and white art is set off beautifully by the titles of the books, which are in jewel tones. This box set is only available in softcover.



ISBN: 9781338299144
ISBN: 9781338299151
ISBN: 9781338299168

ISBN: 9781338299175

ISBN: 9781338299182

ISBN: 9781338299199

ISBN: 9781338299205
Jim Kay and MinaLima Editions
NOT rare OR valuable *doesn't include Kay Deluxe editions*
*Deluxe illustrated editions do carry more monetrary value than the regular illustrated editions; 1st print Philosopher's Stone deluxe illustrated edition can sell around $200.
25 Anniversary Edition
NOT rare OR valuable
Listen to Dialogue Alley discuss the Stenciled-Edge books!
In 2023, Scholastic released their 25th Anniversary edition of the books. They're pretty, but they're definitely paling in grandeur to to other publishers around the world who are also releasing their 25th Anniversary editions as well. Like the 20th Anniversary edition above, this edition is only available in softcover. Unlike the 20th Anniversary however, Scholastic went back to Mary GrandPre cover art. The front covers are the same with the addition of Book-Specific Gold foiling around the edges as well as on the Harry Potter letters. The spine makes one one image when all the books are on the shelf (much like Kibuishi's art above); if you get the box set, the box art is different from the original 7 box set. If you would like to buy these books, click the picture of book 1.
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Then in 2024, strangely, Scholastic re-released a version of the 25th Anniversary edition of Sorcerer's Stone only (but 2-7 are coming later 2025), but this time the edges are sprayed red with golden yellow snitches; the other books will have different edge stenciling from what I've seen.
ISBN: 9781338878929
ISBN: 9781338878936

ISBN: 9781338878943

ISBN: 9781338878974

ISBN: 9781338878981

ISBN: 9781338878950

ISBN: 9781338878967

