Mum found rare Harry Potter book in attic & it sold for £5,750: 'Only 500 in entire world'

A picture of Kirsten Kane with the Harry Potter book

An entrepreneur has launched her dream business thanks to the proceeds of selling a rare Harry Potter book. Kirsten Kane, from Glasgow, has set up her business giving toddler and baby classes, after she sold the rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. She is also writing children’s books which she hopes to incorporate into her classes, thanks to the chance find.

A picture of Kirsten Kane with the Harry Potter book

Her mum was clearing the attic in November 2022 when she found the first edition of the famous book, which launched the writing career of J K Rowling.

The book had Kirsten’s name inside so she asked her if she wanted to keep it, and it turned out it was one of only 500 printed for that particular edition, printed in 1997.

Kirsten, 35, said: “I was looking at it, and I was thinking, ‘This is a first edition’. It was the original printing, it was one of only 500 in the entire world. It’s insane.”

She sold the rare book, which was still in mint condition, a few weeks later to a shop in Chelsea for £5,750.

A picture of Kirsten Kane

The timing was very fortunate as Kirsten and her family were going through a challenging time, coming out of the coronavirus lockdown.

Their daughter, Rosa, was struggling to socialise as she had spent her first years mainly at home.

Kirsten had an idea to set up a baby and toddler club, to be accessible to youngsters like Rosa.

She said: “Rosa was seven months when lockdown happened and then basically didn’t see anyone for two years.

“It was really difficult for her and us. So I was taking her along to these classes and they were really, really busy or super loud. None of it suited her personality and it was really stressful for both of us.”

Around the time the Harry Potter book was discovered, Kirsten had found an ideal location to set up her playroom, in a unit at the RogArt Street Campus in the East End of Glasgow.

She initially didn’t have the funds but the proceeds from the book sale paid for this.

A picture of the Harry Potter book

The mum said: “I can’t get my head around it. Every morning I walk in, I can’t believe this has happened.”

Kirsten explained the reason for the name, saying: “I have always thought of Daisy and Dragon being a wee girl called Daisy and her imaginary friend Dragon.

“Daisy is like Rosa. She’s very, very shy. And she uses this dragon to help her be more confident.”

The entrepreneur is now using the space for toddler and baby classes as mixed play sessions.

Each of the classes is designed around a particular storybook theme. Kirsten said: “The first time I did the class I almost started crying.

“Every time I look at the booking system or I get a notification that someone has booked I can’t get over it. It’s completely surpassed my expectations of where I would be right now.”

The mum is now writing her own books which she hopes to use in the toddler classes. She said: “It is quite a full circle how the book has allowed the class and the books to be written.

“We had a tough year last year, last year was a shocker, and this has fully saved me.”