A leading book retailer has revealed the most expensive first editions that collectors will pay tens of thousands of pounds - or even more - for.
It’s a dream of many to stumble upon one of these in a charity shop or a relative’s dusty bookshelves and, with thousands of unaccounted for editions out there, it’s something that can still become a reality.
The list from www.webuybooks.co.uk includes everything from 18th century classics to a certain boy wizard whose literary life started in an Edinburgh coffee shop.
Here are the 10 books to keep an eye out for.
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1. Ulysses by James Joyce: £275,000
Considered a masterpiece of modern literature, James Joyce's Ulysses is a modern-day reflection of Homer’s epic poem Odyssey. Book collectors all over the world regard early editions of Ulysses as one of the most desirable books out there. So, because of the book's significance and rarity, a first edition Ulysses in good condition can fetch as much as £24,557. It’s worth noting that this isn’t the most a first edition copy of Ulysses has sold for, in 2009 a very special first edition of the book, printed on Dutch handmade paper, sold for a record-breaking £275,000. | webuybooks.com
2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: £246,636
Undeniably, one of the greatest pieces of literature of the 20th century, The Great Gatsby comes in near the top of this list of the most valuable novels. Written during the age of jazz, Fitzgerald claimed to have been trying to create a mirror of society in 1920s New York. Thanks to its rarity and the importance of the book itself, first-edition copies of The Great Gatsby can be valued as high as £246,636. | www.webuybooks
3. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: £140,000
From J.R.R. Tolkien comes the next entry onto this list of the most expensive novels, The Lord of the Rings. Originally written as a single volume with over 1070 pages, The Lord of the Rings was taken by publishers, Allen & Unwin and published in three installments between 1954 and 1955. The continual success of The Lord of the Rings and the ever-increasing rarity of first edition copies means they can be worth anything in the region of £50,000-£140,000. | webuybooks.co.uk
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4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: £139,356
From the much-loved author of titles like Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and Sanditon comes the next entry onto the list of the most valuable novels, Pride and Prejudice. Pride and Prejudice is a novel of manners that follows Elizabeth Bennet as she navigates her way through a complex society of appearances and expectations. When the first edition was originally published back in 1813 it was sold for 18 shillings (equivalent to around £52 in today's currency), today however, it's estimated to have a value of up to £140,000. | webuybooks.co.uk