The common children’s books that are worth THOUSANDS, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Gruffalo
Antique expert David Harper has revealed the children’s titles that could fetch thousands at auction
EVERY family has a collection of old children’s classics, most likely gathering dust in the attic.
However, before you flog them for mere pennies at a car boot sale, you might want to double-check as some could be worth as much as £12,000.
Antiques expert David Harper has revealed the surprising children’s titles that could fetch thousands at auction.
The priciest he mentioned was The Very Hungry Caterpillar with an original 1969 edition worth up to £12,085 as long as it is in mint condition.
An original copy of the popular 1963 Maurice Sendak classic Where The Wild Things Are could fetch you the healthy sum of £5,090, a 200 per cent increase from its worth in 2004 where it was £1,540.
The least valuable was The Little Engine That Could - with a 1930s edition expected to fetch just under £130 at auction.
He told the : "Most 20th century books also need to have their original dust-jacket to be of collectable value."
Matthew Hayley, director and head of books and manuscripts at Bonhams, previously told The Sun that first editions, or a full set of volumes, can command the highest prices, as well as those that were manufactured as a one-off.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE IN THE ATTIC?
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969), £12,085
Where the Wild Things Are (1963), £5,090
The Velveteen Rabbit (1922), £6,971
The Giving Tree (1964), £3,491
The Cat in the Hat (1957), £831
The Tiger Who Came to Tea (1968), £641
Histoire de Babar (1931), £538
The Polar Express (1985), £475
The Gruffalo (1999), £161
The Little Engine that Could (1930),£127
If the book is damaged in any way, such as a battered spine or missing title page, the value will decrease.
He added: “Searching your bookshelves for treasures can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack, but in every auction, we have sellers who are stunned by how much their old books make.”
Elsewhere a Harry Potter book with misspellings and personal notes has fetched £68,000 at auction.
And you could win a copy of Reasons to be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe in our book competition.