An auction which took place on April 6 in New York was quite special because the item was a chair that was once owned by mega-hit author J.K. Rowling. The chair was sold for US$394,000 and many placed their bids because the furniture was where the world-renowned author sat on when she wrote the "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."
The old oak wooden chair is very simple but apparently, it is not just any ordinary furniture for it holds great value. The chair was made in 1930s and it was originally part of a dining set that was given to Rowling when she was still living in subsidized housing in Edinburgh in Scotland.
According to Heritage Auctions, they were able to sell the furniture piece at a price that is almost 14 times higher than when it was first auctioned off in 2009. At that time, it only fetched about US$ 29,117 and was sold through eBay.
Prior to its posting in eBay, Rowling gave away the furniture to an auction for the benefit of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in 2002. Before donating the chair, the author decked it with scribbles that prove it is the "Harry Potter" chair.
In addition, Rowling included a note which says, "This was the comfiest one, which is why it ended up stationed permanently in front of my typewriter, supporting me while I typed."
Most probably, the most precious inscriptions on the chair were "You may not find me pretty but don't judge on what you see" and "I wrote Harry Potter while sitting on this chair." Her signature and the famous Harry Potter scar mark, which were engraved on the front legs of the chair, complete the nostalgic look of the furniture.
The seller of the chair, who was also the previous buyer from eBay, was Gerald Gray of England. He said that he was very surprised with the outcome of the bidding as it far exceeded his expectations.
Gray shared that he is planning to donate 10 percent of the winning bid amount to J.K. Rowling's charity called Lumos since that's what the chair was intended for since the beginning. The English businessman bought it in eBay for his daughter who is a "Harry Potter" fan, Washington Post reported.
Check out the details of the "Harry Potter" chair auction below: