A first edition copy of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit has been sold for more than £10,000.
The 1937 book was discovered in a Cancer Research charity shop in Scotland.
It is one of 1,500 copies and features black and white drawings by Tolkien.
The book was put up for sale on eBay – later fetching £10,099.50.
Adam Carsley, Cancer Research manager in the Dundee shop, said:
“I initially thought that the well looked after copy was not really sellable on the shop floor due to its age.
“I opened the first page to see it was a first edition and thought it may be worthy of sending to the eBay team,” he said.
“At first, I thought we’d get a maximum of £500 if we were lucky.
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard a few months later it had sold for over £10,000.
“To my knowledge, this is one the most valuable items donated to one of our stores.
“Most definitely the highest price achieved on our eBay site for a single item.
“Donations like this help to fund lifesaving research across the whole of the UK.”
