Antique column

Jane Austen’s second novel, published 210 years ago this week, has since sold a phenomenal 20 million copies worldwide. With such a following, it’s no wonder that small print-run first editions of her novels are of intense interest to collectors, fetching tens of thousands of pounds.

Austen’s novels were originally cheaply published in “drab boards” (blank covers, which buyers could send a book to their own bookbinders to have personalised leather covers added). This makes any uncovered copies the rarest and most sought after, tripling the price of their leather-bound siblings.

Pride and Prejudice remains Austen’s most sought-after title. A copy of the three volume first edition of 1813 in original boards fetched £115,000 at auction in 2010. Leather-bound early copies of Sense and Sensibility, Austen’s first published work, fetch around £20,000-£30,000; lesser-read novels Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, up to £10,000.

But where’s the fun in having a book you wouldn’t dare open? Never having gone out of print, there are countless editions of Jane Austen’s wonderful novels. Pictured are a selection currently in the centre, with prices starting at just £4 for a single volume, and £12 for sets.

At this point, you might want to sit down. A three-volume first edition of Emma (her fourth novel), inscribed “From the author” and given to her friend, governess Anne Sharp, fetched a staggering £375,000 at auction earlier this year (having previously sold for £150,000 in 2008).

Incredibly, the handwriting isn’t even Austen’s!

As was the custom, the inscription was written by the publisher, but even this close association was enough for this unique edition to command its eye-watering price.

The author’s personal copy of Pride and Prejudice, the “Holy Grail” of Austen collectors, would exceed even that.

She is believed to have received five copies on publication, and given them to her siblings. Worth checking the family tree to see if you’re related!