5 of The Most Valuable Books of all Time

If you’re an avid reader like us, then you probably go through books pretty quickly and don’t spend a lot of time thinking twice about how much they cost. Especially when you’re supporting used bookstores or your local library. Did you know that there are books that exist in the world that cost millions of dollars?

Check out this list of 5 of the most valuable books of all time, and imagine what it would be like to hold one of them in your hands:

5. The Tales of Beetle the Bard, by J.K. Rowling – The famous author of the Harry Potter series hand wrote and illustrated 7 copies of this children’s book that was mentioned in her books several times. As the most expensive modern manuscript ever sold, it was auctioned for 3.6 million Euros and is bound in leather with silver and moonstones.

4. First Folio, by William Shakespeare – A collection of plays by Shakespeare that was printed in 1623. There were 750 originally printed, of which only around 228 are still around today. In 2001, a copy was sold for 5.6 million Euros.

3. Birds of America, by James Audubon – Today, there are only 119 first edition copies of these incredibly rare and sought after four-volume sets. In 2000, a copy was sold for 8.4 million Euros.

2. Magna Carta – A charter that was drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury to make peace between King John of England and a group of rebelling barons. In 2007, an original copy was sold at an auction for 20.1 million Euros.

1. The Codex Leicester, by Leonardo Da Vinci – One of Da Vinci’s most famous handwritten 72-page notebooks. The book has passed through the hands of various collectors since its first purchase in 1717, but in 1994 the book was purchased by Bill Gates for 29 million Euros.

The next time you find yourself visiting beautiful Puerto Vallarta, be sure to check out our used bookstore in the Romantic Zone; a Puerto Vallarta icon for over two decades. We promise our books are almost just as valuable as the ones above, but nowhere near as expensive. Our Puerto Vallarta coffee shop offers thousands of used books to choose from, plus all kinds of comfy spots to settle down with a new book. Plus, check out our full menu with sandwiches, salads and more at our Romantic Zone café in Old Town Puerto Vallarta!