Would you pay $1,000 for a book you can buy online for $10? Vinnies thought someone might
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Curious to uncover how everyday treasures sometimes turn into outrageous mark‑ups?
Imagine browsing your local charity store and stumbling on something labelled ‘rare’ that might just be run‑of‑the‑mill—what would you do next?
This story unwraps a surprising twist behind two well‑known titles and what it means for bargain hunters everywhere.
A Vinnies op shop in Lane Cove, Sydney, made headlines when two Harry Potter books were marked with surprising price tags.
They were Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Harry Potter and the Half‑Blood Prince, displayed in a glass cabinet at $500 and $1,000 respectively, and advertised as rare first editions.
Shoppers were quick to question the claim—after all, by the time these titles were released, print runs were massive.
A bargain‑hunting online entrepreneur named Mat, who runs a site teaching people how to flip undervalued items, noticed the listing and raised concerns.
He said: 'By the time these two books were published, Harry Potter was incredibly popular, so the print runs were massive.'
He also pointed out: 'Deathly Hallows had an initial print run of 12 million copies, making it the biggest initial print run in history.'
Source: TikTok/flipweekly
According to Mat, selling one of these '12,000,000 copies as rare and hard to find is just plain wrong.'
He estimated their true value on resale sites was closer to $10, far from the labelled prices.
In contrast, the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone had only 500 copies printed—and those genuinely fetch thousands of dollars at auction.
After being contacted, the St Vincent de Paul Society confirmed the books had been removed due to incorrect pricing and said their first‑edition and prestige‑title pricing policy was under review.
A Vinnies NSW spokesperson explained: 'Pricing in Vinnies NSW Shops is determined by affordability for customers as well as the quality of the goods on sale.'
They also emphasised the charity shops use a pricing guide based on research of second‑hand markets and the condition of items.
Their main goal, they said, was to fund homelessness services, domestic violence shelters, health services, and other community support programs throughout NSW.
Last financial year, Vinnies helped 200,000 people and spent $96.4 million on homelessness, housing, mental‑health, disability and inclusion services—including $13.7 million in direct financial and material support.
Mat shared that his own op‑shop finds have turned a profit: in April he bought a nine‑book Ringing Cedars set for $4 each ($36 total) and sold them in June for $900.
Last year he found a signed Olivia Newton‑John autobiography for $8 and sold it hours later for $200.
He admits books can be a 'goldmine' but said: 'The Harry Potter books weren’t reasonable as it was based on incorrect information… my issue lies solely with outrageous pricing based on flawed or incorrect research, which is happening more and more.'
Despite the incident, Mat believes independent charity stores still hold value.
He said there’s 'still a ton of treasure to be found in charity shops' like Vinnies, Salvos and Savers—just 'avoid the glass display cabinets and anything else they’ve labelled rare and hard to find.'
Here’s another revealing story that exposes how charity‑shop pricing can leave you scratching your head:
If you’ve been disheartened by skyrocketing prices on basics and wondered what’s driving it, this tale pulls back the curtain.
Read more: What has happened to op shops? Have charity shops become greedy?
If you’ve ever uncovered an unexpected bargain—or been surprised by surprising price tags in a charity store—what did you do next?
Imagine browsing your local charity store and stumbling on something labelled ‘rare’ that might just be run‑of‑the‑mill—what would you do next?
This story unwraps a surprising twist behind two well‑known titles and what it means for bargain hunters everywhere.
A Vinnies op shop in Lane Cove, Sydney, made headlines when two Harry Potter books were marked with surprising price tags.
They were Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Harry Potter and the Half‑Blood Prince, displayed in a glass cabinet at $500 and $1,000 respectively, and advertised as rare first editions.
Shoppers were quick to question the claim—after all, by the time these titles were released, print runs were massive.
Charity shop slammed for book pricing stunt. Image source: TikTok/flipweekly
A bargain‑hunting online entrepreneur named Mat, who runs a site teaching people how to flip undervalued items, noticed the listing and raised concerns.
He said: 'By the time these two books were published, Harry Potter was incredibly popular, so the print runs were massive.'
He also pointed out: 'Deathly Hallows had an initial print run of 12 million copies, making it the biggest initial print run in history.'
Source: TikTok/flipweekly
According to Mat, selling one of these '12,000,000 copies as rare and hard to find is just plain wrong.'
He estimated their true value on resale sites was closer to $10, far from the labelled prices.
In contrast, the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone had only 500 copies printed—and those genuinely fetch thousands of dollars at auction.
After being contacted, the St Vincent de Paul Society confirmed the books had been removed due to incorrect pricing and said their first‑edition and prestige‑title pricing policy was under review.
A Vinnies NSW spokesperson explained: 'Pricing in Vinnies NSW Shops is determined by affordability for customers as well as the quality of the goods on sale.'
They also emphasised the charity shops use a pricing guide based on research of second‑hand markets and the condition of items.
Their main goal, they said, was to fund homelessness services, domestic violence shelters, health services, and other community support programs throughout NSW.
Last financial year, Vinnies helped 200,000 people and spent $96.4 million on homelessness, housing, mental‑health, disability and inclusion services—including $13.7 million in direct financial and material support.
Mat shared that his own op‑shop finds have turned a profit: in April he bought a nine‑book Ringing Cedars set for $4 each ($36 total) and sold them in June for $900.
Last year he found a signed Olivia Newton‑John autobiography for $8 and sold it hours later for $200.
He admits books can be a 'goldmine' but said: 'The Harry Potter books weren’t reasonable as it was based on incorrect information… my issue lies solely with outrageous pricing based on flawed or incorrect research, which is happening more and more.'
Despite the incident, Mat believes independent charity stores still hold value.
He said there’s 'still a ton of treasure to be found in charity shops' like Vinnies, Salvos and Savers—just 'avoid the glass display cabinets and anything else they’ve labelled rare and hard to find.'
Here’s another revealing story that exposes how charity‑shop pricing can leave you scratching your head:
If you’ve been disheartened by skyrocketing prices on basics and wondered what’s driving it, this tale pulls back the curtain.
Read more: What has happened to op shops? Have charity shops become greedy?
If you’ve ever uncovered an unexpected bargain—or been surprised by surprising price tags in a charity store—what did you do next?
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