A charity shop volunteer stumbled across a rare book collection that has now sold for almost £17,000.
The volumes, by renowned philosopher Sir Karl Popper, were discovered at an Oxfam store.
They included influential works such as The Logic of Scientific Discovery and The Open Society and Its Enemies.
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And they were even inscribed by Popper himself.
The 12-book collection included personal notes and links to other philosophers.
And they attracted huge interest from collectors and academics alike after the find in Headington, near Oxford.
Nina Curtis, a longstanding Oxfam volunteer who found the collection, said: “The Karl Popper books were donated to Oxfam a while ago and although we immediately recognised that they had value it was difficult to assess their worth because of the nature of the inscriptions and the two philosophers associated with them.
“We were therefore encouraged by Bonham’s enthusiasm when we approached them, and absolutely delighted with the result of the sale, which certainly exceeded our expectations.”
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The books were sold at auction by Bonhams for £16,640, as reported by What’s The Jam.
Ian Falkingham, Oxfam’s Donated Goods Strategy Lead, said: “We’re delighted with the success of the sale and incredibly thankful to everyone who supports Oxfam by donating books.
“This generous contribution turned out to be something quite special and it’s a real privilege to see it achieve such a fantastic result.
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“The funds raised will support Oxfam’s work with communities facing poverty and injustice around the world, at a time when it is urgently needed.
“We’re especially grateful to our wonderful volunteers as well as Bonhams for their expertise and enthusiasm throughout the process.
“Their involvement was key to making this sale such a success.”
Karl Popper was one of the 20th century’s most influential philosophers.
He founded the Department of Philosophy at the London School of Economics.
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