Charity Shop Finds Rare Anne Frank Diary Worth €16K

A volunteer at a charity shop in Eemnes, Utrecht spotted something extraordinary among donated books: a first edition of Anne Frank's diary from 1947, valued up to €16,000.

Koen Samson from Van Spengen auction house couldn't believe what he was seeing. "This is very special indeed," he told NH Nieuws, noting that only 3,000 copies were printed in that first run.

The book remains in excellent condition nearly 80 years later. Apart from slight discoloration on the back and a missing dust jacket, the pages are perfect and ready for a new home.

The volunteer who discovered it deserves serious credit for the catch. He didn't just notice the book's good condition but also recognized that 1947 was the original publication year, a detail that transformed a dusty donation into a treasure.

The auction house will display the book between May 7 and May 10. Bidding takes place from May 11 to May 13, with every euro raised going directly to charitable causes.

The Ripple Effect

This discovery continues a surprising trend of Anne Frank first editions turning up in Dutch charity shops. In 2025 alone, one sold for €16,500 through Vendu auction house in Rotterdam, and volunteers in Friesland found two more copies, one fetching €3,550 online.

These repeated discoveries do more than excite collectors. They keep Anne's story alive in unexpected ways, reminding us that powerful voices can emerge from the most unlikely places, even decades later.

Anne Frank wrote her diary while hiding with her family in Amsterdam's secret annex for over two years during World War II. After the family's discovery and deportation in August 1944, Anne died at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945.

Her friend Miep Gies rescued the diary and gave it to Anne's father Otto, the family's sole survivor. He published it in 1947, creating one of history's most important firsthand accounts of the Holocaust.

Since then, the diary has been translated into over 60 languages and sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. And now, thanks to one observant volunteer, another original copy will find its way to someone who treasures what Anne's words represent.