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Harry Potter book bought for 1p set to fetch thousands at Staffordshire auction

A signed first edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is set to go under the hammer in Staffordshire today.

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Hansons book experts Jim Spencer with the signed Harry Potter book. Photo: Emma Errington/Hansons

The book, which is signed by author J K Rowling, cost only 1p plus postage when brought by Mark Cavoto – who had no idea it was so special when he snapped it up online.

Mr Cavoto, 51, owns around 1,500 Harry Potter books – possibly the biggest collection in the world. he is parting with a handful at the Hansons Auctioneers event at Bishton Hall today, including the first edition Chamber of Secrets novel which is expected to make thousands.

The book is estimated to sell for between £1,800 and £2,500.

The first edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has been signed by J K Rowling. Photo: Emma Errington/Hansons

Mr Cavoto, from Buxton, in Derbyshire, has bought and sold around 3,000 Harry Potter books over the last 10 years thanks to a chance discovery by his daughter Holly, now aged 25.

The father-of-five said: "When Holly was a child, she loved Harry Potter books and started her own collection. About 10 years ago, we decided to sell some of her older books and three of them were snapped up within 20 minutes on eBay for £9.99 each.

“I am a businessman with a shop in Buxton and I knew this was a business opportunity. I checked the ISBN numbers and sourced the same three books second-hand on Amazon, bought them for a penny each plus postage and sold them in minutes for £9.99 each on eBay.

"It turned into a business. I started buying Harry Potter books for next to nothing at charity shops and online."

Chance

This led to his chance discovery of the book signed by J K Rowling. He purchased it for a penny and had no idea it contained the author's sought-after signature.

Mr Cavoto said: "I was buying around 10 Harry Potter books a day and Holly liked to open all the Jiffy bags. One day she glanced at a book she had just opened and said, ‘this is no good, it’s got ink on it’.

“She carried on opening the others then went back to it. She stared at me and said, ‘oh my God, it’s been signed by J K Rowling – and it’s a first impression’.

“I thought she was messing with me but it was true. It was signed "To Alexandra (again!) J. K. Rowling" and was a 1998 hardback first edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second novel in the series.”

Mark Cavoto with some of his 1,500 Harry Potter books. Photo: Emma Errington/Hansons

In today's sale, Mark is parting with a set of books consisting of the first 10 hardback editions of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, estimated to sell for between £600 and £800.

He’s also selling six copies of the first edition hardback of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first novel in the series published in 1997. These include the third, fourth, fifth, eighth, ninth and tenth impression – but not the holy grail for collectors, the first impression of the first book.

Jim Spencer, books expert at Hansons, added: "J K Rowling rarely signs so the book featuring her signature deserves to do really well. If your name is Alexandra and you love Harry Potter, we may have found you the perfect Christmas present.

“It’s not the only signed copy we have for sale, though. Another client is parting with a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows signed by J K Rowling. It comes complete with its goody bag from the signing event – even a deflated balloon. The Harry Potter magic lives on.”

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