Schwarzenegger's Book "Be Useful" is Reselling for $150

News

By RC Staff

10 June 2023

In mid-May, there was a limited release of signed editions of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book “Be Useful”. Resellers who got out ahead of the pack were able to secure multiple copies before they sold out. Demand for these was strong, and now signed copies of “Be Useful” are reselling for well over what resellers paid at retail.

What is Arnold Schwarzenegger's book "Be Useful"?

The world of ghostwritten celebrity biographies is still alive and strong. “Be Useful: Seven Tools For Life” is a retelling of Arnold’s life, underscored with a DIY attitude. Readers will learn the tools for success that Arnold used to get really swole, kill the Predator, and become governor of California (results not guaranteed).

“Be Useful” was is set to release on October 10, 2023, on Kindle, paperback, and hardcover. It’s unclear if the Audible version will have Arnold himself reading aloud, but we can pray.

The books were first available for presale in April, along with a limited discount to bring the price from $28 to $21. Compelling! For any Arnold superfan or people who like being told what to do, this book is probably a godsend.

In addition to the standard editions of the book, there was also a limited run of “Be Useful” copies signed by Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. Not only did these sell out at retail, but they have already begun to resell.

Signed "Be Useful" books resell on eBay

Since the May 22 presale, there have been a number of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Be Useful” books listed for sale on eBay. Most sellers are looking for around $150 for their copy. These sold for under $24 after applying a discount, so pretty much any sale represents an opportunity for major profit.

Sales are slowly trickling in every day. Most Arnold Schwarzenegger signed books are reselling for around $120 to $150, but some of the very first sales went for more than $200. Not at all bad.

It’s unknown if Schwarzenegger will do another run of signed “Be Useful” copies. The stock sold out fairly fast, taking under an hour for all the remaining books to clear. While there was a purchase limit of two books per customer, there were no robust checkout protections to stop people from ordering large quantities.

We’ll just have to wait and see what the long term value is of these books. They are set to ship sometime this Fall, so it’ll be a while until reviews start coming in. If this book does well and reviews favorably, it’s likely we’ll see a considerable bump in price for signed editions. Conversely, a flop definitely won’t help the resell value. The smart choice is generally to sell now, while demand is strong.

Want to learn more about reselling? Check out our other articles? We cover rare vinyl, sold out clothes, and even electric cars. No matter what it is, as long as it resells, we’ll talk about it.