Set your alarms for tomorrow
A packaging goof could add up to huge damages
Experienced resellers know what's up
Expect to see these flip for $300+
Clever couponing can get you $100+ in profit
Barbra Streisand’s new book released in early November
A limited number of signed copies sold for $58
Now they’re reselling for five times that
Last Tuesday, resellers made a lot of money. Well, resellers make a lot of money on a lot of Tuesdays, but this one was special. Limited numbers of Barbra Streisand’s new book “My Name is Barbra” were made available for sale, signed by Streisand herself. Naturally, these sold out very fast, and in a few hours they began to trade on eBay for way, way over what they retailed for.
So, Barbra Streisand has a new book in the works. Across her nearly 60-year career as a singer and actress on both the stage and film, she’s probably picked up more than a few stories worth putting down on paper.
“My Name is Barbra” is the 970 page culmination of that career and her life outside it. It officially released on November 7, and the reviews are pretty good.
To promote it, Barnes and Noble is hosting an hourlong webinar on December 5. Barbra Streisand will be discussing her memoir with readers, fans, and a yet-to-be-announced special guest. Tickets are on sale right now for $58.
And while a Zoom call with Streisand is certainly compelling, that’s not exactly what we’re interested in. For a limited time, tickets to the event also came with a copy of “My Name is Barbra” with an autographed bookplate.
Barbra Streisand’s signature for $50. This shouldn’t need a whole lot of explaining, but we’ll say it anyways: this is a good deal. This is something that people will pay a lot more for. This is something valuable.
Naturally, signed copies did not last long. For the fans and resellers that were tipped off, the message of “get your ass in gear” was pretty obvious, and many would rush to by a ticket as quickly as possible. Within ten minutes of the sale all of the signed books were gone.
Yes, terribly shocking, we know. A limited edition book signed by one of the biggest stars of the 20th century is reselling. We could barely believe it either.
Right now, a signed copy of “My Name is Barbra” is reselling for around $250. Since the tickets first ran out, eBay has seen about 35 sales.
Considering tickets cost $58, this event has netted the resellers that got a book around $200 in straight up profit. This was not a super-challenging buy either; as long as you had the heads up there was a decent chance you would be able to cart a book.
Barnes and Noble expects the books to begin shipping around a week after the event on December 5. If everything goes according to plan, these should be in people’s hands well ahead of Christmas.
Want to learn more about reselling? Subscribe to our newsletter! This isn’t the first time a signed book has resold; you can read our articles about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book and Rebeccas Yarros’ “Iron Flame” for examples of how an author’s signature can dramatically boost a book’s price.
Set your alarms for tomorrow
A packaging goof could add up to huge damages
Experienced resellers know what's up
Expect to see these flip for $300+
Clever couponing can get you $100+ in profit