Shohei Ohtani Drops Signed Books Over the Holidays

“Decoy Saves Opening Day” is a 32-page children’s book about Ohtani’s dog Decoy racing to retrieve his lucky baseball before throwing the first pitch on Opening Day. Co-authored with Michael Blank and illustrated by Fanny Liem, it’s scheduled to ship starting February 3, 2026.

Aside from standard editions, buyers were also able to purchase books with signed bookplates for just $25. These were available through Honest Dog Books, Yu & Me Books, Blue Willow Bookshop, Parnassus Books, and Once Upon A Time Bookstore.

Shohei Ohtani might be the most collectible athlete in baseball right now. His signed memorabilia regularly commands absurd prices. Authentic signed baseballs routinely sell for $300 to $500, signed jerseys hit $10,000+, and his game-worn items go for six figures at auction. Earlier this month, his 1-of-1 Topps Chrome Gold Logoman card sold for $3 million.

Getting Ohtani’s signature on anything for $25 retail is basically unheard of. Publishers probably priced this to move units and get the book into as many hands as possible, not realizing how aggressively collectors would jump on it.

The signed bookplate is an adhesive plate with Ohtani’s autograph that buyers can stick inside their book. Not quite as valuable as a signature directly on the item, but still authenticated Ohtani ink for $25.

Most retailers initially had no purchase limits or set them at just one per customer after stock started moving. Smart resellers who acted fast on December 26 were able to place orders across multiple stores before everything sold out.

No significant sales data yet because most resellers are sitting on their orders until the books actually ship in February. eBay’s presale policy allows listings up to 30 days before ship date, so we’ll likely see activity pick up in January.

Of course, there’s already a massive existing market for Shohei Ohtani’s autograph that we can draw data from. Signed balls and jerseys are some of the most popular items and regularly flip for over $300 at a time.

The question is whether a children’s book signed bookplate carries the same collector appeal as traditional sports memorabilia. Book collectors and Ohtani completists will both want these, but the overlap between those markets might be smaller than, say, baseball card collectors

Conservative estimate puts these at $75 to $150 each once books start arriving. Ohtani’s global fanbase includes massive collector demand in both the US and Japan, where he’s arguably even more beloved. Dodgers fans, baseball memorabilia collectors, and people who just love his dog Decoy will all be competing for copies.

If you copped multiple copies at $25, you’re looking at solid profit margins even at the low end of that range. After eBay’s 13% fees, selling at $100 nets you around $62 profit per book. Not life-changing money, but a clean flip for something that required minimal effort beyond being online on December 26.

Higher-end sales to serious collectors could push $200 to $300, especially for the first few listings when supply is tightest in February.

These books will ship in February, so this is a presale situation requiring patience and capital tied up for two months. Most retailers don’t accept returns on signed merchandise, meaning if the secondary market doesn’t materialize as expected, you’re stuck with children’s books about a baseball player’s dog.

The four-time MVP just led the Dodgers to back-to-back World Series championships and signed a $700 million contract. His star power shows zero signs of fading. That makes this a relatively safe bet compared to most celebrity memorabilia flips.

Signed Ohtani anything typically costs hundreds of dollars minimum. Getting his autograph for $25 was a legitimate opportunity, and resellers who secured multiple copies positioned themselves well for February when books start shipping and secondary market pricing establishes itself.