(09-27-2006) U2 Book Signing Leads to eBay Fury -- Digital Spy*

[dsmith2904]

U2 Book Signing Leads to eBay Fury

Thousands of U2 fans have been moved to boycott auction website eBay as books signed by the band go on sale.

The Irish band held the signing at a London branch of Waterstones, allowing only 250 fans into the event. However, just hours later the books began to appear on the auctioning site, causing outrage among the public.

One fan told Bang showbiz: "Any true fan would give their right arm to go to an event like this. For a real fan to lose out on the chance so someone can make a profit is outrageous and selfish. If Bono and the others knew about this they'd be sickened. I'll never buy anything off eBay again."

Music lovers have been flocking to the band's website since the events of last Friday, proclaiming their disgust at the situation.

--Digital Spy

 

[tbird]

I saw that one book sold for $2786 - unbelievable.

And I thought this was particularily funny.. look how the boyz (esp. Larry) signed this one.. they must have known it was not a fan but some jack looking to make a buck....

 

[kellyahern]

Part of me hopes those are fake bids .

 

[tbird]

maybe... but what is funny to me is that I think what good is the autograph if you don't get the experience of meeting them? that to me is priceless, the signature alone is na-da ......

 

[Jeannieco]

maybe... but what is funny to me is that I think what good is the autograph if you don't get the experience of meeting them? that to me is priceless, the signature alone is na-da ......

I agree, totally! What's the point? A two yr old could have scribbled that!

 

[nathan1977]

Just went to Ebay and sent each and every seller a disgusted email. It's a moral victory, but a hollow one.

 

[zoodishbu]

I had 3/4 of the band (minus Larry) sign my license plate because it was important to ME. I TREASURE IT!!!! I will NEVER put that up for sale no matter how bad things get. The whole experience of meeting the band and having something personal signed for me to cherrish. No $$ could be good enough for that feeling.
I knew some ass would put one of those books on ebay.

 

[tbird]

I have a brilliant but slightly evil idea... OK now this is America and people are totally free to do whatever they want with their property.. and I more than anyone am disappointed that I was not selected to get in... but what if we started a rumor that any book with EBAY written near the signatures was a fake signature - then they'd get squat...

again, its an evil idea and if people are stupid enough to pay those kind of prices for an autograph then that's their choice... but that's my devilish idea...

and one last thing... someone else suggested in PLEBA... given the $$ these things are getting, what a fabulous idea it would be if Edge set up some charity auctions for Music Rising.

 

[Lila64]

They could easily raise a ton of money if they sold autographed versions, perhaps thru Music Rising, or dare I say, U2.com. I'd buy one. And I already donated to Music Rising earlier in the week.
I know it's more special if you got one autographed in person & had the whole experience, but it's not like they are doing a press/autograph tour for the book other than London, Dublin, and New York. So some of us don't/won't have the option to get a signed copy

 

[pgv]

I hate to think of people getting in to meet them, when there are true fans stood outside hoping to get a glimpse of them.
Ebay!

 

[Chizip]

im sure this boycott will bring ebay to their knees

frankly i think these people are providing a service for fans who had no chance to get to a book signing

 

[tbird]

but again... who gives a rats a-s about a signature? its not like getting a signed first edition of The Godfather or some classic.. its about the experience.

anyway, whatever... it is what it is and there's not much we can do.. ces't la vie.

 

[firstlove]

As much as I hate that there were fans that didn't get to met U2, a boycott of eBay in general is not going to do squat. the only way this will stop is if people will stop buying from them, but that will never happen, unfortunately . . . .

 

[JCOSTER]

I do believe I started a thread about this when it first appeared on ebay. It is soooo disgusting and so true no one would who is a real fan would do something like that.!!!

When I went to the book signing yesterday I could have had all of them sign my book because I had it with me, but I wanted Bono to sign my jeans and get a picture with him instead of the autography book. And besides there is a printing of their signatures in it anyway.

 

[JCOSTER]

I saw that one book sold for $2786 - unbelievable.

And I thought this was particularily funny.. look how the boyz (esp. Larry) signed this one.. they must have known it was not a fan but some jack looking to make a buck....

That is ironically priceless!!!! Larry is the one who catches on to it quickly.

 

[Canadiens1131]

im sure this boycott will bring ebay to their knees

frankly i think these people are providing a service for fans who had no chance to get to a book signing

QFT!

 

[doctorwho]

Larry wasn't the only one suspicious of some of these autograph seekers. In fact, Bono may have inspired Larry (or vice versa). Look at this example now on eBay (selling for $960+):

Looks like the U2 members knew what was going to happen - and it's sad. For a person like me, I'd ask to take a photo with them, then probably seal off the book in air-tight plastic! LOL!

 

[silvrlvr]

Celebs can spot professional autograph hounds (they are all over LA, NY, London, waiting outside venues and theaters.) I'm sure the band has seen some of these types before and that's how they knew to mark up the books.

The people who did this are probably the same ones who get on line and buy tickets so they can re-sell them on Ebay for $$$. They have the system figured out.

And yes, I would love to see autographed copies of U2 by U2 up for sale by Music Rising. This is justifiable if it is to help New Orleans, especially for the kids who need music programs. Gibson people, are you listening?

 

[Hoodlem]

No one has done anything illegal here. Why should Ebay suffer for allowing people to sell their own things? It's a free market! Supply and demand! You and I may think it was pretty shallow of someone to do but in the end, that is there choice. There is nothing you or I or Ebay could or should do about it.

Think of it this way...the people buying these are probably serious fans or collectors. They now have an opportunity to get something they want. You can cry because it's not fair, but you will spend a lot of your life crying if that's your attitude.

 

[doctorwho]

I have no problem with eBay, nor do I think anyone else does. As you wrote, it is supply and demand. In fact, it's thanks to eBay that I've been able to obtain many rare items (U2 and otherwise).

The annoyance is from the fact that fans who would love to meet U2 and have their autograph weren't apparently the ones let into this small 250 person session. And it also seems that U2 knows this, hence their "beautiful eBay" comments.

 

[Hoodlem]

doctorwho,
This original article stated:
"U2 fans have been moved to boycott auction website eBay"
and
"I'll never buy anything off eBay again"

My point is that their anger is severely misplaced.

Unfortunately for you and me, there is no possible way to assure that only "true" fans get into these type of events. Complaining about it is merely pointing out the obvious facts that some people suck and life is not fair. I am just surprised that people are surprised. People are free to be jerks. And once again, why blame Ebay?

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Hoodlem, I completely agree with you. I think it's stupid and nonsensical that U2 fans want to (apparently) boycott E-Bay, when it's not E-Bay who decides (or should decide) whether people buy or sell goods on a site that -guess what? - is designed for the very purpose of buying and selling! It's so ludicrous that...well, I don't know what to say...it's beyond ridiculous.

As for people who bought the books simply to sell for huge dollars (on E-Bay or otherwise, it really doesn't matter), I agree it is a shame for the true U2 fans who wanted to actually meet the band. But there's really no way around the problem, I guess. Even U2 fans sometimes need a buck (or a couple thousand).

 

[ShellBeThere]

wow, how interesting that the boys could spot the people who were just going to sell...I wonder if the recipients understood that they'd been spotted, or do they not even make eye contact with the people they ask for signatures at a *book signing*?!

And why would any 'fan' want to buy a book that the boys had written 'beautiful ebay' on?! that strikes me as odd too...

but I agree, it's wrong to boycott ebay, and sorta silly. I understand the disgust, but what's a free society to do? I feel far more strongly about ebay and the internet generally's role in the whole ticket scalping phenomenon anyway. Nobody *needs* to own Larry's scribbled signature (though, actually, now that I think about it, it is kinda more fun to imagine him signing his name and adding 'beautiful ebay' lol!), but fans *need* to go see the shows, and the ease and frequency with which tickets are bought up by scalping agents big and small and then fans are held hostage and forced to pay twice thrice and so on is apalling!

cheers all...

 

[Carek1230]

I'd be happy to know if these autograph hounds were doing this not for personal gain and profit but for charity. There are a lot of autograph collectors out there, some who deal strictly in profit. As for the book, if some of these eBay sellers are doign this to help other fans who for whatever reason could not make it to a book signing that's one thing.....but doing it solely for profit, that sucks. My opinion. No reason to get all worked up about it, this happens all over the world with tons of celeb autographed items....U2 really has no control over it. It's cool what Bono and Larry did in those autographs above tho. They have GOT to know immediately if an autograph seeker is a fan or not.


That's a heavy book, I am curious what the sellers are charging for shipping?

 

[tbird]

There is a book on ebay where Bono wrote "donate the profits" above his name... classic...

 

[BelaVox21]

There is a book on ebay where Bono wrote "donate the profits" above his name... classic...

Wow im amazed.... ive been staring at that book on ebay for a long time trying to figure out what Bono wrote on top of his name! Good job! Yay for Bono and Larry. Theres nothing the band can really do about this situation. At least theyre aware that its happening. As long as people r willing to pay for those books, theyll still be on there... and i dont blame ebay. It sucks and its unfair, but what can we do about it

 

[tonyhotland]

really, f!!k those dealers..
I was with them last week for several days when we were waiting outside Abbey Road studio. Yes, Larry knew it well when it's dealers asking for an autograph. Bono did too. I missed my first chance to get Bono's signature because I was standing next to this dealer, and Bono said "I don't sign collectors!". I was like, shoot!! So I kept myself away from them since that first day I came to Abbey Road studio.
I met them again during the signing at Waterstone's bookstore. The band was an hour-late, but fans wouldn't have complained right? I was like, "OMG, I'm so nervous!".. And this one guy, who I thought was a dealer, was like, "nervous? what about impatient? I've got other stuff to do"... And I walked away...
Right after the book signing, a journalist said , when some fans were grouping looking at the autographs, "I'm sure one of these will be on ebay tomorrow.." And we were like, damn!
Indeed, I saw it on ebay the next day, one even was bid for over $400...

 

[markoajda]

Eh you know fans (I bet most from Interference) are cashing in to recover from visiting more then a few concert from the current tour! Well what can you do tickets were, after all, very expensive!

 

[Anu]

I'd sooner boycott U2 for not paying their Irish taxes and buying f--inge Forbes magazine than I'd boycott EBay.

But that said, I'm not. I'm nutty about U2 and just bought the book at Target on sale.

But please no more bashing the impure intentions of basement capitalists when we are all fans of some of the fattest penthouse capitalists the world has ever known.

 

[ireallyheartu2]

Please don't boycott Ebay! I am a huge U2 Fan and I have my business on Ebay. I am a jewelry and accessories designer using recycled materials. Ebay isn't the problem.