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Author
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Topic: Lion Bros. Apollo 11 "Bird Watchers" patch
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leslie
Member Posts: 231
From: Surrey, England
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 10-23-2007 08:41 AM
   
I have recently acquired an Apollo 11 "Bird Watchers" patch. My understanding is these were produced in limited numbers for distribution to NASA workers and contractors.I would be grateful for more information if anyone can help. |
butch wilks
Member Posts: 333
From: Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 10-23-2007 01:35 PM
The patch you have may be part of a five-patch set, 4x3" patches and one 3.5" patch that was made by Lion Brothers for the individuals involved in various aspects of the support of the mission, and made for NASA just after Apollo 11. They are not the best that Lion Bros. made but they had very little time to make them.Go and have a look at this web page to see all the patches in the set but look out, as there are a lot of fakes on the web and eBay. |
leslie
Member Posts: 231
From: Surrey, England
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 10-24-2007 02:12 AM
No, the quality of the item is not that good but it's an interesting piece. |
Besixdouze
Member Posts: 235
From: Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 03-31-2014 04:28 AM
A couple of recent eBay sales have raised questions in my mind regarding the history of this patch set hence my reason in resurrecting this thread. In the light of these sales, can anyone supply me with proof positive that these patches/patch set were produced by Lion Brothers for NASA? |
spaced out
Member Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 04-02-2014 10:29 AM
If nothing else, I think the pattern of anchor threads on the back mark them as Lion Brothers products.Although seeing patches from old collections being sold together can sometimes hint that they were acquired from the same source and possibly direct from the same manufacturer this isn't always the case. Sometimes people would pick up individual patches for some missions from different places, sometimes they'd add a set of patches from one manufacturer to an existing collection from another. |
Besixdouze
Member Posts: 235
From: Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 04-03-2014 07:33 AM
Here are the details of the eBay sales I mentioned. - 291104923141 - a Bird Watcher patch mounted to a card stating "You have just become an Honorary Member of the Apollo 11 Launch "Bird Watchers", through your purchase of the Apollo 11 Commemorative Emblem. These emblems are available ONLY to actual viewers at Kennedy Space Center Area Launch Viewing Sites and are not available for sale anywhere else, thus making them a truly unique souvenir."
- 261206481833 - the Bird Watcher Eyewitness Certificate. The accompanying letter from Vega Space Commemoratives mentions a 'brochure being prepared showing some of the other emblems and commemorative items in our line'. One could surmise these other emblems may have contained the Mission Support, Launch Team and Recovery Fleet patches together with the 31⁄2" patch and that these were specially commissioned for Vega Space Commemoratives from Lion Brothers.
Bit of a long shot I know but does any member fortunate enough to have been at the launch of Apollo 11 remember any of this and maybe have a copy of this brochure or any more information on Vega Space Commemoratives or its President William M. Ellsworth? |
Kenny
Member Posts: 28
From: Johnson City, Tennessee USA
Registered: Nov 2013
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posted 04-09-2014 07:44 AM
Are these patches being reproduced? I was not aware of this. |
Go4Launch
Member Posts: 542
From: Seminole, Fla.
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted 04-13-2014 09:58 PM
Check out eBay item 261206481833. Vega would also sell patches to "TV Birdwatchers." I believe I bought mine from an ad in Today on July 16. |
rgarner
Member Posts: 1193
From: Shepperton, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 07-07-2014 12:34 PM
I'm really not a patch expert guys - anyone know what I have here? All I know is that these are old. No idea of value or anything else. It is 3". Editor's note: Threads merged. |
rgarner
Member Posts: 1193
From: Shepperton, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 07-10-2014 05:38 PM
Anyone know the value of these? |
Besixdouze
Member Posts: 235
From: Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 07-11-2014 07:21 AM
You'd be lucky to get more than about $5.00. |
rgarner
Member Posts: 1193
From: Shepperton, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 07-12-2014 10:31 AM
Thank you! |
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