posted 12-16-2012 12:15 AM               

I have now posted to cS (see later on in the thread) what I have available. Some feedback as to prices would be appreciated. I will e-mail all of you who previously contacted me to go to cS to see what I have.

One item of special note is an "original 107" Robbins. After the disaster the unflown 107 Robbins were melted down and re-minted. However four were not melted down and are of the original style. The flight information is engraved on the reverse as opposed to part of the printing. There is also a difference on the front where a sun with its rays is present or not present. These original 107 Robbins are likely the rarest Robbins that exist. It won't be cheap. If interested in this rare item let me know. Please see scans in another post in this thread...

These were obtained from the guy who wrote the books on Robbins, so the source was 100% reliable. I also have several 107 Robbins of the normally seen type. They are priced at $600.

posted 12-18-2012 01:03 PM               

I think I have answered all who wrote me about Robbins and I will sort what I have in a day or so. I went to my bank yesterday afternoon, only to find that a major car crash had knocked out all the power in that area, so the bank was closed. So I went back this AM and took my "shoe box" of Robbins out of my safe box. Please be patient.

I will now send e-mails to all those who inquired to check the list on cs that I just posted (12/20/12).

posted 12-20-2012 11:10 AM               

The price for these unflown shuttle flights (unless noted) are $500 each. The Expedition ones are $550 (unless noted). The 107 "restrikes" are $600, and the original 107 is $4000. As for postage, I would recommend insurance, so $10 domestic. If you don't want it insured, then $5 but I will not be responsible if the PO screws up. Like that never happens... Foreign rates will vary.

Happy hunting, and sorry for the delay in listing them, but I got swamped by the Conrad signed SL Earth pictures I offered and just caught up yesterday. I will send an e-mail to all those who contacted me about the Robbins previously to let them know that they have been posted to the cS thread...

• 103 #107
  
• 70 #109
  
• 47 #129
  
• 99 #99
  
• 64 #101
  
• 80 #107
  
• 90 #106
  
• 42 #134
  
• 101 #67
  
• 81 #99
  
• 115 #23
  
• 109 #109
  
• 38 #71
  
• 112 #82
  
• 33 #98
  
• 75 #146
  
• 87 #111 ($600 due to Chawla)
  
• 43 #74
  
• 85 #101 — SOLD
  
• 82 #132
  
• 5 #91
  
• 89 #102 ($700 A MIR mission)
  
• 71 #154 ($800 1st Shuttle docking to MIR)
  
• 66 #97
  
• 46 #113
  
• 94 #133 — SOLD
  
• 80 #82
  
• 103 #151 — SOLD
  
• 99 #92
  
• 53 #91
  
• 51 #82
  
• 104 #105
  
• 100 #88
  
• 83 #127 — SOLD
  
• 65 #95
  
• 49 #106
  
• 44 #75
  
• 37 #87
  
• 68 #85
  
• 98 #95
  
• 91 #113
  
• 36 #75 (#185 is crossed out and #75 added).
  
• 76 #140
  
• 32 #128
  
• 78 #89
  
• 97 #126
  
• 86 #152 ($600 as it is a MIR mission)
  
• 27 #136
  
• 29 #93 — SOLD
  
• 51D #175
  
• 110 #133
  
• 2 #235 ($700)
  
• 3 #168 ($700)
  
• 71 #155 ($800 1St Shuttle docking to MIR)
  
• 107 restrikes (I have several; $600)
  
• 107 original ($4000)
  
• Expedition 6 #97
  
• Expedition 7 #57 — SOLD
  
• Expedition 8 #15 — SOLD

posted 01-03-2013 02:02 PM               

Just to clarify, as a coin collector the term "fine" is a relatively low qualty condition coin. For the medallion I sent, the term would be more accurately referred to as "Brilliant Uncirculated" and in it's original case.

Coins are graded as follows:

Poor, fair, good, very good, fine, very fine, extremely fine, almost uncirculated (AU), uncirculated (UNC), brilliant uncirculated (BU), mint state (MS), Proof.

Each category can be broken down further by a "point system". A single point difference can make a significant price difference.

Some of you may have seen some Robbins that have been "slabbed" (put into a sealed holder) by one of about seven numismatic (coin) grading services. Some of these have appeared in Heritage space auctions and a typical grade and description might be "MS-67, with luster, from the Jim Lovell collection". Any minor defect is noted.

Howard Weinberger, who wrote two two books on Robbins, helps the astronauts (or himself) get medallions graded. I believe he uses NGC as the grading service.

ANACS is also a quality grading service. Most coins of any value that are bought and sold are in sealed holders. Even so, grading a coin or a medallion is not an exact science. Just recently "Coin World" sent the same coin to 7 different grading services and not a single grading service agreed on the same point grade! The same coin was graded in general catagories AU, UNC and BU, but, not one service agreed as to the point grading.

Just like grading diamonds, comics, baseball cards, etc., it is not an exact science. So, who wants to start a grading service for space signed photos! Trust me, as the hobby matures, it won't be long before that becomes the norm and a grading service typically charges $50-$250 or more to grade an item.

How many of y'all have received a collectable item described as "very fine" that is bent, dinged, ripped, scratched, smudged, etc., etc., and returned it or just accepted it. I always call an auction company once I receive a catalog or see an item online and then ask for someone there to physically pull the item and look for any defects! In a recent sale there were three Armstrongs that were inscribed to the same person. I had each one described to me and only one was what I felt (based on what I was told) acceptable. Of the three sold, I paid the highest price, but I also got the best item!

Hey, buy a painting sometime and then insurance it on a special rider and every year they will increase the insured value by the CPI (Consumer Price Index) based on what you paid. Trust me that if you bought an Alan Bean painting in the 80's as I did, it has increased in value far more than the CPI. So every 10 years or so it is a good idea to get a formal appraisal that your insurance company will require to ensure proper coverage. A simple appraisal on a piece of art may currently be about 1% or more of the value. Expensive yes, but if the cost was $10,000 twenty five years ago, today's value of that same original Bean painting might be $250,000, far greater than the CPI over that time!

posted 01-03-2013 04:27 PM               

However, based upon my years of coin collecting, if I was to assign a grade to the medal I received from you it would definitely be an MS 65 with a potential to go higher. I a feel reluctance to say any higher grade without a lab report or certification.

posted 01-03-2013 08:50 PM               

Auction houses are great at describing items incorrectly and too many space collectors accept items that are what I would refer to as "junk" (condition wise). Glad to meet a fellow numismatist. Could I interest you in some Pattern Proofs, another specialty I collect.

When I am bored I like to look through Judd for fun. I owned a 43P and unique 43D copper cents, and made a nice profit back in 2000, but when I saw what both sold for in 2011, I cried like a baby. Oh well. Drop me an e-mail and we can talk about coins.