posted 09-25-2009 07:14 PM               

The seller has several, but the A does not look like the signed ones that I have from Mr. Aldrin?

posted 09-25-2009 09:51 PM               

I looked at a few more of the seller's items, and the Grissom Mercury cover is a match for example #1 in the astronaut autopen guide, and the Apollo 16 cover is all-autopens of Young, Duke and Mattingly. The Shepard also, is a secretarial (spiked-p). Even their Walt Cunningham is an autopen. None of them are identified as fakes.

posted 09-26-2009 08:17 AM               

One and or two like secretary personal also. No matter what is that a so and or else, no lose trust. Surely will succeed sometimes identify real autograph.

posted 09-26-2009 12:39 PM               

Perhaps Kim could tell us if there were any Aldrin sign covers done at one of their signings. If so, I am just not aware of it.

While certainly not an autopen, I was more concerned with it being atypical.

But my concern with the Aldrin, thinking pre-1979 period, are some concerns with "uzz" and the "slow" underscore lines that I am just not too crazy about. The "B" of Buzz looks fine and may had been a rushed sig., but in the overall picture, it seems more atypical in my opinion than in comparison to Aldrin signed material throughout the 1970s, of which I have hundreds to compare with from my collection and sig-files.

posted 09-26-2009 02:21 PM               

Since then, though, he has refused to sign anything with stamp on it.

Incidentally, I don't like this Aldrin either.

posted 09-26-2009 10:33 PM               

Mostly throughout the 1970/80s I did process and service many of Bill's covers at Kennedy Space Center for a variety of events, including major Apollo 11 anniversaries.

Even though it has been many years ago, the anniversary postal markings on the Aldrin covers were probably applied by myself at either one or two branch stations from those periods.

What concerns me now are the signatures on them, and in all honesty, I just can't recall processing any of Bill's covers, as depicted, with any prior Aldrin sigs on them; all from after 1979 or so when the 2nd moonwalker stopped signing any covers and stamps.

By no means, though, am I trying to imply that Bill had anything to do with any of the Aldrin signatures possibly not being authentic. But, if my memory serves me correctly, just about all of his space covers being processed by my firm on the Florida Space Coast did not contain autographs.

posted 09-28-2009 08:07 PM               

The sellers are a husband and wife, named Steve and Crystal, they are real estate agents. They inherited a huge collection of much more than space items. She has an eBay account, and he has one as well. You will see that many of the items they sell, are inscribed to Bill Kern, a former friend of Ken H. Bill was killed in a motorcycle accident this last fall, and in his will gave them the entire estate as he had no survivors. They were simply his neighbor. Their little daughters, were like grandchildren to him.

I spoke to them today, and told them about RR auction, and their services. At the moment, there are many inscribed items to Bill Kern, which include large covers signed by Irwin and Aldrin. Steve has no clue to prices, and I hope he can sort this out, and work his way though this collection. I expect Steve to be contacting RR Auction soon.

His ebay is lairdline. Hers is crystalsellshomes.