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  Apollo 12 cover (Bean, Conrad, Gordon, Irwin)

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Author Topic:   Apollo 12 cover (Bean, Conrad, Gordon, Irwin)
dogcrew5369
Member

Posts: 750
From: Statesville, NC
Registered: Mar 2009

posted 02-26-2013 07:05 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dogcrew5369   Click Here to Email dogcrew5369     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Could I get an appraisal on what this cover may be worth? Not selling, but curious if I got a good deal. Thanks.

 photo Apollo12Launchcache-BeanGordonConradandIrwinbackupRARE.jpg

YankeeClipper
Member

Posts: 617
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: Mar 2011

posted 02-26-2013 07:24 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for YankeeClipper   Click Here to Email YankeeClipper     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Are you planning to add Scott and Worden autographs to complete the prime and backup crews?

JasonB
Member

Posts: 1091
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 02-26-2013 08:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for JasonB   Click Here to Email JasonB     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I didnt see what this sold for but I'd say around $150. Maybe $200 on a good day. The fact that you still have to pay $300 to add Scott and Worden limits its value since even if you add them it doesn't add $300 to it.

But that being said, if you like the piece and plan to keep it you should add them. Its an interesting piece and you'll only regret it if you dont.

garyd2831
Member

Posts: 640
From: Syracuse, New York, USA
Registered: Oct 2009

posted 02-26-2013 08:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for garyd2831   Click Here to Email garyd2831     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I thought about adding the rest of the A12 backup crew (A15), but the value would be more personal than financial.

YankeeClipper
Member

Posts: 617
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: Mar 2011

posted 02-26-2013 10:08 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for YankeeClipper   Click Here to Email YankeeClipper     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I don't collect covers so I will defer to others' expertise on the subject.

$150-200 seems a little low though considering there are 3 moonwalkers there (and Conrad and Irwin are deceased). Surely having complete Apollo 12 and 15 crews would bring the value to at least $600 seeing as there would be 6 Apollo astronauts and 4 moonwalkers among them?

Granted it's not an insurance cover and the arrangement may not appeal to everyone, but 2 full crews must be worth 1 Apollo 11 LMP autograph?

mjanovec
Member

Posts: 3811
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005

posted 02-26-2013 02:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for mjanovec   Click Here to Email mjanovec     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
My gut feeling is that Jason is close on his estimate. I'd say $80-$125 is probably a realistic range... but $150 could be had on a good day with the right buyer.

With pieces like this, the total is often worth less than the sum of the parts... sometimes significantly less. There are several reason why I would not add Dave Scott and Al Worden to this piece:

  • Backup crew signatures rarely command a lot of collector interest or market value, unless the signatures are rare and highly desirable.
  • The cover itself is fairly dull and plain. It appears that there is either no cachet here...or there is a badly-faded cachet. (It's hard to tell from the scan what that green ink represents.) Adding two more signatures still won't make this an exciting cover.
  • The cost of the additional signatures ($300) won't add comparable value to this piece. If someone wants to collect the signatures of the Apollo 12 and Apollo 15 crews, this likely isn't the item that most will gravitate towards.
  • The value of signed covers has taken quite a hit in recent years...and some covers simply aren't retaining their former value. Many new collectors weren't around when cover collecting was at the height of popularity...therefore, newer collectors often prefer signed photos instead.
Unless this piece has a high amount of personal value or fills an important slot in one's collection, I would not spend the money to add any more signatures.

SkyMan1958
Member

Posts: 867
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011

posted 02-26-2013 03:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SkyMan1958   Click Here to Email SkyMan1958     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I paid ~ $335 (commission IS included) for this one at the 1/11/13 Regency-Superior auction. I've thought about adding Scott's signature at Spacefest V, but most likely won't as it would not be cost effective.

dogcrew5369
Member

Posts: 750
From: Statesville, NC
Registered: Mar 2009

posted 02-27-2013 08:18 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dogcrew5369   Click Here to Email dogcrew5369     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by garyd2831:
I though about adding the rest of the A12 backup crew (A15), but the value would be more personal than financial.

I just want to say thanks Gary for giving me a chance to own a great cover like this one. I hate I didn't win anything from your last round of ebay listings. More coming? Also, I would add Worden if I could get it in person, but probably never Scott. Just too expensive. It would be nice though. I plan on keeping it for a long time. Maybe one day it will be worth more. I think of it as an investment since I don't normally collect covers. I did pay under what everyone on this thread has estimated it at so I'm happy. I may entertain setting up a trade at some point for something in the signed litho area.

garyd2831
Member

Posts: 640
From: Syracuse, New York, USA
Registered: Oct 2009

posted 02-27-2013 08:59 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for garyd2831   Click Here to Email garyd2831     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
You're very welcome on the great deal. As with most of my collection to include the items I have recently sold, you have to be more of a collector than the investor. Unless you inherited a lot of great items from someone who has been collecting since the start of the space age, most items purchase today will probably not be of profit making. Few exceptions would be like the Gemini 4 and Apollo 9 flags recently sold, but even now with the market flooded, the supply is greater than the demand. If you are like me, you collect because of the excitement of owning a piece of history. I'm one of the younger collectors here on cS, but I have spent a great deal of my 30 plus years of existence in collecting the things that I enjoy. Enjoy the cover as much as I enjoyed it and if you want to add the signatures, have them added before it is too late.

JasonB
Member

Posts: 1091
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 02-27-2013 09:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for JasonB   Click Here to Email JasonB     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I think if your going to keep it you should add the other two at Spacefest or ASF. You're just going to regret it if you don't and if it's something you really like I think you'll get a lot of enjoyment out of completing it.

The problem with the value is that both 12 and 15 signed a ton of covers and either could be bought fairly cheaply. Now if you switched Gordon with Alan Shepard on this you'd have some more value but you have to go with whats there. I tend to like more unique items so I found this piece interesting. Its at least different and not common at all and since it can still be completed its a neat item. You should also understand that if comes to a point where you can no longer add Scott or Worden, the value and interest will almost certainly go down.

I say get it signed! These guys will not be signing forever.

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