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Author
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Topic: Rarest astronaut WSS portrait lithographs
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benfairfax
Member Posts: 199
From: NSW Australia
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 12-12-2011 10:44 PM
   
What do you think is the rarest WSS signed and not inscribed? I personally have never seen Swigert's for sale, or at all for that matter. |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3811
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 12-12-2011 11:00 PM
For flown Apollo astronauts, here are the four toughest, unpersonalized, in litho format: - Irwin
- Evans
- Mattingly
- Swigert
Young would have been on this list, since his WSS litho is so rare, but the Novaspace signings have resulted in several of the remaining lithos getting signed. |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1397
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
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posted 12-13-2011 12:01 AM
You can add these two shuttle astronaut WSS portraits. That goes entirely to the scarcity of the lithos themselves, not the astronauts in question. |
gliderpilotuk
Member Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 12-13-2011 11:25 AM
quote:
Originally posted by mjanovec:
For flown Apollo astronauts, here are the four toughest, unpersonalized, in litho format: Irwin, Evans, Mattingly, Swigert
I'd agree with that (though I'd place Swigert as #2 but it's interesting to note the reasons for each one's rarity. - Irwin - supposedly he didn't like the image, though there are plenty of other Irwin uninscribed non-WSS images.
- Evans - not that common as an inscribed WSS either, so I assume this was just due to low demand.
- Mattingly - again, plenty of other uninscribed images, incl. glossies, available. Low demand?
- Swigert - pretty rare in any uninscribed form of litho/photo. A bit surprising as you'd expect that the mission would have raised his profile. His untimely death may have contributed.
Glad to say I have all except Mattingly. Any out there?  |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3811
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 12-13-2011 12:31 PM
quote:
Originally posted by gliderpilotuk:
Mattingly - again, plenty of other uninscribed images, incl. glossies, available. Low demand?
I think the litho itself (even unsigned) is pretty rare. But as you said, there are plenty of alternatives, including more modern re-prints of his WSS portrait. But a true completest is going to want it in litho format. |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 12-13-2011 02:25 PM
For what it's worth, I have a pristine Mattingly WSS litho I've been hanging on to in the increasingly forlorn hope that he agrees to a signing somewhere... anywhere! |
spaced out
Member Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 12-13-2011 03:20 PM
Likewise.
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gliderpilotuk
Member Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 12-13-2011 04:47 PM
Good point, Mark. I omitted that! |
benfairfax
Member Posts: 199
From: NSW Australia
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 12-14-2011 12:03 AM
I'm not sure why Swigert would be #2. I have seen Irwin three times, Mattingly twice and Evans once for sale in the last three years.My list of five is in order: - Swigert
- Evans
- Mattingly
- Irwin
- Roosa
Irwin seems more in demand as he is a moonwalker and probably the reason his price is high. I wish I had four more than the one I have in that list. |
rail3cards
Member Posts: 94
From: Staten Island, New York
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 12-17-2011 01:48 PM
Regarding WSS lithos, I think the following lithos are getting tougher to find if not impossible: - John Young WSS litho
- Ken Mattingly WSS litho (very tough)
- Paul Weitz (tough litho to find without an autopen signature)
- Robert Parker WSS litho (He always inscribed to my knowledge)
- Phil Chapman WSS litho (just don't see them around)
- Karl Henize WSS litho (always inscribed to my knowledge)
- Robert Overmyer WSS litho (always inscribed, another tough SP to get)
- Joe Engle WSS litho (litho is getting hard to find)
- Hank Hartsfield WSS and Story Musgrave WSS lithos are also getting hard to find and both usually inscribed
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JoKepler
Member Posts: 515
From: Houston, Texas
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 01-30-2012 04:57 PM
The four toughest in my opinion: - Jack Swigert
- Philip Chapman
- Jim Irwin
- Stu Roosa
While lower in demand certainly than the others, Chapman may, in fact, be the scarcest from the supply side. |
spaced out
Member Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 02-27-2012 09:29 AM
I see an unsigned Mattingly WSS litho sold for $305 on eBay the other day.In the past I remember John Young unsigned WSS lithos selling for $227 and $399, but this must be a record for a Mattingly. I have been holding onto mine in the hope of a Mattingly mail-in signing but it may be time to give up and sell.  |
gliderpilotuk
Member Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 02-27-2012 11:08 AM
Yes I saw that... nuts! The bidding pattern was somewhat strange and is bizarrely under "private bidding", which makes it very fishy.I suspect that, if legit, this was a VERY small number of bidders after the same item. The intrinsic value of having a signed litho at this cost, as opposed to any other signed photo, is something only a very limited number of people might appreciate and would not necessarily reflect in the open market. There was also an Apollo 8 Earthrise litho that went for $81! Definitely not rare. |
JasonB
Member Posts: 1091
From:
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 02-27-2012 11:34 AM
Wow that seems really high for an unsigned litho. I got one with an autopen on it for $10 a month ago. I know the value is less with an autopen but is there really that much of a difference in value? Is the litho scarce or just scarce without an autopen?At least I found out mine is a real one as that one had a blank back just like mine. |
gliderpilotuk
Member Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 02-27-2012 11:51 AM
It's uncommonly found and as said before, probably the rarest WSS of any living Apollo astronaut, so if you want to complete the set you'd pay the price... assuming you can meet Mattingly. |
benfairfax
Member Posts: 199
From: NSW Australia
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 02-27-2012 04:25 PM
Well I'll admit I was the winner of both the Mattingly WSS and Earthrise. Only one other bidder was against me for Mattingly. Yes, $305 is crazy, but I WANTED it! I don't want him to sign it, but if I'm lucky and he does then good. Either way I'm happy. The earthrise is one with the number on the back, which is rare. I have six with numbers on front, none with on back. That is why it was $80. I'm a completest. I only want lithos. So this is why I'll go all out to have the set! I still think Swigert WSS is the rarest of the flown Apollo astronauts. I have an autopen of this but have never seen any other version on the market! |
gliderpilotuk
Member Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 02-27-2012 04:32 PM
Thanks Ben and no criticism meant! I didn't know about the unique factor in the Earthrise litho, so it's good that it went to someone knowledgeable. |
jiffyq58
Member Posts: 218
From: Durham, NC, USA
Registered: Jun 2011
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posted 03-02-2012 08:00 AM
Wow. I've got one of those Mattingly WSS lithos. I'm guessing there aren't too many other people out there who would pay that much for one, eh? |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3120
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 03-03-2012 08:34 AM
Is there a distinction between the "Roosa WSS" lithograph and the litho of Stu Roosa in front of the Apollo 14 mission symbol? (The latter was one of three individual crew portraits taken at the time they sat for the official crew portrait). |
benfairfax
Member Posts: 199
From: NSW Australia
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 03-03-2012 10:09 AM
Rossa's WSS litho is him in front of the Apollo 14 insignia. Same same. |
spaced out
Member Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 03-11-2012 01:51 AM
Just for the record I note that the second unsigned Mattingly WSS litho to be sold on eBay in the last few weeks ended up fetching $217.50. |
jiffyq58
Member Posts: 218
From: Durham, NC, USA
Registered: Jun 2011
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posted 03-11-2012 06:09 PM
Yep, that was my Mattingly WSS litho. |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3120
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 03-11-2012 09:11 PM
So what might an unsigned Stuart Roosa WSS litho in excellent condition be worth? |
benfairfax
Member Posts: 199
From: NSW Australia
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 03-12-2012 12:55 AM
A mint condition Stuart Roosa WSS is worth about $5. Sorry to say. they are very common. Signed is a whole different story! |
idrvball
Member Posts: 150
From: Burke, VA USA
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 03-14-2012 03:43 PM
For the Roosa litho, do you mean the one of him in front of the Apollo 14 emblem? Or is there a different one? What is a signed litho worth? |
benfairfax
Member Posts: 199
From: NSW Australia
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 03-15-2012 05:36 PM
Roosa's WSS lithograph, a signed one, unpersonalized is worth between $700 and $1500 depending. |
moonnut
Member Posts: 248
From: Andover, MN
Registered: Apr 2013
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posted 04-23-2014 08:02 PM
I know that the John Young and Ken Mattingly WSS lithos are rare. Are there others that tend to be VERY hard to find? I'm not talking about ones that are autopenned. I'm talking about WITHOUT an autopenned signature. I'm trying to collect all the vintage ones and looking for a heads up on which ones will be a challenge to get. Thanks. Editor's note: Threads merged. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 2914
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 04-23-2014 08:02 PM
Of those official lithos that NASA did produce of the flown-Apollo astronauts, maybe in order of the rarest might be; Irwin, Young, Swigert, Mattingly, Stafford, Schmitt, Roosa, Schweickart, Evans, and Scott. What do others think? |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1397
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
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posted 04-23-2014 08:40 PM
The first issue that arises out of that question is whether you're attempting to collect "clean" WSS portraits of (Apollo) flown astronauts or WSS portraits from that era; i.e. Crippen, Overmyer, England, Engle, Truly, Chapman, Holmquest, Henize, Musgrave, Lousma, Fullerton etc. and of course, the Skylab crews.The list would look quite different based upon what you're after.
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moonnut
Member Posts: 248
From: Andover, MN
Registered: Apr 2013
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posted 04-23-2014 11:11 PM
I'm looking at the era, not necessarily just Apollo astronauts. And unsigned. Just the bare bones WSS vintage lithos. |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1397
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
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posted 04-23-2014 11:20 PM
Well if that's the case, you can promote a few of those I mentioned (thinking of Holmquest and Chapman at minimum) to a "top ten". |
benfairfax
Member Posts: 199
From: NSW Australia
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 04-26-2014 05:42 AM
I think you are on the money there Mike. Astronauts like Irwin are not as rare as say a Chapman. I collect all these too, and I have not got some on the list. |
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