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Author
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Topic: STS-9 "Let's Fly Spacelab" signed cover
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11Boron12
Member Posts: 79
From: Mannheim, Germany
Registered: Nov 2014
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posted 06-21-2015 01:03 PM
   
Do you think John Young signature and the others are real?  |
RichieB16
Member Posts: 552
From: Oregon
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 06-21-2015 03:30 PM
I have never seen a John Young signature that looks like that. I'd be very concerned about that one. |
Bob M
Member Posts: 1745
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 06-22-2015 08:53 AM
It's my opinion that the Young is authentic and is just a typical rushed example.Anything signed by the complete STS-9 crew is rarely seen and it would be great to have this cover completed, with it now having three of the six required autographs, with Ockles not on the crew. But obtaining autographs from Shaw, Garriott and Lichtenberg would be difficult at this late date. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 06-22-2015 12:25 PM
Not to contradict Bob, but Shaw did make an appearance in April, and completed an STS-28R crew photo for me; Garriott was at the Explorers Club in NYC a year or two ago and signed; and Lichtenberg did an in-person in 2011 as well as signed TTM since then (although I don't think you want to risk mailing the cover!) Just gotta be patient and hope everything lines up. |
Bob M
Member Posts: 1745
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 06-22-2015 03:28 PM
I don't have Juergen Esders' astronaut address list handy, but am fairly sure that both Shaw and Garriott are not reliable signers TTM, and with the owner of the cover living in Germany, mail-in requests are his primary option in completing the signing. If Lichtenberg is still signing TTM, it would be good to have him add his autograph and then with some help, maybe eventually complete the signing with Shaw's and Garriott's autographs. Complete STS-9's are quite scarce/rare and would probably have a value of approximately $500. |
eurospace
Member Posts: 2610
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Dec 2000
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posted 06-23-2015 03:42 AM
I can indeed confirm what Bob says: Shaw is next to impossible, and Garriott has stopped signing though the mail, and is also reticent when met in person. Lichtenberg is sloppy with mail, but quite welcoming when met in person. The most difficult signer of STS-9 is of course Young, so the major challenge has been passed here. The rest is stamina, and a long life for Shaw and Garriott. Personally, I waited 20 years to meet Musgrave to complete my STS-51F, for instance. I will have to check whether there are tombstones with a slot for mail...  |
11Boron12
Member Posts: 79
From: Mannheim, Germany
Registered: Nov 2014
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posted 06-23-2015 06:40 AM
I just was too late. I was not sure about the Young autograph and in between the letter was sold for 25Euro.  |
Bob M
Member Posts: 1745
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 06-23-2015 07:21 AM
Somebody got a good deal, especially if they wanted the cover just mainly for the Young autograph. But as Juergen pointed out, completing it by obtaining Shaw's, Garriott's and Lichtenberg's autographs on it will be difficult and not likely.Ironically, for many of us trying to complete STS-9 covers TTM, ended up with covers signed by 5, lacking Young, which this cover has. Generally, Young and Shaw have been the problem in completing STS-9 covers. But some years ago, Novaspace gave collectors an opportunity to have Young sign whatever we wanted, and finally our STS-9 covers lacking only his autograph could be completed. But his $500+ fee finally ended the quest of completing STS-9 crew signed covers and crew photos for many collectors. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 06-23-2015 11:13 AM
Mea culpa; didn't see the OP was from Germany. Was thinking about my experiences here in the US.Garriott when he did sign at the Explorers Club did limit it to two. But he did sign both at the beginning and at the end of his talk. And, Bob... can't one simply ask Shaw to ask Young to sign covers? |
Bob M
Member Posts: 1745
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 06-23-2015 02:26 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Hart Sastrowardoyo:
And, Bob... can't one simply ask Shaw to ask Young to sign covers?
  Well, Hart, going by this emphatic note from Brewster Shaw back in 1984, it wasn't a good idea or very productive for me to ask him to ask Young to sign one of my STS-9 covers |
Bob M
Member Posts: 1745
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 06-25-2015 08:14 AM
As a contrast to the STS-9 cover signed by John Young above, here are two other STS-9 covers signed by the other five crew members, but not Young.Many of us were successful in getting STS-9 covers/lithos signed by Shaw, Parker, Garriott, Lichtenberg and Merbold, who were mostly good signers for years. These five-signed STS-9 covers were stored away hoping for the opportunity to finally have Young sign and complete them. When word came that Young would finally agree to sign space material for a fee at Novaspace, many were excited to finally be able to get our STS-9 and other Young-related material signed by him and completed. But his $500+ fee was discouraging and many either were not able to pay that amount or refused to pay that much for a single autograph. So certainly many STS-9 covers/lithos, along with many STS-1, Gemini 10, Apollo 10 and 16 material went unsigned and remain incomplete. Some collectors mentioned that if his fee had been more like $250-$300 per item, then many more collectors would have sent in material to be completed and maybe also several items totaling more than the $500 for a single signature. This not a criticism of Young or Novaspace, but just a comment regretting the high cost of a single signature that resulted in many special items remaining incomplete forever, such as the two covers shown here.  |
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