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Author
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Topic: Value of live, autopen astronaut signatures
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Skythings
Member Posts: 243
From:
Registered: Jun 2014
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posted 04-03-2019 11:14 PM
   
Today I stopped into a local antique shop and to my surprise they had a small space display setup way in the back corner. There were two piles of 8X10 color and black and white astronaut NASA promotional pictures. Each one was signed by the person in the picture.One pile was live signatures and consisted of shuttle astronauts and the second pile was marked as autopen and was mostly Apollo and Skylab astronauts. In total there were about 40 pictures and marked either as autopen or live, 20 live and 20 autopens. They were all marked $25 Canadian funds each ($18.75 USD). Does anyone see any value here? Do autopens have any value? Are live shuttle astronauts signatures, if legitimate worth $25? I know it depends on the person. I don't collect signatures and could not spot a fake if it was marked as such. My experience is antique shops typically ask more than market value until they don't sell and any deals are when they want to clear out the stock. Some advice on this would be helpful if there is an opportunity to get these into the right hands if there is value there. |
Chuckster01
Member Posts: 873
From: Orlando, FL
Registered: Jan 2014
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posted 04-04-2019 04:55 AM
From my experience autopen signature from Apollo astronauts do have value, especially the Apollo 1 crew astronauts Gus Grissom and Ed White and of course Neil Armstrong selling in the $25 to $50 range but most are in the lower $10 to $20 range. My rule of thumb for most space shuttle astronauts is about $10 each and of course there are exceptions. |
Skythings
Member Posts: 243
From:
Registered: Jun 2014
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posted 04-04-2019 06:08 AM
That's what I thought. I just did not want to sit back and always wonder if I passed on something I should not have.There were no Apollo 1 autopens — Apollo 8, 9, 10 and 12 plus a couple Skylab. Thank you. |
LM1
Member Posts: 667
From: New York, NY
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 04-04-2019 07:51 AM
Yes astronaut autopen autographs do have value to collectors. I once found an Apollo 16 crew photo at a thrift shop with autopen signatures of the crew. I think that it cost me $5. It was one of those "Start the car..." moments.
I knew that it had value and the signatures were too neatly arranged and no impression on the back of the photo. I knew they were autopens, but I also knew that they had value to collectors. I eventually sold the Apollo 16 crew photo on eBay for $32 and that was many years ago. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 04-04-2019 10:20 AM
My experience, and your mileage may vary, is that female shuttle astronauts sell for a bit more than their male counterparts.Twenty live shuttle signatures, again, depending on who they are, at $360+ USD seems to me to be "antique store prices." I forget what the item was, but on one space or space memorabilia Facebook group, a dealer while admitting he wasn't sure what he had, nevertheless thought he had something rare or unique and was asking an according price. |
fredtrav
Member Posts: 1673
From: Birmingham AL
Registered: Aug 2010
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posted 04-04-2019 11:49 AM
As in everything, it depends on which shuttle astronauts signed them. Many sell for $5-10 each. Others can bring hundreds, though they are few. Any that died in either Challenger or Columbia bring the higher numbers. Those on the earlier missions less. |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1397
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
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posted 04-04-2019 04:54 PM
Condition also features heavily in values.Canadian $25 for a general run of the mill shuttle autopen is far too high, but Apollo, not necessarily. |
Skythings
Member Posts: 243
From:
Registered: Jun 2014
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posted 04-04-2019 08:51 PM
The condition on all of them was very good. They were all in plastic protective sleeves. Someone obviously had a collection. If I make it back there I will record all the names and take some pictures and post them up here for anybody interested. I will try to get the seller's contact info. |
streetsnake
Member Posts: 180
From: Ohio
Registered: Oct 2012
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posted 04-05-2019 07:27 PM
I fortunately/unfortunately, have a very large collection of autopens ranging from Gemini through Apollo and individual "head-shot" photos/autopens. I, of course, wish they were genuine but they are still nice pieces. I wanted to share the below to get your thoughts. Great discussion on autopens thus far. Thanks for spending some time discussing them. |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1397
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
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posted 04-05-2019 09:11 PM
Lucky you!!I have a huge collection of autopens (Mercury right thru to STS-135) and the only one missing? Your Apollo 1. |
benfairfax
Member Posts: 199
From: NSW Australia
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 05-04-2019 04:27 AM
Here is my beauty: |
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