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Author
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Topic: $34,000 Question
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Leon Ford
Member Posts: 309
From: Shreveport, LA, United States
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-13-2003 11:21 PM
   
Could someone who attended the Swann Auction let us know how the price for Lot 174 - The Apollo 11 Crew Signed Photograph, got up to $34,000. Did two people get into a bidding war? I see that Lot 173 was an Apollo 11 Navigational Chart that sold for $22,000. You think maybe somebody got their lots mixed up? Thanks, Leon |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-13-2003 11:29 PM
There was confusion, but it wasn't the lot numbers. If memory serves correctly, at least three bidders escalated the Apollo 11 photo from an opening bid of $2000 to the unheard of $34,000. A picture of the lot was displayed at the front of the room -- and at least two of the bidders were present -- so chalking this up to mismatched lots would be difficult. I wish I could offer a reason why we saw what we did. The only difference between this crew signed photo and others sold for $3,000 to $6,000 in the past was the additional inscription on the reverse identifying Aldrin as the previous owner. Surely that's not worth $28000? |
mensax
Member Posts: 861
From: Virginia
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted 04-14-2003 05:20 PM
I would imagine that someone has a big "What have I done?" ahead of them... Noah |
spaceflori
Member Posts: 1499
From: Germany
Registered: May 2000
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posted 04-15-2003 02:12 AM
Wasn't this the Apollo 11 crewphoto already sold at Christies some time ago at $34000 ??Whom was it inscribed to ?
(still waiting for the catalog and they don't have it online anymore...) Florian |
Matt T
Member Posts: 1368
From: Chester, Cheshire, UK
Registered: May 2001
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posted 04-15-2003 03:26 AM
Hi Florian,
It's uninscribed, simply signed by the three crew members. According to the listing the reverse of the photo reads 'From my personal collection, Buzz Aldrin'.By the way, the catalogue is still on-line. Go to this page -
http://swanngalleries.rfcsystems.com/asp/archivesearch.asp - and select the catalogue from the top option box. Cheers,
Matt |
CPIA
New Member Posts:
From:
Registered:
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posted 04-15-2003 08:07 AM
Leon,I was standing at the back of the room during the bidding on the Apollo 11 crew signed photo. The photo was signed by all three crewmen and Buzz had inscribed on the back,"from my personal collection" and signed by Buzz. There were three people bidding and one on the phone in the front of the room. One of the bidders was the gentleman who had just bought the datacard notebook. I was watching him and he continued to bid on the photo until it hit $19,000USD. Then the bidding switched to the people in the room and the phone bidder. I was standing with a dealer and at the end of the bidding, he said finally there was a lot that sold for a good price. I just said it was nuts and he said do you have one. I responded that for $34,000 I had two. And to Florian, the 1999 Christie's auction brought $10,000 for an Apollo 11 crew signed crew portrait. There were several interesting things about the auction that seem to be unique about the New York auctions. The prices on Apollo 11 crew signed photos, The NASA lunar map signed by five moonwalkers that sells for $14,000 every time it comes up. The fact that someone will pay $10,000 for an Apollo 12 flown cloth patch, yet an Apollo 11 flown lunar surface checklist (so noted on the card by Buzz) sells for $6,000. The one thing that wasn't much of there was confusion. One lot got mixed up, but the audience corrected the auctioneer. And one bidder got confused on a bid, but those were it. The auctioneer was quite clear and the room was very quiet. The lot was read twice with a photo on a large screen in the front of the room. I was talking to Swann yesterday and this was one of three auctions, they had run in five days. Invoices for the lots will be out later this week.
Larry McGlynn |
mensax
Member Posts: 861
From: Virginia
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted 04-15-2003 02:59 PM
...he said do you have one? I responded that for $34,000 I had two.LOL!
Noah
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Joe Davies
Member Posts: 258
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted 04-16-2003 07:11 AM
I think this is more a case of "auction fever". Every auction has a few lots that go crazy high, and those are the ones that stick in our minds, no-one remembers the lots that under-sold (unless you were the happy bidder!). Though 34 grand for a crew signed piccie is completely stupid, even if someone has more money than they know what to do with. There are few things in the world of autographs that make in excess of $30,000 and now we can add Apollo 11, ridiculous. | |
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