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Author
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Topic: Aurora item Not Complete?
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rchappel
Member Posts: 108
From: Texas
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 05-09-2006 11:45 AM
   
I bought item 571 at the last Aurora Auction -- Dave Scott flown comfort gloves. The gloves just arrived last week and all I got was two gloves in a plastic bag. There was no "Nasa cleaning tag" as the lot description said. Nor was there any other info of any type to back up the flown status. I've sent an e-mail to Aurora about this and gotten no response. At the very least, without the cleaning tag, I do not feel I got what I paid for. Plus, shouldn't there be SOMETHING to back up their positive statement that these were flown? I appreciate any thoughts from all of you who are (obviously!) way more experienced in this stuff than me . . . |
Matt T
Member Posts: 1368
From: Chester, Cheshire, UK
Registered: May 2001
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posted 05-09-2006 02:46 PM
There were numerous mispresented spacesuit items in the last Aurora catalogue, as mentioned by myself and Ken Havekotte in this previous thread.
http://collectspace.com/ubb/Forum36/HTML/000083.html The total absence of any supporting evidence for the various comfort gloves in the sale makes them (in my eyes) worth no more than an unflown glove. Aurora's description of them as flown should certainly be backed up by supporting evidence. On this issue - Aurora didn't make explicit in their description how a cleaning tag would provide (on it's own) the necessary proof of an item's having been flown. The auction description implies that such a tag would constitute some proof of the flown status, but I've not encountered this claim in any other previous sale of spacesuit hardware. Ultimately this is a moot point in your case as you don't even have the tag! I think that the fairly low prices these gloves realized in the sale is a pretty clear indication of a degree of doubt in some collector's minds that these items can be shown to be flown. Bottom line - a flown item's value rests primarily on it's provenance. Without it all you have is a piece of old NASA scrap and an anecdote  Cheers,
Matt ------------------
www.spaceracemuseum.com |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 2915
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 05-09-2006 03:57 PM
Right on, Matt! Once again let me echo that flown Apollo-era spacesuit equipment, including the recently auctioned comfort gloves, would not be housed in plastic protective bags with cleaning tags and so on! This would indicate "unflown" or "unused" equipment simply because returned-flown comfort gloves were not handled in this method. Sealed plastic bags with cleaning tags, etc. simply indicates "mint" condition status as backup or extra equipment that never saw a day in space. I've tried to explain in prior comfort glove related posts that I know the original owner of much--or most--of the Apollo spacesuit equipment that was featured in Aurora's last space auction. I'll call him soon for more specific details--but once again, when I saw many of these exact same items in his personal collection years ago--none, that I was aware of, were flown as that topic of conversation never even came up as it was quite obvious, in my opinion, nothing was flown. Let me also point out that the Scott gloves (Lot 571) doesn't even indicate that the pair of gloves came from the moonwalkers's own collection (because they didn't)! The same can be said for the Haise gloves (Lot 521), which by the way, one was signed by him at my home in May 2000 as an "unflown" unit for the original owner at his request. |
rchappel
Member Posts: 108
From: Texas
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 05-09-2006 05:19 PM
Thanks to all of you for the thoughts. Oh the joys of being new to the game! [This message has been edited by rchappel (edited May 09, 2006).] |
Outerspace
New Member Posts:
From:
Registered:
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posted 05-13-2006 11:15 AM
The best suggestion anyone could give you is to call Victoria Campbell at Aurora and discuss this with her personally. She has always made it clear in cS that she will stand behind her sales and do what is necessary to satisfy clients. If the provenance does not satisfy you, tell her. Sure beats being displeased and feeling soured on the purchase. |
rchappel
Member Posts: 108
From: Texas
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 05-13-2006 01:39 PM
Thanks -- I've sent her (and others at Aurora) e-mails with no replies at all so far but I'll try and call her on Monday. |
Outerspace
New Member Posts:
From:
Registered:
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posted 05-14-2006 09:56 AM
A phone call is a great idea. Victoria has been out of town, and I believe, but am not sure, that she is back on Monday. |
Bill Hunt
Member Posts: 399
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 05-14-2006 07:56 PM
I've been waiting on an item I won as well. I talked with a woman there early last week. She said that items were being shipped out in the order that payment was received. Stuff has been going out for a while now. My items are expected early this next week. Just be patient - I'm sure it's on its way.------------------
Bill Hunt |
rchappel
Member Posts: 108
From: Texas
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 05-15-2006 01:29 PM
Just wanted to close this out by saying I talked to them today and they were great. We worked out a solution that works for me and them and I was very impressed at what seemed like a very sincere desire on Aurora's part to deal with my concerns.Thanks for everyone's input. |
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