Posts: 125
From: Durley
Registered: Jan 2008

posted 05-27-2014 01:00 PM               

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It was most interesting to compare two similar, flown items from two astronauts on the same flight and how different the final results were.

Alan Bean's PLSS strap offered at Heritage Auctions made double that of Charles Conrad's version at RR Auction, yet both had identical provenance and both signed by the astronaut. Why such a difference in value?

Posts: 243
From: UK
Registered: Dec 2010

posted 05-27-2014 03:04 PM               

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Good question. I would think two possible reasons.

First - auctions are variable and depend on who is bidding on the day, the depth of their pockets and their appetite for the piece.

Second - Alan Bean's PLSS strap came direct from the astronaut and Conrad's came to auction this year via at least one previous owner.

Around 2010 Edgar Mitchell's PLSS strap did not reach its estimate of $30,000 at Bonhams.

Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 05-27-2014 05:08 PM               

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There's a pretty small number of collectors with the funds to buy this kind of item and even the biggest spenders have limits and of course different priorities.

A simple explanation for this particular result is that the auction season started out with two buyers willing to go to the $100k level to get a PLSS strap and a third willing to go to $50k.

At Heritage bidder 3 got overtaken by bidders 1 & 2 at the $50k level and bidder 2 finally dropped out at near $100k leaving bidder 1 the winner of Bean's PLSS strap.

When RR rolled around bidders 2 and 3 went head to head again for the Conrad PLSS strap. Again bidder 3 pushed to his limit of near $50k but couldn't go further, leaving bidder 2 the winner at this level.