Space News
space history and artifacts articles

Messages
space history discussion forums

Sightings
worldwide astronaut appearances

Resources
selected space history documents

  collectSPACE: Messages
  Autographs
  Armstrong: Number of autographs vs others

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   Armstrong: Number of autographs vs others
Tykeanaut
Member

Posts: 2212
From: Worcestershire, England, UK.
Registered: Apr 2008

posted 08-31-2010 04:08 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tykeanaut   Click Here to Email Tykeanaut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I may be wrong here, but surely Neil Armstrong has signed as many items as most astronauts?

Okay you maybe cannot include those 'on the circuit' at the moment, but say Harrison Schmitt, John Young or Gene Cernan for example.

Do you think is correct?

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2912
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 08-31-2010 06:22 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just a guess, but I would think the all-time first five most astronaut signers of all categories would be; Glenn, Armstrong, Aldrin, Lovell, and perhaps Shepard as he did many book-signing tours early on.

Others next in line would probably be Carpenter, Cooper, Conrad, Bean, Mitchell, Duke, Cernan, Gordon, Cunningham, McDivitt, Haise, Worden, Borman, along with Irwin, Evans, and Roosa. I am not sure where to place Young and Schmitt in this grouping, nor with Schweickart, Scott, and Collins.

Least signers, I would think of those still living, would be Anders and Mattingly, but I am not sure where to place Stafford as he has done much lately. Perhaps the former general should be in the next paragraph above.

DChudwin
Member

Posts: 1096
From: Lincolnshire IL USA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 08-31-2010 08:08 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for DChudwin   Click Here to Email DChudwin     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Neil Armstrong was a generous signer for years before he stopped in 1994. Somewhere I saw an estimate that he may have signed as many as 100,000 autographs between the time he was chosen as an astronaut in 1962 and 1994. While that sounds like a lot, if he signed for 32 years that would be about 3,000 autographs per year-- not an unrealistic possibilty.

During the 1960's and 1970's Armstrong was among the better signers through the mail.

I received different items signed by him through the mail in 1966 (inscribed GT-8 photo), 1970 (Apollo 11 launch cover), 1985 (Apollo 11 litho inscribed to my son) and 1994 (Apollo 11 lunar orbit map). While autopens were used on some lithos and covers sent to him, his autograph in the 1960's and 1970's was certainly easier to obtain than Anders, Young or Stafford.

spaced out
Member

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

posted 09-01-2010 06:11 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
If I had to guess, and excluding signed books, I'd say there are probably far more Armstrong autographs out there than those of any other astronaut, with Glenn maybe the next most common.

Tykeanaut
Member

Posts: 2212
From: Worcestershire, England, UK.
Registered: Apr 2008

posted 09-01-2010 06:58 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tykeanaut   Click Here to Email Tykeanaut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Then why are they so expensive? I know this may be a stupid question, but normally only items of rarity command a high fee.

capoetc
Member

Posts: 2169
From: McKinney TX (USA)
Registered: Aug 2005

posted 09-01-2010 07:35 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for capoetc   Click Here to Email capoetc     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
There are not many average Joe's around the world who are interested in an autograph of Donn Eisele, Elliott See, or Stu Roosa, for example -- not to diminish any of their accomplishments... they simply are not well known to most people around the world.

But, there are literally billions of people who know the name of the first man to step foot upon the moon. Armstrong could probably sign non-stop for the next 5 years and still not fulfill the demand for his signature.

So, while the supply is quite high, it comes nowhere near to fulfilling the substantial demand.

spaced out
Member

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

posted 09-01-2010 09:32 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Exactly, - supply and demand. And remember that despite the large number of items signed, the vast majority are probably in the hands of people who don't realize their monetary value. After all, how could a signed litho you got through the post as a kid for the price of a postage stamp be worth 4 figures today?

gliderpilotuk
Member

Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 09-01-2010 03:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for gliderpilotuk   Click Here to Email gliderpilotuk     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I think the Neil phenomenon is a result of several factors:
  • Huge potential supply BUT small number on the market (for the reasons spacedout quoted), being sought by an eclectic group of collectors/speculators

  • Artificially inflated prices due to (a) dealer inputs and (b) competitive pressure (small number of people chasing a small number on the market)
It would be interesting to see just how many different buyers there are on RR for the regular $3-4k WSS. I suspect there are a small number of repetitive, speculative buyers storing up these lithos, in the misguided hope of making a killing at some point. Either that, or RR's customer base for these items is constantly expanding!

Blackarrow
Member

Posts: 3118
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 09-02-2010 07:29 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Blackarrow     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
On the subject of Neil Armstrong's autograph policy, I would be very interested to see some reactions to a post by "NS Jamie" on the Autographica forum. Thoughts?

DSeuss5490
Member

Posts: 299
From: Columbus, Ohio USA
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 09-02-2010 09:06 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for DSeuss5490   Click Here to Email DSeuss5490     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Within the context of the request, it's hard to image Armstrong signing his autograph. I am aware, however, that he does occasionally make exceptions as he did several years when he had dinner at the home of the President of Ohio State University. I was told by one in attendance at the private dinner that he signed various items for several people at the president's home.

leslie
Member

Posts: 231
From: Surrey, England
Registered: Aug 2005

posted 09-03-2010 06:26 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for leslie   Click Here to Email leslie     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Blackarrow:
I would be very interested to see some reactions to a post by "NS Jamie" on the Autographica forum.
It would be interesting to see the photo that Neil "signed".

leslie
Member

Posts: 231
From: Surrey, England
Registered: Aug 2005

posted 09-03-2010 06:29 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for leslie   Click Here to Email leslie     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by capoetc:
There are not many average Joe's around the world who are interested in an autograph of Donn Eisele, Elliott See, or Stu Roosa...
Not sure if I would agree with that statement however, the thousands of signatures out there will include forgeries and those signed by NASA personnel.

All times are CT (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts

Copyright 2020 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.


Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a





advertisement