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  Skylab II 'Wives' patch: original, replicas

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Author Topic:   Skylab II 'Wives' patch: original, replicas
sixturners
Member

Posts: 151
From: E. Lansing, MI, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 10-19-2001 05:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for sixturners   Click Here to Email sixturners     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I understood that the authentic Skylab II "wives" patch had a navel. The photo in Superior's Fall 2001 auction catalog (Item 1262) has no navel. If that is not the case I own a very expensive fake. Any feedback?

Jacques van Oene
Member

Posts: 868
From: Houten, The Netherlands
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 10-21-2001 08:04 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jacques van Oene     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
On the Skylab 2 wives patch the lady has a navel.

The patch at the top of the page is the original patch of which only 320 were made. On the bottom of the page is a souvenir wives patch which has a stripe instead of a navel. I looked at the photo of the Superior catalog and could not see a navel or a stripe so my guess is that there is a different souvenir version of the patch... But I have to see the patch in more detail to say if its real or a fake.

hoorenz
Member

Posts: 1034
From: The Netherlands
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 10-21-2001 11:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for hoorenz   Click Here to Email hoorenz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A second souvenir version is on the market, without a belly button or a stripe. It is mentioned by Jacques Tiziou in an interview with Russ Still. One other feature the Superior patch has, is that the 'A' of 'Mary' is a little out of place.

sixturners
Member

Posts: 151
From: E. Lansing, MI, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 10-21-2001 06:24 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for sixturners   Click Here to Email sixturners     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for the information on the Wives patch. I appreciate the links with the history of the patch. It appears I am in good shape and have the real thing.

codos
New Member

Posts: 2
From: Glendale, CA
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 10-24-2001 09:34 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for codos     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Coincidence that I just happend to personally view the patch today in person and came here to verify what I thought was true. The patch in the catalog is as the patch in their display: It has no bellybutton.

An article by Russ Still mentioned that a copy without the bellybutton was made by Don Simpson in the early 90's. I did notice that this patch has the ladies' initials stitched into the red at her feet as the original does. Another copy of this patch I have doesn't have the initials.

The fact that this patch comes from the collection of Mrs. Alan Bean is unfortunate. I fear that someone is going to pay a lot of money for something that is NOT what they think it is.

hoorenz
Member

Posts: 1034
From: The Netherlands
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 10-27-2001 08:22 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for hoorenz   Click Here to Email hoorenz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Anyone has a scan of the Don Simpson version? If that is substantially different from the one at Superior's, I think it is almost impossible that a fourth souvenir version exists.

Although it has no belly button, it is too close to the "original" to be a copy, I think. Looks like the same manufacturer anyway, same little characteristics in lettering, for instance. A copy would never match that.

Since this patch has turned up on eBay pretty often lately, and someone even stated he had bought one at NASA, I believe someone might have ordered (or might have offered) their own batch at the same manufacturer without Tiziou knowing about it. For a patch that has only 320 copies, I see way too many "originals" showing up.

Who did the patch anyway? Lion Brothers?

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 3050
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 10-28-2001 05:26 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The special patch was produced by an associate of mine that owns Cape Kennedy Medals (now Mint) of Cocoa Beach, Florida.

hoorenz
Member

Posts: 1034
From: The Netherlands
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 10-29-2001 03:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for hoorenz   Click Here to Email hoorenz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Ken, what do you mean by "the special patch"? We're discussing several different versions of the Skylab II Wives patch.

So far, we've seen the Tiziou version and the Randy Wagner (Eagle One Aerospace) version, but want to see the Don Simpson version. This to determine if Superior's patch was a Tiziou without navel, or a fake Don Simpson version.

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 3050
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 10-30-2001 07:35 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Erik, I'm only referring to the original Wives patch that Tiziou designed in 1973 that was produced by Cape Kennedy Medals.

The Wives patch illustrated in Superior's recent auction catalog (Lot 1262) is certainly not one of the 320 originals that Jacques created! I do know of at least two others that have been produced throughout the last 15+ years, but of course, they are replicas, or better yet "fakes." The original does indeed contain a belly button and there are many other differences that are quite noticeable in comparing an original with other copies.

By the way, while the patch itself never flew in space, three three decal stickers of the Wives patch design, measuring slightly more than 4x4", did in fact fly aboard the Skylab space station during the SL-3 mission from July-Sept. 1973!

sapper82
Member

Posts: 169
From: Canada
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 05-16-2002 02:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for sapper82   Click Here to Email sapper82     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
One of these just failed to meet the reserve again on eBay, even though the last bid was well over $400 US. Just how rare are these things (320 patches — how many have survived?) and why is it priced so high?

Jacques van Oene
Member

Posts: 868
From: Houten, The Netherlands
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 05-17-2002 11:32 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jacques van Oene     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
If it is indeed true that there are only 320 made of that patch (I talked with Ardis Shanks, the drawer of the patch, and she told me that Jacques Tiziou made 320 in the original run) then it is a rare patch, but I have seen so many "real" Skylab wives patches on eBay lately that I personally think that there are more made after the original 320. And I'm not speaking now of the various souvenir versions that also exist.

sapper82
Member

Posts: 169
From: Canada
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 05-17-2002 11:44 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for sapper82   Click Here to Email sapper82     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I went through my space memorabilia auction catalogs and there's been a few in auction over the past few years, ranging from a high of $460 to a low of $161. And I've recorded a few on eBay as low as $20 (now I know who bought them!).

The only thing that seems to separate the originals is the look and feel of the patch, plus the stitching method. I didn't realize that they might be making newer ones. That's very disappointing to hear as it'll destroy the value and collectibility of the patch.

Liembo
Member

Posts: 654
From: Bothell, WA
Registered: Jan 2013

posted 07-01-2020 12:07 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Liembo   Click Here to Email Liembo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A-B Emblem has released a new replica Wives Club patch.
$1 for every patch sold will be donated to the Women in Aerospace Foundation.

randy
Member

Posts: 2263
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 07-01-2020 02:52 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for randy   Click Here to Email randy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Ordered one today.

Jacques van Oene
Member

Posts: 868
From: Houten, The Netherlands
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 07-02-2020 10:21 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jacques van Oene     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Liembo:
A-B Emblem has released a new replica Wives Club patch.
Only question I have is: Why?

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 44213
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 07-02-2020 10:32 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Per AB Emblem, the patch was produced with permission of JJ Tiziou, Jacques' son, as a fundraiser for the Women in Aerospace Foundation.

Ronpur
Member

Posts: 1224
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012

posted 07-10-2020 07:22 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ronpur   Click Here to Email Ronpur     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I received my Skylab II Wives patch Wednesday.

I am happy to finally have one in my collection.

The tag number on the back is 424008 and date is 05/2020.

randy
Member

Posts: 2263
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 07-11-2020 07:55 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for randy   Click Here to Email randy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Got mine today. Cool!

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