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Author
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Topic: Apollo 13 mission patch variations
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rasorenson
Member Posts: 71
From: Santa Clara, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 12-02-2009 05:14 PM
   
I've bought off eBay some patches from Starflight Creations - or Patches and Planes online. One is a "new" - recent version of the Apollo 13 patch. It is the closest version of the original I've ever found for a number of reasons. I've never seen it anywhere else.The Apollo 13 patch has always been a puzzle to me. The official version before the flight had the orange-ish border, same color as the sun and the three horses of the same tan color - not the usual versions ever since that have used three different colors for the three horses. Photos of the patch on the astronauts' post-landing blue jump suits show the horses in the same color, but with a silver border. Their flight spacesuits bore the original version with the orange border on launch day. Except for the Lion Bros. patches, I've never seen an Apollo 13 patch that included the three horses of the same color and an orange border. Even the Lion patch uses a much too loud color for the horses and of course used the silver border. Perhaps, with the switch from Mattingly to Swigert, "they" decided to alter the patch and exchanged the orange border for the silver one. I've never found confirmation of this as "official" and I have no idea how the three different color horses were introduced into what became the standard design of the patch. I was thrilled to find this guy's newly minted version. I've collected several versions over the years and cannot identify where they all were made. I'd thought I would never find one of the original design. |
rasorenson
Member Posts: 71
From: Santa Clara, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 09-08-2010 07:51 PM
Just acquired: Apollo 13 patch, cloth back, silver border, common colors to all horses, arched ribs in orange embroidery of the Sun. Gene Dorr's site identifies it as a vintage (1970...) AB Emblem patch. After years of looking, I've only seen this patch this once. Got it off eBay for only $4 from a seller who did not know it's origin. Not that I want to sell it, but just how rare is this patch version? |
Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 425
From: High Wycombe, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted 09-08-2010 10:01 PM
I too spotted that Apollo 13 Crew patch along with a 3" one on eBay, but the seller Squelie14 would not accept any bids from me or anyone else outside of the mainland U.S.A. I was gutted I could not bid on that pair of patches. You got a real bargin there at $4.00 Bob! I think that 4" one is going to be worth big bucks! |
spaced out
Member Posts: 2533
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 09-09-2010 05:55 AM
Likewise I spotted that crew patch on eBay and tried to bid on it but was blocked. US-only listings are a gift for you guys.As for scarcity, I note every example that I spot offered for sale (including yours) at the bottom of the Apollo 13 page of my Crew Patches site. You'll see that there have been around a half-dozen examples sold per year over the last two to three years. All-in-all a very nice patch to have. |
mooncollector
Member Posts: 59
From: Alabama, USA
Registered: Feb 2011
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posted 04-01-2011 11:54 PM
Bumped up to tell you that my 13 patch (the first patch I ever bought, in fact, when I was 12 years old) is of the type the 2nd poster referenced, with the all-the-same-color horses and the rays and craters like he describes. I can state to 100% certainty that this was bought in the KSC Visitor's Center in the summer of 1970. It has a plain cloth back, not the heat-adhesive backing.It started my interest in mission patches, to be honest... I thought the 13 patch was "very cool" and getting that souvenir was the highlight of my vacation! It cost me the princely sum of $1.80 if I recall correctly, "out of my own money" LOL. Memories! Unfortunately it is not anymore in mint condition, it got wet at some point and I remember having to iron it and it now has a little bit of misshape to it... which is absolutely making me sick right now! But I wouldn't sell it anyway... There is one of these on eBay now that is in worse shape than mine, if that is any reference. Could be an early AB Emblems design. It is very close to the Lion Bros. but a little lacking in detail. I am looking for a good clean Lion Bros. one, hint, hint... I don't like the horses w/different colors. Anyone know where such an animal may be lurking? |
rasorenson
Member Posts: 71
From: Santa Clara, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 04-05-2011 10:34 PM
I have more than one Lion Bros Apollo 13 I can part with. You can contact me with your email. |
mooncollector
Member Posts: 59
From: Alabama, USA
Registered: Feb 2011
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posted 04-15-2011 09:32 PM
Sending you e-mail... I haven't been on the site in a few days so I missed that post. |
mooncollector
Member Posts: 59
From: Alabama, USA
Registered: Feb 2011
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posted 04-19-2011 07:20 PM
BIG Thanks rasorenson! |
mooncollector
Member Posts: 59
From: Alabama, USA
Registered: Feb 2011
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posted 04-23-2011 07:40 PM
I'm sitting here now finally being able to compare the Lion Bros. Apollo 13 with the standard A-B version, and I can't believe how poorly executed the A-B one is. After 40 years... you would THINK a company that does such good work overall would have gotten it right by now! They shrunk the horses, changed the colors and sort of weakened the lettering around the edge. It's really a shame that that standard version is so... ordinary, I guess is a good way to put it, for a mission of such historical significance.The Lion Bros. one is FANTASTIC! Already pretty much my favorite patch in my collection! It looks like the artwork we have seen for so long. Better detail, better quality, much better "eye appeal". What a difference it makes that the horses are uniform in color (and I don't think the color is too dark at all personally). To me it looks... just right all the way. |
mooncollector
Member Posts: 59
From: Alabama, USA
Registered: Feb 2011
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posted 05-23-2011 10:29 PM
One of the original AB version patches (horses same color etc.) made its way onto eBay sometime last week with a opening bid (no BIN) of $9.99. I wanted to see how high it would go.It's not there now. I hope someone didn't sweettalk/strongarm the seller into a private BIN for a ridiculous low price. |
Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 425
From: High Wycombe, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted 05-23-2011 10:46 PM
I never spotted that one, do you have the eBay lot number?If it did sell we will add it to the sales list on Chris Spain's Crew patches website. |
Besixdouze
Member Posts: 121
From: Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 05-24-2011 03:48 AM
I must have missed that one too. The only one I recollect being pulled recently was 120727729558. That particular patch looked suspiciously like a AS13UNK1 according to Chris’ site. A similar example went for $150 at the recent Lunar Legacies auction. |
Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 425
From: High Wycombe, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted 05-24-2011 04:08 AM
Yes, I saw that one too, and yes it was a [AS13UNK1]. I recon someone else recognized that too and bought it with a Buy It Now.You must add the buyers fee to the $150.00 for the one sold by Lunar Legacies. |
mooncollector
Member Posts: 59
From: Alabama, USA
Registered: Feb 2011
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posted 05-26-2011 01:29 AM
That was the one I saw. Seller ended early- "item no longer available".Someone must have told him what he had or offered an off-eBay transaction. |
Gus Man B
New Member Posts:
From:
Registered:
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posted 07-20-2011 10:33 PM
I was looking at the Space Mission Patches website and they have an example of an orange border patch I have. Anyone know if this is just a limited reproduction or if it has some value? |
rasorenson
Member Posts: 71
From: Santa Clara, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 01-23-2013 11:40 PM
Does anyone know if AB Emblem produced an Apollo 13 patch before the flight? And if so, what it looked like? Since I've never heard of one — it seems like not. Thanks.Editor's note: Threads merged. |
Apollo 8
Member Posts: 156
From: Vienna, AUSTRIA
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 01-27-2013 01:01 PM
Is your orange border Apollo 13 patch a bare cloth back patch? I have one too, mine has a plastic back. It was sold on eBay as an AB Emblem's patch (but I am not too sure about that...). |
Go4Launch
Member Posts: 386
From: Bethesda, MD
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted 01-27-2013 09:59 PM
quote:
Originally posted by rasorenson:
Does anyone know if AB Emblem produced an Apollo 13 patch before the flight?
Yes. AB Emblem became NASA's official Apollo patch contractor in February 1970, so Apollo 13 was the company's first patch under that contract. See Chris Spain's "The Crew Patch" for that flight.
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rasorenson
Member Posts: 71
From: Santa Clara, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 01-28-2013 09:05 PM
Thanks- his there a website Chris Spain's Apollo 13 crew patch? |
Gonzo
Member Posts: 263
From: Lansing, MI, USA
Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 01-28-2013 11:49 PM
Chris' website is at crewpatches.com. What you are looking for is under "Embroidered Patches". I think you'll be amazed at what you'll find if you've not been to his site!Now for the advertisement. There are others of course that are definitely worth of their weight too. But we're talking about Chris' site here. While I'd admit that he goes very little beyond Apollo for several reasons (there are a few Shuttle patches, but they are limited), he covers literally EVERYTHING from Apollo back. He not only has good descriptions of all the known variations of each patch, but also the current prices and the history of the patch as well. It is a great asset to the community. One that I hope he continues to support and expand as time goes on.
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