Posts: 34
From: Schererville, Indiana, united states
Registered: May 2009

Posts: 328
From: La Jolla, CA, USA
Registered: Jul 2007

Posts: 164
From: Woodbridge, VA, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 10-12-2010 04:46 PM               

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I just received my set, directly from AB emblem. Each patch was individually packaged, in plastic, with the card described earlier in this topic providing some background information on how this release came to be. Thanks Gene, and AB!

andrewcli - did your set include the cards?

Posts: 524
From: Fort Worth, TX, USA
Registered: Feb 2005

posted 10-12-2010 09:20 PM               

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Galactic Voyager on eBay has them a bit cheaper than directly from AB. AB sells them for $6.99 per patch plus $7.50 shipping (total $63.42). Galactic Voyager sells the set for $50.93 including about $1 shipping.

It's funny, I don't feel $13 better for getting them directly from AB.

Posts: 328
From: La Jolla, CA, USA
Registered: Jul 2007

posted 10-12-2010 10:19 PM               

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The deal from Galactic Voyager is no different than what Herald is doing for the Euro group, a discount for large number orders (10). Galactic just bought more (30+). BTW, it appears that Galactic is located in Houston.

Regarding packaging, the patches are individually wrapped as seen on his website. On the back, there is a card, about 5x4 inches discussing the design of the patch described by Gene and the launch date of the mission with the picture of the original patch and AB's emblem on the lower left corner. I am surprised that Galactic received the patches early, but then again he sells a lot of AB patches so he must have a good rapport with them.

Posts: 880
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003

Posts: 524
From: Fort Worth, TX, USA
Registered: Feb 2005

Posts: 346
From: Holbrook MA, USA
Registered: Jul 2008

Posts: 17
From: Pound Ridge, NY USA
Registered: Oct 2005

posted 10-14-2010 06:32 PM               

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Mine arrived today. These are excellent. I'm surprised at the variation in the sizes of the patches compared to the patches in the Apollo and Shuttle programs.

That Gemini 8 patch is a real beauty!

The individual packaging was a really nice surprise.

Posts: 835
From: Denver, CO USA
Registered: Jun 2004

posted 10-15-2010 10:18 AM               

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Received mine yesterday (Denver), and they are indeed gorgeous. As Backof posted above, the variance in size was a bit surprising, but not extreme...I can only assume that was an accurate reflection of the vintage examples Gene & AB worked from.

I'm really glad I got two sets. I'll keep one in the individual packaging, and frame the other with my Molly Brown and Novaspace GT-4 patches.

If you're on the fence about these, I can't recommend them highly enough.

Posts: 25314
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 10-15-2010 10:48 AM               

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The patches arrived here a couple of days ago.

I agree that the entire set is superb but I must highlight the Gemini 5, as it is really everything I could have hoped from a replica.

I'm not a huge fan of replica patches and I don't collect them but I've wanted a faithful example of the first space mission patch for quite some time and between the felt border and the covered Conestoga with its hidden text, I really couldn't ask for more.

Posts: 524
From: Fort Worth, TX, USA
Registered: Feb 2005

Posts: 835
From: Denver, CO USA
Registered: Jun 2004

Posts: 357
From: High Wycombe, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008

posted 10-21-2010 03:24 PM               

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Galactic Voyager on eBay lot No. 270648606620 at $6.99 + shipping. There are 3 left.

Now All SOLD.

Posts: 524
From: Fort Worth, TX, USA
Registered: Feb 2005

Posts: 835
From: Denver, CO USA
Registered: Jun 2004

Posts: 524
From: Fort Worth, TX, USA
Registered: Feb 2005

Posts: 86
From: Vienna, AUSTRIA
Registered: Oct 2010

Posts: 1305
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009

Posts: 369
From: Irvine, CA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 11-11-2010 07:28 PM               

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I purchased the original Gemini 3 at auction from a NASA spacesuit technician several years ago. It's vintage, and as far as I know only a very small number were made by Young and Grissom for their own use after the flight. (Young wore one on his NASA flightsuit for many years.)

However, as moorouge said, there should still be some of the fine John Berry replicas available. I actually assisted John in producing these with reference measurements and images of my own patch. AB Emblems manufactured them, but they weren't available for sale widely.

You can still find them for sale here on John's order page.

Posts: 86
From: Vienna, AUSTRIA
Registered: Oct 2010

Posts: 266
From: Dinslaken,Germany
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 11-18-2010 10:07 AM               

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Now, as the Gemini patch sets are on their way to the European cS patch collectors -some already reached their final destination- I wish to thank Kati from AB Emblem for her very appreciated support.

It was a pleasure to undertake this endeavour which was kind of a challenge and I learned a lot during that time frame.

Posts: 446
From: Madrid, Spain
Registered: Oct 2005

Posts: 2216
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 11-19-2010 07:18 AM               

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I would like to thank Harald on record for going to all the trouble of ordering the Gemini reproduction patches on behalf of a number of us.

A very magnanimous gesture that collectively saved us a lot of cash at the expense of Harald's time.

Thanks Harald!

Posts: 155
From: Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK
Registered: Mar 2007

Posts: 240
From: Hilversum, The Netherlands
Registered: Oct 2003

Posts: 357
From: High Wycombe, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008

Posts: 835
From: Denver, CO USA
Registered: Jun 2004

posted 11-20-2010 07:02 PM               

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So, like poster benguttery, I bought an extra GT-5 patch from Galactic Voyager with the intent of cutting away the cloth covering the "8 Days or Bust" slogan and displaying it as such.

By way of a new razor blade and a very small tweezers, I was able to remove the covering cloth fairly easily. However, I was then confronted with another line of stitching around the wagon train's canvas cover that still partially obscured the "Or Bust" and had to be removed stitch by stitch. Tedious.

In the end, I managed to do it without damaging the base patch, and it's worthy of display, so I'm happy. But if you're thinking about doing this, be advised that it's more work than would first appear, and requires the right tools, good eyes, a steady pair of hands, and a lot of patience.

Posts: 84
From: Chelmsford, Essex, United Kingdom
Registered: Jul 2002

Posts: 266
From: Dinslaken,Germany
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 11-21-2010 01:43 PM               

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Many thanks for your kind words.

As said it was a pleasure.

Posts: 53
From: Australia
Registered: Feb 2009

posted 11-30-2010 11:53 PM            

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These patches look terrific! I'll now have to buy two sets.

Thanks Gene Dorr and AB Emblem.

Posts: 2409
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-02-2010 12:59 PM               

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Of all the crew and crew souvenir patches from the Gemini project, one of my favourite designs is the Gemini 7 Crew Souvenir patch which has the insignia at the center and the crew names and mission around the edges.

This patch is extremely rare, and apart from the handful of examples carried by the crew on the flight very few have appeared on the market over the past few years (the two unflown examples I've seen sold for $810 and $1045).

With all this in mind I decided to have a replica of this design produced to go with the AB Crew Patch replica set detailed above, and after a long and detailed design process (and excellent support from Kati and the team at AB Emblem) the finished patches should be with me shortly.

I'll post here when the patches go on sale but I just thought I'd give people a heads-up that they're on their way.

Posts: 240
From: Hilversum, The Netherlands
Registered: Oct 2003

Posts: 566
From: Highlands Ranch, CO USA
Registered: May 2003

posted 12-02-2010 09:09 PM               

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Here's what an original, Gemini 7 patch with crew names looks like. It's mounted on the base for a Gemini Spacecraft shaped acrylic that contains a section of flown Gemini 7 heatshield.

It is a great looking patch!

Posts: 2409
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-03-2010 01:38 AM               

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In terms of numbers it's likely that Borman and Lovell each carried around the same number of these Gemini 7 patches on the flight as Schirra did on Gemini 6, which is to say 15 each.

Apart from 30-odd flown patches, a significant number of these crew souvenir patches were mounted alongside flown flags and heatshield fragments in official presentations like the one pictured above.

Whether the original production run was 50, 100 or 150, it's probably not surprising that so few examples turn up for sale these days.

Posts: 53
From: Australia
Registered: Feb 2009

Posts: 2409
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 12-24-2010 02:10 AM               

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A few blobs of surprisingly tough rubberised glue.

It is generally possible to pull a patch off without damaging the card but other times the card will get bent or the surface will rip. The patches aren't affected in any case as the backs are coated and the glue comes off cleanly.

Posts: 53
From: Australia
Registered: Feb 2009

posted 12-25-2010 10:24 PM            

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AB Emblem really did a great job with these 2010 remakes.

The Gemini 12 replica matches the original artwork more closely than the crew patch. In most cases the colours and weave direction are spot on. However with Gemini 11 the blue background is a little too dark but otherwise is a perfect remake.

The attention to detail is amazing like the Gemini 5 - covered wagon with its hidden text or the Gemini 8 with the inward-bowed verticals for the "II" Gemini symbol.

Gemini 6, 9, and 10 are perfect replicas.

Posts: 2409
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

Posts: 53
From: Australia
Registered: Feb 2009