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Author
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Topic: STS-134 unofficial "Wives" mission patch
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Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 249
From: High Wycombe, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted May 05, 2011 07:07 AM
   
I have just seen this patch listed on eBay (No. 110683423311). I've been told by the seller Ozzie321 that it is 4 1/2" across, which is slightly smaller than the official AB Emblem STS-134 patch at 4 3/4" across.I don't know how many have been made. It will be interesting to see how many collectors will be bidding for this patch, and how much it will sell for?   |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 1046
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted May 05, 2011 07:49 AM
A fun idea but it doesn't go far enough. The atomic nucleus, measurement experiement and ISS should be replaced by items germane to the wives' lives or activities during the mission. |
Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 249
From: High Wycombe, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted May 05, 2011 09:18 AM
Maybe Gary, but there is a bidding war between two bidders for this patch, and only a few hours since it was listed at $3.99. It now stands at $37.51 (£22.67) with 6 bids from the 2 bidders. |
benguttery
Member Posts: 497
From: Fort Worth, TX, USA
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted May 05, 2011 09:41 AM
My guess is they made more than one. |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 1046
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted May 05, 2011 10:08 AM
quote:
Originally posted by benguttery:
My guess is they made more than one.
PT Barnum said one was born every minute. OH, you mean the patch! |
328KF
Member Posts: 609
From:
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted May 05, 2011 11:13 AM
The question is was this design produced/ approved by the crew members or is it some immitator's attempt to cash in on the Giffords connection to the flight? |
hoorenz
Member Posts: 536
From: The Netherlands
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted May 05, 2011 11:18 AM
Three of these now on eBay from different sellers. One of them claims "Sorry, only one of these limited-edition patches is currently available."AB Emblem confirms they did not make these for the crew. |
Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 249
From: High Wycombe, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted May 05, 2011 11:29 AM
Yes Erik, I just spotted the other two too, both sellers are members of this forum I think? Correct me if I'm wrong. |
J.L
Member Posts: 254
From: Bloomington, Illinois, USA
Registered: May 2005
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posted May 05, 2011 12:14 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Kevin T. Randall:
Yes Erik, I just spotted the other two too, both sellers are members of this forum I think?
Indeed. I bought two of them at a shop on State Road 3 down in Merritt Island. I will let my spare go.I am pretty confident they were produced by the same gentleman who did the Skylab wives patch. This gentleman did not design the Skylab patch, but I believe he manufactured it. Not sure how many of them he made... but it did cost more than the standard patch. |
hoorenz
Member Posts: 536
From: The Netherlands
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted May 05, 2011 12:31 PM
So, T.F. is now using his own "creativity" instead of "borrowing" the work of others. |
J.L
Member Posts: 254
From: Bloomington, Illinois, USA
Registered: May 2005
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posted May 05, 2011 12:34 PM
Bingo... |
hoorenz
Member Posts: 536
From: The Netherlands
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted May 05, 2011 01:47 PM
Of course, it is really a coincidence that the name of Giffords is on these patches. Still, it does not feel right to me that re-sellers are profiting in this way on eBay and I am sure there are others here who feel the same. |
carl walker
Member Posts: 73
From: Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted May 05, 2011 02:59 PM
Ha, if cS had a "Like" button, I'd have have pressed it! |
Harald Kraenzel
Member Posts: 253
From: Dinslaken,Germany
Registered: Nov 2005
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posted May 05, 2011 04:44 PM
quote:
Originally posted by hoorenz:
AB Emblem confirms they did not make these for the crew.
From my point of view the name ENDEAVOUR in capital letters do show that it is not made by AB Emblem as their patch follow the original design written as "Endeavour". I was able to buy a STS-134 patch showing the capital letter ENDEAVOUR name but I do not know who did make it. |
Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 249
From: High Wycombe, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted May 06, 2011 10:26 AM
The first of these patches has just ended on eBay at $114.52 (£69.76) with 14 bids from 6 bidders.There are two more listed, what will they finish at?  |
Jacques van Oene
Member Posts: 658
From: Houten, The Netherlands
Registered: Oct 2001
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posted May 06, 2011 12:41 PM
Sad... |
butch wilks
Member Posts: 116
From: Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted May 06, 2011 04:22 PM
It's not sad at all Jacques. As you know I save the wives and ladies patches. All I am doing is adding to them with what at this time is only STS-134 wives patches we can (may be) get hold off.I'd like to thank you hoorenz for the offer to make 50 patches for a donation to the U.S. Red Cross, but in the end they would only be a copy to the ones on eBay. But if you do get them made up I'll have one off of you to add the the set of the wives and ladies patches I have now. Plus I would like to add that all the wives and the ladies patches that have been made up to this time, not one has been made by AB Emblem. The Skylab 2 wives patches by Ardis Shanks/Jacques Tiziou was made by Cape Kennedy medals and the copies too, and the TMA-13 ladies patches by Ardis Shanks/Jacques van oene/Richard Garriott, some made in the EU by spacepatches.nl and some in the U.S by Richard Garriott. I'd like to point out that some time it seems to me that the members of this forum for the patches and pins will only take patches made by AB Emblem as the be all and end all for patches to collect, but if that is so you miss out on one hell of a lot of patches they do not make and you are missing out on some of the most fantastic patches that are out there to buy and collect and sometimes they are better that the ones AB Emblem makes of that patch. But do not think I am having a go at AB Emblems as I am not. It's just that they are not the only one out there that makes space patches. So I'll keep on bidding on this and patches to come that I like to collect. |
Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 249
From: High Wycombe, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted May 07, 2011 04:45 AM
The second and original one of these patches to be listed, is currently at $172.06 (£104.77) with 12 bids from 4 bidders.  Update:- It has now reached $215.10 (£130.97) with 15 bids from the same 4 bidders. MADNESS!! Update:- This second patch has now sold for $215.10 with 16 bids. The third patch is now at $45.21 with 9 bids from 4 bidders. |
spaceman
Member Posts: 787
From: Walsall, West Midlands, UK
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted May 07, 2011 09:04 AM
Does anyone have any background info i.e. official, crew request, wives request, etc? |
hoorenz
Member Posts: 536
From: The Netherlands
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted May 07, 2011 02:17 PM
You could almost buy a ticket, fly to Houston or Florida and buy the patch yourself at Tom Foley's shop or the Webster space store near JSC for 5 dollars. |
mooncollector
Member Posts: 35
From: Alabama, USA
Registered: Feb 2011
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posted May 08, 2011 03:22 PM
I would not be surprised if there isn't some movement to have this produced in greater quantities; after all, it has the potential to be THE single most significant Wives Patch ever and would surely be a hot item. AB may miss the boat on this if they don't take this idea up. Could someone detail for us (or for me in email) where that "Cape Kennedy collectibles" shop is? I am hoping to get down there for the 134 landing and I would love to stop in there. (I hope that's not an out-of-line question... gulp). I lived on the Space Coast briefly in the late '80's and I know SR3 in Merritt Island. Given what this item is, I don't consider this an attempt to "cash in" on tragedy... mainly because "Gabrielle" is still with us. If that were NOT the case, it's a whole other story. I see it as being VERY historically significant and appropriate for this mission and if a flight ever should have a Wives Patch, this should be the one. I am pretty sure that if the crew and/or NASA considered this patch to be inappropriate, they could take action to put a stop to its sale. |
spaced out
Member Posts: 2223
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted May 08, 2011 03:56 PM
I don't really see how this patch can be seem as historically significant unless it was created by/for the crew themselves.Otherwise it's just someone stealing the artwork created for the original patch, changing the names and having a patch produced. Leaving aside the moral/legal issue of stealing someone else's artwork, anyone could do this at any time for any mission and produce anything from 50 to 500 hundred examples for a few dollars a patch. If you like the idea you can obviously buy one but the patch has no association with NASA, the crew, or their wives. It's not a 'significant' collectible, just a 'fantasy' patch like any other. |
Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 249
From: High Wycombe, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted May 09, 2011 01:41 PM
A second one of these patches listed by Ozzie321 has just ended and sold for $92.00 (£56.02) with 13 bids from 6 bidders. |
butch wilks
Member Posts: 116
From: Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted May 09, 2011 03:52 PM
I got the second patch from ozzie321. A bit lower than the last one. All in all happy with it at that price.I'd like to thank someone on here for some email to me on this patch. You know who. Thanks. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 23493
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted May 11, 2011 01:09 PM
To confirm, this patch was indeed the original idea of Tom Foley of Space World USA. Unlike the earlier mentioned Skylab 2 or Soyuz TMA-13 wives patches, it was created as a souvenir for the public, without the knowledge or involvement of the STS-134 crew (or their wives). According to his wife, Foley saw the public's interest in the commander's spouse and felt that there should be a patch for all the crew's wives. As of earlier today (May 11), the patch was available through the Foleys' Merritt Island store for $6.99, it's original sale price. The Foleys were aware of the higher prices being paid on eBay but had no hand in those auctions. |
STS9Columbia
New Member Posts: 5
From: Berlin, Germany
Registered: Jun 2009
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posted May 11, 2011 02:13 PM
PLEASE, who could buy one "Wives" patch in Florida at the Cape for me in Germany!? THANK YOU in advance! |
butch wilks
Member Posts: 116
From: Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted May 13, 2011 12:32 AM
Maybe it would help if Mr. Tom Foley had a web shop, so we outside of Florida or the USA can get a patch, and we would not have to use eBay to get a patch or beg for someone to get one for us.If he has a web shop I cannot find it. Can someone put it up on here for us outside of Florida. Thank you. |
KAPTEC
Member Posts: 406
From: Madrid, Spain
Registered: Oct 2005
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posted May 13, 2011 04:33 AM
quote:
Originally posted by butch wilks:
Can someone put it up on here for us outside of Florida.
Here you can find the postal address and the phone number. |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 1046
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted May 13, 2011 12:48 PM
The phone number in the link above is disconnected. |
Kevin T. Randall
Member Posts: 249
From: High Wycombe, Bucks UK
Registered: Dec 2008
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posted May 13, 2011 08:39 PM
15 of these patches have just been listed on eBay with a Buy It Now, 5 for $19.95 (£12.26), and 10 for $24.95 (£15.34), all listed by Ozzie321.2 sold within minutes of listing. Update: All 5 of the $19.95 ones have now been sold. Just the 10 at $24.95 left. |
Tom
Member Posts: 1127
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted May 16, 2011 06:51 PM
Florida Today reports about the "wives" patch. There's an official mission patch for each space shuttle flight. But, for Endeavour's final launch, there will be an unofficial shuttle patch honoring the wives of the six-man crew.The patch, developed by Tom and Jo Foley of Spaceworld-USA on Merritt Island, is virtually identical to the official NASA patch, except that, instead of including the astronauts' last name, it has their wives' first names... Among the locations selling the 4-inch patch are Spaceworld-USA at 3700 N. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island, and the U.S. Space Walk of Fame Museum at 4 Main St. in downtown Titusville. U.S. Space Walk of Fame Chief of Staff Karan Conklin said, at a price of less than $6 apiece (or less than $11 packaged with the official mission patch), the wives' patch is a relatively inexpensive piece of memorabilia that has the potential to become a collectible. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 23493
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted May 16, 2011 10:33 PM
(or less than $11 packaged with the official mission patch) Note, per the Florida Today photo, the "official mission patch" is not the official patch as produced by AB Emblem for NASA but the Foleys' replica (which shouldn't be of any surprise, but for the record). |
mooncollector
Member Posts: 35
From: Alabama, USA
Registered: Feb 2011
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posted June 02, 2011 08:59 PM
Got mine today and I was surprised that it is ever-so-slightly bigger (maybe a millimeter or two) than the A-B "official" crew version which I have, and that it is definitely better in eye appeal and craftsmanship. The colors look brighter and clearer. Whoever made this did a good job.Waiting until the eBay mania subsided was a good move. |
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