posted 02-28-2018 02:31 PM               

More than 200 new shop items have been added including the finest autographed space material there is:

• Apollo 11 mission patch insurance cover
  
• Complete series of all Apollo crew signed covers including insurance covers
  
• Neil Armstrong signed "Flag on the moon" 8x10 glossy
  
• Several Neil Armstrong signed Apollo 11 and Gemini 8 related photos
  
• Mercury all 7 complete signed cover
  
• Moonwalker signed 8x10 moonwalk photos incl. Shepard
  
• Various Alan Shepard signed photos and items
  
• John Young signed 8x10 Apollo 16 WSS
  
• Vladislav Volkov signed portrait
  
• Bill Anders, Neil Armstrong, Charles Conrad and Dave Scott rare signed Gemini tracking station covers as Capcoms
  
• Vladislav Volkov signed portrait
  
• First Americans in Space Alan Shepard + John Glenn signed cover

posted 03-01-2018 10:45 AM               

In fact I know many collector who dislike that recent "authentication delusion" since any recent addition of a certification alters a historical item.

I'm staying out of that discussion as both sides have their valid point.

That said many or most of the Apollo 15 insurance covers sold in Germany by Sieger actually come from Jim Irwin but were never labelled as such. Same applies to Apollo 14 sold by Borek coming from Mitchell I think.

posted 03-01-2018 03:05 PM               

It is only collectors who have constructed a distinction between insurance and pre-flight signed mission covers, given the attraction of the story behind the insurance covers.

But post-flight, the astronauts apparently didn't treat them any differently from other pre-flight crew-signed covers until collectors (and/or dealers) began to make a point of labeling them differently.

posted 03-01-2018 05:30 PM               

The main distinction is the fact that true insurance covers were paid for by the crew to retain for their own collections and in the event of a flight tragedy, the families could profit from them.

In my opinion, that does make them unique in comparison to the many other Apollo crew signed postal covers that have no direct astronaut and/or family link tie.

posted 03-02-2018 05:44 AM               

It is the provenance, the story, the history behind these items that drive price and as auction history will show some words drive up prices to collectors like: "flown," "used in training" and of course "Insurance cover."

If there is no distinction to be made from the true history of an artifact then you are correct there all just crew signed covers and the crazy prices being paid for these covers must be the act of over excited bidders who have no idea what there buying.

It is my contention that many dealers use these words to drive up prices and suckers like myself often pay them as we feel they are "reputable dealers."

So yes it does matter and when someone pays huge money for and artifact from a "respectable dealer" they should get "exactly" what they pay for, with no question of authenticity.

posted 03-02-2018 07:57 AM               

Personally, I draw a line between how artifacts and memorabilia are considered. That's my personal approach; I am not suggesting others should to do the same, but it informs my opinion on the market.

posted 03-02-2018 03:34 PM               

Apollo 11 signed covers have been selling in the $2,500 to $3,500 range while Apollo 11 insurance covers are selling in the $9,000 to $11,000 range. There are of course a few exceptions.

This is a huge reason to add a single word in the description of an items.