posted 08-31-2018 02:46 PM               

I am offering for sale an Apollo 11 insurance cover with a Dow-Unicover cachet, cancelled at the Kennedy Space Center, July 16, 1969, with the 6 cent Apollo 8 earthrise stamp, and the autographs of Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins in blue felt tip pen.

I purchased this cover from Eunice Radnofsky of Rand Philatelic, in the mid-1980s.

I have researched what prices have been paid for similar items and the range from low to high is big. I would like to get $7,500, but any feedback from the experts here would be appreciated. Thanks. — Ken

posted 09-12-2018 10:07 AM               

For what it’s worth, I would recommend not going any lower in price than you already have. The Dow Unicover version of the Apollo XI insurance covers (along with the crew patch version) is much more rare than the MSCSC version, and my understanding is that only a small number of the insurance covers were cancelled for the launch. The vast majority were carried by Tom Stafford via T-38 and cancelled in Houston for the landing (and most of those cancelled in Houston have somewhat unpleasant looking machine cancels).

If you are unable to sell at your listed price, you would likely be better off seeking in one of the auction houses where your sale offer would reach more people with bigger budgets who may not own an A11 insurance cover. Of course, this option would take more time.

Without question, your cover is worth $5,000+, and in the right environment will sell for closer to $8-10K... with the forthcoming release of the movie First Man that environment is on the horizon.

posted 09-13-2018 10:24 AM               

It may be worth considering, however, that we are about to enter a (likely) short window of time with inflated prices for Apollo XI related memorabilia: the not-entirely-coincidental confluence of the upcoming First Man movie and the 50th anniversary of the Apollo XI landings will probably spike interest and, with that interest, a sales opportunity may exist.

In my opinion, if anyone has Apollo XI related memorabilia and has been thinking about selling, then the next few months may provide a somewhat unique opportunity.

If I were planning to sell Apollo XI insurance covers (and I am not), I would make absolutely certain that the unique history of those covers would be an integral part of the sale/auction description. Most of us are very familiar with the history of insurance covers, but almost no one else is.