Space News
space history and artifacts articles

Messages
space history discussion forums

Sightings
worldwide astronaut appearances

Resources
selected space history documents

  collectSPACE: Messages
  Opinions & Advice
  Authenticity of Apollo 11 crew autographs

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   Authenticity of Apollo 11 crew autographs
hihoscuba
New Member

Posts: 5
From: Ireland
Registered: Jul 2014

posted 07-29-2014 08:09 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for hihoscuba   Click Here to Email hihoscuba     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I bought the framed autographed photo in the USA a few years ago and have now been told its not authentic. I would like to get a few more opinions before I try for a refund.

stsmithva
Member

Posts: 1933
From: Fairfax, VA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 07-29-2014 08:37 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for stsmithva   Click Here to Email stsmithva     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
In my opinion, it is not authentic.

Steve Zarelli
Member

Posts: 731
From: Upstate New York, USA
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 07-29-2014 08:52 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Steve Zarelli   Click Here to Email Steve Zarelli     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, regretfully a dreadful fake in my opinion. Given the elaborate presentation, it looks like the typical offering from tourist trap type "memorabilia galleries"... usually accompanied by a COA from one of the usual "forensic examiners."

------------------
Zarelli Space Authentication

JasonIUP
Member

Posts: 282
From: PA
Registered: Apr 2004

posted 07-29-2014 08:52 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for JasonIUP   Click Here to Email JasonIUP     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Were Aldrin and Collins that light when you bought it?

Bob M
Member

Posts: 1745
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 07-29-2014 08:52 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bob M   Click Here to Email Bob M     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Don't waste any more time in asking for your money back. Could we ask how much it cost?

hihoscuba
New Member

Posts: 5
From: Ireland
Registered: Jul 2014

posted 07-29-2014 01:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for hihoscuba   Click Here to Email hihoscuba     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
No Aldrin and Collins were not that light when we bought it.

I have to say I am very surprised and disappointed that since we bought it in a "brick and mortar" shop that it is a fake. It seems to contradict best practice or legal practice for that matter.

hihoscuba
New Member

Posts: 5
From: Ireland
Registered: Jul 2014

posted 07-29-2014 02:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for hihoscuba   Click Here to Email hihoscuba     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Does anyone know of anybody that has gotten their money back from these "memorabilia galleries"?

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 07-29-2014 02:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by hihoscuba:
...since we bought it in a "brick and mortar" shop
Forgeries were being sold offline for years (decades) before the internet existed...

Ken Havekotte
Member

Posts: 2914
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 07-29-2014 03:51 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken Havekotte   Click Here to Email Ken Havekotte     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, many years ago, there were some high-end items like this (von Braun letter, Apollo crew signed photos, etc.) that were being sold in a fancy autograph memorabilia shop with outlets of theirs in other major cities as well.

All of the space items in the store were nicely matted and framed, and believe it or not, each came with the company's lifetime guarantee COA as being absolutely authentic!

One of their customers had called me months later after he had purchased about $17K worth of space memorabilia autograph lots.

He wanted my opinion on his purchases, and as it turned out, his von Braun letter along with most of his Apollo astronaut crew-signed photos were classic autopens!

At his request, I wrote a letter to the company informing them of their sold autopens in question, and provided them for their own examination with autopen patterns of those represented.

The collector called me a few weeks later, and somewhat to my surprise, informed me that he had gotten a full refund from all of his AP-purchased space items, once they had been returned to the seller.

hihoscuba
New Member

Posts: 5
From: Ireland
Registered: Jul 2014

posted 08-13-2014 06:18 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for hihoscuba   Click Here to Email hihoscuba     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
By any chance do you know what the steps were that the collector took to get to the point of returning the items? What I'm wondering is if it's worth my while pursuing this taking into account that two of the autographs have faded. On a point of note: we kept the framed piece in a semi darkened room with no sunlight and still two of the autographs faded!

Does anybody think we will get our money back?

All times are CT (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts

Copyright 2020 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.


Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a





advertisement