Posts: 68
From: Alexandria, VA
Registered: Jan 2012

posted 08-28-2016 07:40 AM               

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Just looking for a general opinion on the current state of Bob Rasmussen's "Naval Aviation in Space" art print. What once seemed like a pretty prominent item in both signature and art collecting has come up rather low in a couple recent auctions.

I saw it for $1000 final in a RR auction and most recently at $875 in a Bonhams auction. Both copies were framed and had no apparent flaws. The prices for this piece seem to fluctuate depending where you look and while I've seen it sell where I thought it should up over $2000, these latest prices make me wonder where the true value lies.

I've been collecting for a little while now but this one has me stumped. Any more seasoned opinions would always be appreciated. Thanks!

Posts: 125
From:
Registered: May 2014

posted 08-30-2016 09:38 PM            

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I don't know how much I can help, but $875-$1,000 for one of those seems like an absolute steal. If I owned one, I would not even consider selling it for that price, barring extenuating circumstances. But here's the rub: I'm not sure I'd buy it for that price, either, and here's why.

While obviously the signatures have a huge bearing on what you can expect to pay for it, at the end of the day, it is still art, and there aren't too many things more subjective than art. Personally, and I know this will probably be blasphemous, I find the artwork itself to appear dated and it doesn't really appeal to me much at all from an aesthetic perspective. I recognize the value in the signatures, but looking at this on my wall, purely from a visual perspective, would do nothing for me. So perhaps if there are others that share this opinion, that could be what's causing the fluctuation in sale prices. Because the goods (the signatures) are all there.

Posts: 396
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2012

posted 08-31-2016 12:50 PM               

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I just Googled it to remind myself of what it looked like. The first hit was from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, who are selling it at $12,000. Of course you're paying extra for the frame, but still...

There are many factors that lead to something being devalued. The most common one is probably lack of interest, followed closely by the economy.

While it has some great signatures on it, it seems too narrow for me. For some reason, I don't like the Hauck signature on the same piece as all those other astronauts. I guess it's because all the others were considered the pioneers, who put the first humans into space and got us to the moon. That's the era that excites me. That's why I've never been able to really get into any of the shuttle astronauts.

As stated above, the print itself (the individual drawings) just isn't that appealing to me. It's not that they're dated, they don't look like professional drawings to me. No disrespect to Mr. Rasmussen, but they look like half finished sketches.

I believe that most collectors are like me and only go after a narrow niche such as Apollo astronauts, flown items, the Mercury 7, etc. There aren't too many collectors who go after signed poster art.

I think the final straw in lowering the price of the Naval Aviation in Space poster is the economy, which has been hit hard, at least where I live. People just can't afford to spent money like they used to. When demand goes down, prices have to follow.

Posts: 68
From: Alexandria, VA
Registered: Jan 2012

Posts: 96
From: Dallas, Texas, USA
Registered: Oct 2008

Posts: 660
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005

posted 09-23-2016 10:08 AM               

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Very simply supply and demand ---- just like we see items that are "out of sight" prices because two bidders go at it and really want it. If there is not a lot of interest in the piece it will go for a lower price. I don't think auction prices are a true overall market price predictor (though they can give a good overall indication) as it depends on the bidders participating in that particular auction - lot of bidders = high price, only one bidder is probably a low price.

As also mentioned - people only have so much money to spend on space items - think of the days when there was only one or two space auctions a year versus now with more auctions and more items continually available - the same amount of money gets spread across more items/auctions.

This print seems to be continually available in multiple in-person auctions and eBay. Therefore if I was going to buy it I wouldn't pay a premium for it but would bid low and wait for the bargain.

Posts: 68
From: Alexandria, VA
Registered: Jan 2012

posted 09-23-2016 10:32 AM               

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Everyone has very valid points. I guess this was mostly out of frustration considering sometimes it's a challenge to determine when you're getting ripped off, paying a reasonable premium, or getting a good deal. At the end of the day, everything we collect has a subjective value to it and the price is determined by a combination of how much you truly want it and the free market.

When these low prices squeak by in various auctions, for any items, it throws a wrench in the process of trying to figure out where the equilibrium is, for both buyers and sellers. All our collections have value, some substantially more than others, and while that's not necessarily why we have the passion to collect, by using that value we can buy, sell or trade to expand them. I'm surprised this isn't more of a concern for other folks but it certainly makes the whole market interesting to watch.

Posts: 660
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005