Posts: 1103
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011

posted 09-20-2021 01:59 PM               

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Just wondering, does anyone know why the STS-71 litho with ten signatures is so expensive? From what I can see it's the third most expensive litho after only the STS-51L and STS-107 lithos.

The complete crew space shuttle lithos in the later missions that shuttled astronauts up and down from the ISS are nowhere near as expensive as the "full" crew STS-71 mission.

Also, does anyone know, ballpark range, what an STS-71 seven signature litho would go for?

Posts: 3305
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 09-20-2021 02:00 PM               

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It's just a tough crew litho to acquire with all ten astronaut and cosmonaut signatures together.

I've only seen a handful of them throughout my career, but there are a few others — though not as rare as the STS-71 team — that can go for higher-than-normal figures. But I do agree that perhaps STS-71 is the third highest valued signed NASA litho or glossy.

Others would be, in my opinion, STS-1 (but not that uncommon), STS-9 especially, and STS-41, along with a few other shuttle crews after STS-100.

Posts: 1572
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003

posted 09-20-2021 03:30 PM               

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I've seen STS 71 with just the Russian signatures go for over $100. But a complete crew signed piece commands a decent sum.

On edit, Ken nailed it with STS-41. I don't have a single example on file. No idea why that is, but it must be quite rare.

Posts: 1796
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 09-21-2021 02:06 PM               

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Being in pursuit of Shuttle crew signed crew lithos, and crew signed covers, since STS-1, I certainly can agree that STS-9, STS-41 and STS-71 (all ten) are hard to find and should be expensive. But also from my experiences, STS-95, because of Glenn, would be expensive and hard to find, along with STS-102, STS-111 and STS-121, because of Nowak.

Also something to watch out for are STS-105 crew lithos, of which many had "Auto-sig" facsimile signatures applied mechanically that do not look like autopens and appear authentic.

And some crews, such as STS-108, require two different signed lithos to be complete, with the "Core 4" and the Expedition 4 crew to complete the 7 person crew.

Bottom line: collecting Space Shuttle crew signed lithos is difficult and expensive and a complete set with all autographs would be something of great rarity and value.

Posts: 3305
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 09-21-2021 04:42 PM               

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I'll certainly echo with Bob by including those shuttle crews mentioned above, however, I have seen more authentic STS-95 crew signed photos during the last few years. Perhaps not too well known is that there had been "Autosig" signed lithos of the Discovery crew that included Glenn. But the Glenn return-to-orbit spaceflight is indeed not an easy crew to come by if genuine.

Besides STS-105, though, there had been a few other "Autosig" facsimile signatures applied to shuttle crew lithos. Another is STS-119's all 7 crewmen with gold-ink signatures applied that were given out by the crew to workers during a KSC return visit in 2009.

The next-to-the-last shuttle mission, STS-134, passed out very noticeable "Autosig" signatures on their crew portraits to space center gatherings at KSC in 2011. But the final and most popular space shuttle flight in that same year, STS-135/Atlantis, apparently did not use any sort of "Autosig" signed photos for distribution here at KSC, to the best of my knowledge.

Posts: 1572
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003

Posts: 1003
From: Michigan
Registered: Jul 2006

Posts: 1572
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003

Posts: 1103
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011

Posts: 1003
From: Michigan
Registered: Jul 2006

Posts: 1572
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003

Posts: 1103
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011

Posts: 403
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2012

posted 09-24-2021 12:29 PM               

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Feel free to blame me for overpaying for the STS-71. I too was shocked at the high price, but when I found out how rare it was, I felt like I had to go for it.

I'm sorry if I outbid a fellow cS'er. I've passed on other signed photos before only to regret it afterwards. I have a lot less regret overpaying for something than I ever got from not buying it in the first place.

In case you're wondering, it's the most I've paid for anything so far, and I have almost every Shuttle crew except 51L and a few other commons.