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  [Heritage] Signature Space Exploration (May 2014)

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Author Topic:   [Heritage] Signature Space Exploration (May 2014)
lunareagle
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Posts: 587
From: Michigan
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 04-04-2014 10:36 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for lunareagle   Click Here to Email lunareagle     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The items for the upcoming Heritage May, 14 2014 space sale are beginning to uploaded on Heritage's website. There will be many flown items not seen before so keep looking out for them.

rgarner
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From: Shepperton, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012

posted 04-04-2014 12:01 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for rgarner   Click Here to Email rgarner     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
This is the best looking auction I have seen for quite some time. Wallet at the ready!

lunareagle
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Posts: 587
From: Michigan
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 04-20-2014 07:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for lunareagle   Click Here to Email lunareagle     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The May 14 space auction has now opened for online bidding. Good Luck to everyone getting the items they wish.

I always recommend putting your maximum bid in advance in order to avoid technological problems and disappointment, which have occurred in the past with many auction houses. Your advance bid will assure that you are in the game.

Greggy_D
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Posts: 977
From: Michigan
Registered: Jul 2006

posted 04-20-2014 08:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Greggy_D   Click Here to Email Greggy_D     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by rgarner:
This is the best looking auction I have seen for quite some time. Wallet at the ready!
But one of the worst for those of us who focus on the shuttle.

There isn't a single shuttle item that I find to be even remotely compelling (and that's a first in an extremely long time).

Spaceguy5
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Posts: 427
From: Pampa, TX, US
Registered: May 2011

posted 04-20-2014 08:55 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Spaceguy5   Click Here to Email Spaceguy5     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Greggy_D:
But one of the worst for those of us who focus on the shuttle.
Same, but at least my wallet will survive for another month.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

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

posted 04-23-2014 09:54 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
collectSPACE
Apollo 12 astronaut's moon mementos up for auction

The fourth man to walk on the moon is selling a small treasure trove of artifacts he brought back from his lunar voyage.

Apollo 12 lunar module pilot Alan Bean, who with the late Charles "Pete" Conrad achieved the United States' second manned lunar landing in November 1969, has consigned a collection of his moon memorabilia to Heritage Auctions of Dallas, Texas for their May 14 sale.

"When it comes to collecting this [type of] material, pieces that have been on the lunar surface, with an astronaut, are by far the most highly sought after," Howard Weinberger, space memorabilia consultant for Heritage, said. "At every level of this material there is something spectacular and notable in terms of America's lunar program."

SkyMan1958
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Posts: 867
From: CA.
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posted 04-23-2014 04:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SkyMan1958   Click Here to Email SkyMan1958     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Let's not forget Heritage is charging a commission of TWENTY-FIVE percent on these items.

Greggy_D
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Posts: 977
From: Michigan
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posted 04-23-2014 06:29 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Greggy_D   Click Here to Email Greggy_D     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for the reminder, Sy.

SpaceAholic
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Posts: 4437
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 04-23-2014 06:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceAholic   Click Here to Email SpaceAholic     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by SkyMan1958:
Heritage is charging a commission of TWENTY-FIVE percent on these items.
Crazy...

4allmankind
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Posts: 1043
From: Dallas
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 04-23-2014 07:05 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for 4allmankind   Click Here to Email 4allmankind     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Never thought I'd miss the days of 18%!

gliderpilotuk
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Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 04-24-2014 11:11 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for gliderpilotuk   Click Here to Email gliderpilotuk     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
And don't forget they also charge the seller 15-20% on the closing price, so they actually net ~40% of sale proceeds.

Anyone want to start an auction house?

Spacehardware
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Posts: 125
From: Durley
Registered: Jan 2008

posted 04-29-2014 06:24 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Spacehardware   Click Here to Email Spacehardware     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Alan Bean's PLSS strap is a fantastic item and would be the centrepiece of any collection, but I cannot help but be a little saddened that the artifact itself has been written over to such an extent.

I think a signature always looks good and quite appropriate, but surely a certificate of authenticity with a photo bearing the serial number of the item together with the astronaut's signature would suffice and preserve the originality of the artifact 'as used'.

Would still love it given a lottery win or two....

SpaceAholic
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Posts: 4437
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 04-29-2014 06:29 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceAholic   Click Here to Email SpaceAholic     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Over time the ink will very likely fade/yellow on that permeable Beta-Cloth to the point of illegibility and what will be left is another defaced artifact.

lunareagle
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Posts: 587
From: Michigan
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 04-29-2014 10:58 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for lunareagle   Click Here to Email lunareagle     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
While I am certainly sympathetic to the group who dislikes the certifying of artifacts directly on them, there is another side to consider.

Those of us who have collected space artifacts for some time have witnessed the meteoric rise in the popularity and prices of prize artifacts. It was no surprise. It was strictly a matter of time until the knowledge of the availability of these items came to the attention of a greater audience. We are now there.

Unfortunately, in the world in which we currently live, when something becomes valuable, attempts are made to counterfeit it for quick ill-gotten gain. Even with part numbers and serial numbers, it is not beyond the scope of imagination to believe that a good counterfeit can be produced as evidenced by a few artisan collectors who have created wonderful replicas (not to deceive) of a few space artifacts.

As time has gone by, the sensitivity to the certifications has not fallen on deaf ear and attempts to certify on the reverse of an object has been considered and is more often being done than in years past. The Bean items in the upcoming sale are certified on the reverses of the items.

In the end, it remains a two-sided debate. I for one have no issue with the certification directly on an item. In fact, I prefer it. Especially if a certification letter was to become separated from an object. The argument of sharpie fadings, etc. is way overblown. Yes, if one is to keep your artifact in direct sun or out indefinitely, it can fade. However, these are museum quality artifacts we are discussing and if you consider the museums who display similar artifacts, you will know that dim light, UV protection, etc. is provided. I would suggest a collector going for high quality artifacts also spend the time to protect them properly. I have sharpie signed items that are over 20 years old and haven’t a hint of fading.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

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

posted 04-29-2014 11:21 AM     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 lunareagle:
However, these are museum quality artifacts...
The nation's leading museum curators and conservators will be the first to tell you that you should avoid permanently altering any artifact — even on the reverse — as from a professional perspective, it does indeed deface, damage and possibly even ultimately devalue the item.

SpaceAholic
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Posts: 4437
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 04-29-2014 11:37 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceAholic   Click Here to Email SpaceAholic     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by lunareagle:
The argument of sharpie fadings, etc. is way overblown. Yes, if one is to keep your artifact in direct sun or out indefinitely, it can fade.
There have been prior cS threads addressing the permanence of Sharpie's — even Sharpie's FAQs concede that all "permanent" versions of their pens ultimately fade. Sharpie is also in no position to warrant how the ink chemicals will interact with Beta-Cloth over time.

Unfortunately many collectors take the short view (i.e. permanence for the duration of individual ownership vice the multi-generational disposition of the altered artifact).

lunareagle
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Posts: 587
From: Michigan
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 04-29-2014 04:37 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for lunareagle   Click Here to Email lunareagle     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
With all due respect to museum curators, I would agree with not certifying directly on an artifact IF it were someone other than the actual astronaut who wore or used the artifact who was doing the certifying. It isn't you or I writing the certification on the item, it is the astronaut himself.

A large share, maybe the majority of, historic artifacts currently in museums, have not the ability to have the historic personality certify anything, likely because they are not alive to do so.

A great part of collecting space is indeed the fact that many of the participants are still alive or have been within the last decade or so. That is so rare with truly important historic moments or events. I have contended that we all had taken it for granted that our Space pioneers were still with us and that it was one reason that the popularity was not larger than it is becoming to be.

The idea that any of these artifacts have been defaced and potentially worth less seems a silly notion to me.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

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

posted 04-29-2014 06:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
So was it Heritage's or (in this example) Bean's idea to inscribe the strap?

Did the piece arrive at Heritage already signed without any previous conversation about it, or did Heritage ask Bean to sign it?

Mercurypgm
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From: Houston, Tx
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 04-29-2014 10:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mercurypgm   Click Here to Email Mercurypgm     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Lets not forget that for those of us who live in Texas that we also pay 8.25% in sales tax. A good day to play golf instead of bidding.

chet
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Posts: 1506
From: Beverly Hills, Calif.
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-30-2014 02:37 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for chet   Click Here to Email chet     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
Did the piece arrive at Heritage already signed without any previous conversation about it, or did Heritage ask Bean to sign it?
I don't really see what difference this makes; apparently Bean thought inscribing the strap a good enough idea that he either did it on his own, or agreed with Heritage's suggestion to do so. And just who came up with the idea ultimately doesn't change the fact that some collectors will prefer it one way, and others another.

space1
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From: Danville, Ohio
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 04-30-2014 04:59 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for space1   Click Here to Email space1     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
From my perspective as a collector, I would prefer that flown hardware be kept in the same condition in which it flew. If an item were marked up by an astronaut during the mission or by NASA after the mission, that's part of its history. While I understand the desire for certification, I would prefer that it be documented in some other way than on the artifact itself. That may not be realistic, but still that is my preference.

SpaceAholic
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From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 04-30-2014 05:31 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceAholic   Click Here to Email SpaceAholic     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by chet:
I don't really see what difference this makes; apparently Bean thought inscribing the strap a good enough idea that he either did it on his own, or agreed with Heritage's suggestion to do so.
Makes a difference to collectors if Heritage (which purports to be an advocate for the collecting community and history) is fostering practices that on balance are harmful to the artifacts they are selling.

SkyMan1958
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Posts: 867
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011

posted 04-30-2014 09:49 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for SkyMan1958   Click Here to Email SkyMan1958     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Mercurypgm:
Lets not forget that for those of us who live in Texas that we also pay 8.25% in sales tax...

In CA. it's 9%...

Robert Pearlman
Editor

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

posted 04-30-2014 09:56 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
If you set a budget before the auction (good advice in any case), then commission fees and taxes reduce your high bid. If you win, then you have paid what you were going to pay anywhere else, and if not, well, then it wasn't meant to be.

spaced out
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Posts: 3110
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 04-30-2014 10:15 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
9%? Call that a tax? Import duties here in France frequently top 30%. Now that really hurts.

lunareagle
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Posts: 587
From: Michigan
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 04-30-2014 10:18 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for lunareagle   Click Here to Email lunareagle     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by chet:
I don't really see what difference this makes; apparently Bean thought inscribing the strap a good enough idea that he either did it on his own, or agreed with Heritage's suggestion to do so.
In the end, we are all just trying to best protect these few artifacts that have survived. The debate is about how and we know there is not a definitive answer to satisfy everyone.

Agreed, no matter who, what or why, some are certified and others are not.

And, if we count all of the items that have come up to sale over the last decade or two, there is a mixture of certification types.

There are so few artifacts remaining in the collections of the astronauts, it is not going to continue to be an issue going forward.

This may indeed be one of the last great offerings coming directly from the astronauts.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

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

posted 04-30-2014 10:26 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Okay, so getting back to the specifics of this sale, how is Bean altering/amending his inscription on the strap to correct for the identification error? Or is the correction not being noted on the strap itself?

mmmoo
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Posts: 551
From: London, England
Registered: May 2001

posted 04-30-2014 10:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for mmmoo   Click Here to Email mmmoo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It looks like Bean has used some kind of spirit to rub out the 'Shoulder' inscription and change it to the 'Waist' inscription.

New:

Old:

Jeff
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From: Fayetteville, NC, USA
Registered: May 2009

posted 04-30-2014 10:47 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jeff   Click Here to Email Jeff     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Robert, they already have the amended item displayed on the auction site... Looks like Beano erased the word shoulder and replaced it with waist... along with a lot of smudges.

chet
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Posts: 1506
From: Beverly Hills, Calif.
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-30-2014 11:28 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for chet   Click Here to Email chet     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by SpaceAholic:
...fostering practices that on balance are harmful to the artifacts they are selling.
That depends on what one considers "harmful" in this case. Even when the sharpie fades, there will be vestiges of Bean's inscription for a long time, clearly identifying it as the one he wore on the moon. Some future collectors might appreciate that.

For what it's worth, I'd have preferred the certification be "off-artifact" in this instance, simply for aesthetic reasons.

lunareagle
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Posts: 587
From: Michigan
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 05-13-2014 03:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for lunareagle   Click Here to Email lunareagle     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just a final heads up that the Heritage sale goes live tomorrow. Once again, a wonderful opportunity to acquire incredible artifacts directly from the astronauts.

Consider putting in your maximum bids tonight in order to avoid any disappointment with technical issues.

Good luck to everyone. I hope you all get what you are hunting for. Remember what I always say "My only regrets are for the things I didn't buy."

YankeeClipper
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Posts: 617
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: Mar 2011

posted 05-14-2014 01:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for YankeeClipper   Click Here to Email YankeeClipper     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Wow! Some really serious bids going in for Alan Bean's lunar module flown and surface used items.

rgarner
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From: Shepperton, United Kingdom
Registered: Mar 2012

posted 05-14-2014 04:33 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for rgarner   Click Here to Email rgarner     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
And some memorabilia went very cheap. I got myself an Apollo 11 crew signed dollar bill quite cheap! I've been wanting one of those for so long — best purchase of the year by far!

spaced out
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From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 05-15-2014 07:59 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaced out   Click Here to Email spaced out     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Heritage should be pleased with these results, especially Bean's flown items.

As people probably know I'm a big fan of flown items of personal equipment but even I was surprised by the $100k hit by Bean's scissors, and plenty of other items hit impressive levels too, such as the Fisher Space Pen at over $53k. The PLSS strap was always going to sell high and at $93,750 it didn't disappoint.

The Apollo 12 spacecraft ID plates provided a good illustration of the premium collectors place on lunar surface flown items over those flown to lunar orbit, with the LM plate hitting $50k versus just over $7k for the CM plate.

This auction didn't see the traditional lineup of Robbins medallions but both Apollo 11 examples hit a solid $37,500. The Apollo 17 flown Robbins medallion reached nearly $60k, a result of the drive of deep-pocketed collectors to complete a set of flown Robbins medallions hitting the bottle-neck of the very limited number of flown medallions from that flight.

All-in-all a clear indication of a strong market for high-end space collectibles.

davidcwagner
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Posts: 799
From: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 06-08-2014 02:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for davidcwagner   Click Here to Email davidcwagner     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Anyone get their auction lots yet? Paid for mine on May 15 and got back an email about delivery in 14-21 days. Asked about delivery through Heritage site on June 2 or 3. Still no response.

Sam Que
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Posts: 180
From: Chicago, IL, United States
Registered: Feb 2009

posted 06-08-2014 05:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Sam Que   Click Here to Email Sam Que     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Paid for mine on May 15th and received the two items on the 19th. Two photos in a pretty large box.

SkyMan1958
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Posts: 867
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011

posted 06-08-2014 09:05 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SkyMan1958   Click Here to Email SkyMan1958     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I got my lot easily within a week of when I paid for it.

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