|
Author
|
Topic: [Sotheby's] Space Exploration (Jul 2025)
|
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 54914
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 06-17-2025 01:36 PM
   
Sotheby's next Space Exploration sale is scheduled for July 2, 2025 in New York: This year’s Space Exploration sale coincides with the 50th anniversary of the final crewed flight of an Apollo spacecraft and the sale includes an incredible collection of Space Flown and Lunar Surface Flown artifacts from each of the Apollo missions, original artwork by space art pioneer Chesley Bonestell, rare large format space photographs, hardware and prototypes. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 54914
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 07-02-2025 12:22 PM
The sale is now scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday (July 3). |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 54914
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 07-03-2025 12:04 PM
The 109 lot auction catalog is now online and open for bids through 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) on July 15, 2025. |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 5485
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 07-03-2025 02:52 PM
The Soyuz panel (indicated on the lot description as Soyuz TM) has a Soyuz-T Globus INK installed. Soyuz TM flew with a different variant thus likely components combined together (T + TM) to complete this assembly. |
Andy Anderson
Member Posts: 134
From: Perth, Australia
Registered: Dec 2009
|
posted 07-04-2025 03:22 AM
Does anybody know what is the story behind Lot. No. 99 - Apollo 18 TLI Procedures Check List? It appears to have pages from Apollo 8 checklists and I saw it somewhere online with a poor recreation of an Apollo FCOH back in 2016. As far as I can tell the SKB checklist number appears to be out of sequence with the Apollo 17 sequence being up to SKB32100123-***. I thought it might be a movie prop for the film Apollo 18 but that was released in 2011 later than the date it was withdrawn from Intrepid's library.
This image shows Bill Anders' Apollo 8 LMP checklist at the National Air and Space Museum and the checklist dates correspond:  And this one of the other Apollo 18 manual and just from the size of the binding rings you can see how non NASA it is:  |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 5485
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 07-04-2025 07:45 AM
If I recall correctly it was a prop intended for the mini-series (Earth to the Moon). |
Andy Anderson
Member Posts: 134
From: Perth, Australia
Registered: Dec 2009
|
posted 07-04-2025 08:18 PM
I should have remembered this. The item when it came up for sale on eBay, was discussed on cS in 2016: Opinions & Advice — 381874659646: Apollo 18 (?!) Handbook.Although not a NASA publication, given that a model of the original Star Trek Enterprise-D sold for $576,000 back in 2006, it isn't surprising that unique movie props can result in competitive bidding. |
stsmithva
Member Posts: 2126
From: Fairfax, VA
Registered: Feb 2007
|
posted 07-05-2025 07:19 PM
I found one lot to be particularly interesting: the Gemini Program On-Board Computer Training Attendance Sheet Signed by 24 Astronauts.Besides the fact that it is an amazing collection of signatures, it was the very first "prime" item I ever got for my space collection, back in 2007. Here is a collectSPACE post I wrote about it the next year, after bringing it to an Astronaut Scholarship Foundation event and talking with some of the signers about it. I sold it more than ten years ago towards a down payment on our house; otherwise I definitely would have held onto it. I wish the consignor good luck. I might try to get it back! |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 5485
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 07-10-2025 09:17 PM
Lot 52 (Apollo 11 flown flag) is slightly exceeding its pre-auction estimate. |
413 is in
Member Posts: 735
From: Alexandria, VA USA
Registered: May 2006
|
posted 07-15-2025 04:43 PM
Slightly. Looks like it sold for $444,500. Oh well, maybe next time. |
spkjb
Member Posts: 150
From: Merritt Island, Florida USA
Registered: May 2011
|
posted 07-16-2025 07:00 AM
To me, an exceptional price for an Apollo 11 "flown" (not "landed") artifact. Even if it was landed, would this price not be pushing the envelope of comparable prices for such an item? Would appreciate other opinions.I was quite surprised that the first three lots of "Space Art" did not sell. This was especially true of the Bonestell and McCall art; two of the most recognized space artists (possibly the foremost of this type of art). The surprise was amplified by the "top shelf" prices of Bonestell art in the recent Christie's auction. Perhaps the "Paul Allen" cachet of that auction helped pricing but still not 'Splain it Lucy the "no sells." |
Larry McGlynn
Member Posts: 1457
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Jul 2003
|
posted 07-16-2025 09:45 AM
I also noted that the art pieces did not sell nor appear to have a bid placed on them. I think the reason is probably due to size and subject matter of the Bonestell and McCall pieces. The Bonestell is not one of his best works and at close to seven feet long and almost two feet in height it isn't a painting that you can hang in your man cave. The McCall subject unusual and was a sales pitch for a restaurant in a casino. It also is almost 7 feet long. So it didn't really surprise me that none of these paintings were sold. If I were to estimate purchase prices they would be about half of the starting bid prices listed on the auction site. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 54914
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 07-16-2025 05:54 PM
From Sotheby's: ...Space Exploration on 15 July, which achieved nearly double the low estimate with $2M, setting a record for a Space Flown flag for Buzz Aldrin’s American flag which flew to the Moon on Apollo 11 at $445,000.Among the other noteworthy lots were the Large-Scale Lunar Orbiter V Mosaic of Crater Aristarchus at $165,000, a Vintage NASA Red-letter photograph of Neil Armstrong on the moon, which sold for $95,250 USD (est. $25,000 - 40,000), and a Landing Site Chart Signed and Inscribed by LMP Buzz Aldrin and CAPCOM Charles Duke, selling for $127,000 (est. $8,000 - $12,000). |
advertisement