posted 10-07-2009 02:21 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by MarkRP:
It's not that that I'm complaining it's just that for those of us that have been to a lot of the Astronaut autograph shows here in the US it's seems to always be the same Astronauts at every show. It's when they add Astronauts that have never been to these shows before that gets me excited to go.

---

posted 10-08-2009 09:06 AM               

The ASF though, that's a different story. The reason for that is the Michael McCulley situation. For months the ASF had him on their website as attending the November show. Then he was taken down. Soon after that he is listed as the astronaut guest at Purdue University for Space Day the same weekend as the ASF show. What that says to me is that the ASF never had a firm commitment from Michael McCulley to attend their show. Yet they had him listed as attending for months on their website. Until they have a rock solid commitment from any guest they should not advertise them as attending.

Very rarely did you see anyone cancel from any of the Sims/Hankow shows. There are only two I can think of. Pavel Popovich from the New Jersey show and Bill Pogue from a couple of shows. As I understand it Pavel Popovich was because of work visa paperwork not getting approved on time and Bill Pogue for family emergencies. Sim/Hankow did five shows with only two cancellations. The ASF is on their second show with a combined 8 or 9 cancellations. If the ASF is going to continue to have astronaut autograph shows every year they need to do a better job of only advertising guests that they are 99% sure are going to attend. If collectors lose trust in their ability to do that they will not spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars to travel to their show. And since the money is going to such a good cause that would be a shame.

posted 10-08-2009 01:45 PM               

Also, Sims & Hankow disappeared when the first hint of competition arrived.

It's very hard to pick a date for these events that doesn't conflict with an auction (6 or more annually) another autograph show, signing or "rogue" events like Purdue.

Therefore, events have to be announced "prematurely" to secure a spot in the minds of attendees and guests.

Autographica has lots of changes. You can't contractually obligate astronauts for autographs, as you can a speaking engagement. You can sign them to a contract, but enforcing it can have unintended consequences in such a small group as astronauts.

posted 10-08-2009 03:20 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spacefest:
Curt Newport and Dee O'Hara (with all due respect) aren't likely to have anywhere else to go.

---

As I am sure you are well aware, Newport maintains a busy schedule of deep-water exploration projects, many of which are classified national security missions.

O'Hara continues to work on medical projects at NASA Ames, and is one of the longest-serving NASA workers.

So suggesting that they might not have anything else to do but attend an autograph show is doing them a disservice.

posted 10-08-2009 06:52 PM               

Clearly, I mean Curt or Dee don't have the conflictory demands on their time as a Buzz Aldrin or Gene Cernan.

posted 10-08-2009 08:00 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spacefest:
Also, Sims & Hankow disappeared when the first hint of competition arrived.

---

To be more specific, our Burbank and KSC events are widely considered flagship events by which all others have and will be measured for a long time to come. I encourage any of you to ask those who have been around awhile and learn for yourselves. Even check out the old collectSPACE archives.

I think beyond this, will let the groundbreaking events produced by Nolan and I (years before Spacefest was even a glint in Kim Poor's eye) speak for themselves. If you really want to know what it's like to produce an event such as this, give me a call or send me an email with your questions and I'll be happy to tell you the way it really works.

posted 10-08-2009 08:06 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by MarkRP:
Richard Mullane has been removed from the website. At this rate there won't be any Astronauts at the show. It sure would be nice for a change to see an Astronaut added instead of removed.

---

posted 10-09-2009 12:07 PM               

Meeting your heroes is always an honor, but when you want to add new faces to your collection, only to be let down as each guest drops is a sad affair. I understand that some guests have to cancel at the last minute, but weeks and months in advance of a show makes me wonder what kind of commitment they had to the show in the first place.

I have attended shows by a variety of "promoters" and have yet to be disappointed, but fortunately this year I did not make plans to attend this fall's ASF show. I hope all that attend have a fun time, I am going to spend the weekend in Indiana meeting one of the cancelled guests.

posted 10-09-2009 01:04 PM               

Astronauts and special guests are subject to change without notice.

I feel bad when it happens because most of us have spent so much money even before the show begins. All I am saying is as disappointing as these things can be, I cannot let it ruin the weekend.

posted 10-09-2009 08:41 PM               

As for the shows, there's been a lot of them. What is making Spacefest and the ASF shows so succesful is that new guests are coming.

They both have excelled in doing that. The show we did for the SWOF in 2004 actually brought Stafford out for the first time, and it was the first time Worden and Scott did one together.

posted 10-09-2009 11:51 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by bruce:
Actually Al, Tom Stafford made a signing appearance at the May 2003 UACC show (produced in partnership with Sims & Hankow Enterprises) at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC.

---

Not sure how anyone could think we didn't both "create", as well as "push the envelope" wherever it was possible. It was much harder in those days to solicit guests as the astronauts had not yet decided how they felt about the concept of an "Autograph Show/Space Convention". Earning their support to do public appearances for this purpose was no small task and were it not for our performance and word of mouth from some key astronauts who were the first to participate, obtaining new guests would have been even more difficult than it already was.

Though Kim Poor mentioned in his earlier post that we "were lucky", I would take exception to that. Rather we worked our asses off, taking chances, both financially and otherwise to pull these events off and making them successful. There was NO luck involved. Rather it was 10 solid months of creative thinking, planning and many sleepless nights leading up to the event itself and then it all flew by in a huge sweaty, stressful blur until it was over. Still, we loved it and that's the reason we persisted, year after year, rain or shine, profit or loss.

Now I think that when one does something very well, they sometimes become a moving target for others, and that's just what happened here. We drew up the blueprint and proved it could work, year after year. Eventually others followed, some for the right reasons and others for reasons that might surprise you, but that's not for discussion here. What Kim called our fear of a "little competition" is a gross over simplification and shame on him as he should know better. What he called fear was rather our great concern that too many similar events would spread the market too thin thereby making it unprofitable for the event promoter. Unfortunately we were correct and this became a reality. With the possible exception of the ASF (for which I do not have knowledge), the various event promoters have all taken a financial beating and I do mean "ALL", despite whatever "spin" was being presented to the collecting public at the time. This also includes our friends on the other side of the pond. This more than anything is what influenced Nolan and I to take a break after KSC in 2007. I would NOT rule out a future event but in this economy question just how many "like" events can the collecting community support? Get my point?

Anyway as always, I totally support (120%) our friends at the ASF and highly recommend you give them your support as well. Please attend their event at KSC or participate in any of their other functions as their cause and motives are unquestionably worthwhile.

I'll be there and hope to see a number of you there as well. Perhaps I can join you for a drink at the bar, a luxury I never had (but would have greatly appreciated) when these were my events (says smiling). Anyway, there's a little history lesson for anyone interested in hearing how it REALLY happened.

A number of you remember it well as evidenced by the several emails I've received in the last 24 hours. Is nice to hear from both friends and acquaintances and hope you'll keep in touch and visit my website, okay?

posted 10-10-2009 08:21 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by bruce:
Actually Al, Tom Stafford made a signing appearance at the May 2003 UACC show (produced in partnership with Sims & Hankow Enterprises) at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC.

---

posted 10-10-2009 08:53 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by alanh_7:
I understand Bill Anders does not often attend shows, so that he is there at all is a plus.

---

The ASF recently sent out invitations to the gala that made no mention of the concurrent show, promoting the gala on its own.

posted 10-10-2009 10:01 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by bruce:
The General's fees were just a wee bit cheaper then, I might add!

---

posted 10-10-2009 03:58 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rob Sumowski:
It is beginning to look like assembling a collection of signed M-G-A photos is no longer a hobby in which the average person- or at least a person with an average income- can participate.

---

I congratulate the ASF on Anders. He avoided SPACEFEST, and old friends, like the plague. We had an Apollo 9 reunion, so I eschew the "Pearlman 40th anniversary theory."

Bill and Valerie Anders were invited to come to our banquet, no autographs (even tho SF is not entirely an autograph show anyway.)

He was just down the street, and was "co-invited" by SDASM, our co-sponsor (he sits on the Board, and Apollo 9 is THERE.

posted 10-11-2009 12:16 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spacefest:
He avoided SPACEFEST, and old friends, like the plague. We had an Apollo 9 reunion, so I eschew the "Pearlman 40th anniversary theory." Bill and Valerie Anders were invited to come to our banquet, no autographs (even tho SF is not entirely an autograph show anyway.) He was just down the street, and was "co-invited" by SDASM, our co-sponsor (he sits on the Board, and Apollo 9 is THERE)

---

This posting contains a number of understandable but inaccurate statements regarding the San Diego Air & Space Museum and Bill Anders, so (speaking for myself and not officially for the museum) I feel it only correct to put the record straight.

While Bill Anders does many collaborative ventures with the museum, he does not sit on the museum board. Bill Shepherd is the only former astronaut currently on the board.

While I don't ever presume to speak for Bill and / or Valerie, I can say from personal knowledge:

- They were indeed invited to the banquet, were planning to come up until very close to the date, but had very good personal reasons that regretfully precluded them from attending.

- A number of Spacefest special guests instead privately had lunch with Bill and Valerie at their home at a time when they could meet with them. Certainly he was not avoiding old friends and colleagues, in fact he welcomed them to his home.

- We at the museum are most grateful that the Anders family are such a regular and continuing presence at our space events (the Race To the Moon events just weeks ago being one of many examples) and his willingness to chat and have photos taken with the guests. It's also been great to see he attended Apollo 7, 8 (naturally), 10, 11, and now plans to attend the Apollo 12 reunion events.

quote:

---

Originally posted by AJ:
We certainly would all love an Anders signing, but I for one am simply excited at the prospect of meeting a good man, whom I never thought I'd have a chance to meet.

---

posted 10-11-2009 07:07 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by alanh_7:
I understand Bill Anders does not often attend shows, so that he is there at all is a plus. Imagine how much it would help the ASF cause (not to mention many collections) if he did sign, even for a couple of hours?

---

posted 10-11-2009 04:46 PM               

I know both Ted and myself have really enjoyed the past two years, meeting up with fellow cS members, it has been a real pleasure to meet you all. Hope to see you in a future event.