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Author
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Topic: Space-related autographs cut from larger items
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davidcwagner
Member Posts: 1128
From: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 04-25-2025 12:16 PM
   
Who do people think of items like these: astronaut or space-related autographs (in this case, Gene Kranz) that have been cut from larger items? Do you collect them? Hate them?  |
Jupiter24
Member Posts: 17
From: Germany
Registered: Mar 2024
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posted 04-25-2025 12:53 PM
Two quick thoughts on this. Firstly, you can ask yourself once again what value certificates of authenticity have. And secondly, the term 'cut' takes on this item a whole new meaning... |
Axman
Member Posts: 737
From: Derbyshire UK
Registered: Mar 2023
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posted 04-25-2025 01:19 PM
Absolutely detest them. (I hate them second only to covers with tiny stuck on pieces of kapton foil.) |
Jupiter24
Member Posts: 17
From: Germany
Registered: Mar 2024
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posted 04-25-2025 01:34 PM
When you see the offer on eBay, for example, I always ask myself how many soccer fields could be covered with the Kapton foil if they were all placed next to each other. But that's another story... |
RMH
Member Posts: 614
From: Ohio
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 04-26-2025 12:00 PM
I am definitely in the hate category on the autograph cut items. I have rarely seen a cut item look nice within a collection. |
cosmos-walter
Member Posts: 864
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 04-26-2025 01:54 PM
I would not take into consideration collecting such cut items. Even for experts it is more difficult to recognize whether the signature is genuine, if it is without any context. However, everybody may collect what he likes. There are collectors of beer mats, newspaper cuts, etc. |
bobslittlebro
Member Posts: 319
From: Douglasville, Ga U.S.A.
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 04-26-2025 02:09 PM
Items like this I would not ever consider having in my collection. |
Bob M
Member Posts: 2032
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 04-26-2025 05:29 PM
How about cut signatures from personal checks? This is a signature of Arthur Urbanski cut from one of his personal checks. Urbanski's signature is quite rare, as he was one of the 118 original Werhner von Braun team members from Peenemuende, Germany. This came into my possession probably by way of a family member after Mr. Urbanski was deceased and they didn't want to include the entire check with his banking information.  |
cosmos-walter
Member Posts: 864
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 04-27-2025 05:14 AM
If it was my goal to collect the signatures of all original Werhner von Braun team members from Peenemunde I certainly would put it into my collection. By the way: This cut still reveals that it was a check. |
bobslittlebro
Member Posts: 319
From: Douglasville, Ga U.S.A.
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 04-27-2025 07:29 AM
David, one of the great things about our hobby is that the span of collecting autographs, flown items, etc. is vast. If you enjoy collecting these items than go for it. Each and every one of us that collect space related items have our own interest. |
Bob M
Member Posts: 2032
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 04-27-2025 10:48 AM
This is an excellent autograph topic that I don't believe we've explored yet.It's my opinion that an autograph's rarity and value should be the determining factor in a collector's decision to add a cut signature to his collection. Gene Kranz's signature doesn't fall in that category. Because of the rarity of Urbanski's signature, above, I'm very happy to have a cut of his signature. Also, for example, I would be very happy to have a cut of Roger Chaffee's signature. But I would generally avoid cut signatures and have only one. More on this cut signature subject, are signatures of Button Gwinnett, one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence where only 51 examples of his signature are known. A signature of his cut from a document had an estimated value of $100,000-$150,000 in a Christies' auction. From an article I read, one fanatical, yet dedicated autograph collector, paid a hotel clerk to be allowed to cut a signature of a certain baseball player from the hotel's sign-in book. He collected autographs of everyone who played in at least one Major League Baseball game and he was determined to get that player's autograph - who had refused to sign for him in person - and he certainly had no qualms about cut signatures. Rarity is the prime factor and sometimes we autograph collectors have to take what we can. |
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