posted 12-11-2004 10:26 AM               

Of course, Christie's results were the exception rather then the rule, a result Forbes says was due in part to the rise of online sites like eBay and this one (in a recent interview, I commented that the understanding of what is and is not rare has become better understood as more collectors are exposed to each other and share their experiences and collections online).

Reporter Ashlea Ebeling still feels the market is "thriving", able to support two new auction houses, Aurora and Swann. The latter confirms its next space auction as proceeding. "Swann's April 2005 sale will feature a navigational chart from Apollo 11, and another toothbrush, this one carried by Gordon Cooper on the Mercury Faith 7 mission."

Click here to read the article (may require registration)

posted 12-12-2004 01:49 PM               

I think the advent of online entities like eBay and CollectSpace have helped our hobby tremendously. Before eBay, in my specialty of space covers, the market for the better material was cornered by a couple of auctioneers who kept cranking up the prices. Now with eBay, everyone is a potential dealer, and the better material surfaces more often and for lower prices. With CS we can share information and provide each other guidance on authenticity.

posted 12-14-2004 03:31 AM               

The higher end and crew signed items don't really seem to have suffered and are still holding their values but by and large there has definately been a dip in values realised at eBay and AA. IMHO the next boom (no pun intended) in collecting will be with flight test related material, particularly from the X-1 to lifting body era.

As a collector I'm quite happy to get what I can at the prices I'm paying and sometimes you can pick up a real bargain, particularly from the aurora auction. I'd won a lot of autopen vintage signed Mercury lithos (the Glenn was supposed to be the only genuine autograph). As it turns out the Shepard and Carpenter were genuine also... and the Shepard is one of the best examples of his signature I've ever seen.... an absolute classic vintage signature. Those lithos cost me $80 plus 20% buyers premium.... I figure I'm at least $400 up on the whole deal!!

Now is a VERY GOOD time for buyers... particularly if you happen to live in the UK or Europe

posted 12-23-2004 08:29 PM               

How many navigational charts are there from this mission? The information below is from this website.

1) From Swann 2004 sale: 143 Flown Apollo 11 Navigational Chart used during the first lunar landing, signed and inscribed by Aldrin $29,900.00. Which was described as "a navigational chart showing the descent path of the spacecraft over the Moon's crater-covered surface. The chart was used by Aldrin and crewmate Neil Armstrong as they approached the surface for the first lunar landing"

2) From Swann 2003 sale: 174 FLOWN Apollo XI navigational chart. 22,000

And now there is *another* navigational chart?!

posted 12-24-2004 04:31 PM               

There were several navigation charts (maps) used on LM Eagle. Swann lot 143 was a descent chart used in the landing. Lot 174 was a ascent chart used when it left the moon to rendevous with the CM. I guess Eagle carried five or six descent charts and at least three or four ascent charts. There were other charts carried on the LM, but the real prize would be the lunar surface map(s) intended to guide their surface exploration. Of course Eagle over shot its expected landing site so I don't know if their surface maps covered the actual landing site. As I recall it took a quite a while to determine exactly where Eagle landed.