posted 03-10-2005 12:51 PM               

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Our third annual Space Exploration auction offers a broad range of significant material. The auction features equipment, artifacts, medallions, photographs, books, charts and maps, including many flown items, from the collections of Buzz Aldrin, David Brown, Michael Collins, Gordon Cooper, Chales Duke, Edgar Mitchell, Thomas Stafford, Al Worden, and others.

Among the many highlights are a Project Mercury Brochure with one of the earliest group of signatures done by the Mercury astronauts just after their selection by NASA in April 1959, from the estate of Gordon Cooper (see top illustration); a 6 by 6 inch Flown United States Flag inscribed and signed by Michael Collins, "Carried to the Moon on Apollo XI, July 1969, Michael Collins, CMP." Mounted on a NASA certificate also signed by Collins, 1969 (second illustration); and an Apollo 13 LM Systems Data Book Page with a schematic of the Lunar Module Cooling System that was a critical reference tool during the problematic flight, with notes and calculations written by Fred Haise (third illustration).

Among many Space Shuttle items is a 1986 color lithograph image of the ill-fated crew that became the first to lose their lives during a U.S. space mission. The picture is signed by the crew members, including teacher Christa McAuliffe (fourth illustration).

And poster highlights include a poster for Skylab 1 & 2, Your Craftsmanship – Their Performance, that featured crew members Charles Conrad, Joe Kerwin and Paul J. Weitz, signed by 25 astronauts and more than 25 NASA personnel and guests (see last illustration).

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posted 03-14-2005 08:14 PM            

I went ahead and registered with them today as it appeared that was what was needed to finally view some of the lots online. No soap.

It seems if you dont fork over $35 for one of their catalogs, you dont get to see what all the hoopla is.

I dont care how "posh" and upscale this Swann outfit is supposed to be, if you dont give people a proper chance to see, research and get familiar with the items they are going to bid big bucks on, then its a doggone shame.

If I ordered a catalog today I might.. just might.. get it with somwthing like a week or less to go before the auction. Sorry... if we are all too downscale and "common" for them to bother with by posting things.. even teeny tiny thumbnails.. then I dont entirely feel comfortable forking over a 15% hammer fee on top of the winning bid.

You rich guys who get the catalog and win some items can fill all us peons in on the good stuff...

posted 03-15-2005 02:32 PM               

Swann's representative said the on-line versions of all their catalogues comes on line 7 to 10 days after the printed catalog's release.

posted 04-02-2005 06:23 PM               

Most sale item sold within the estimated ranges. I only spotted two or three deals and a whole lot of "Wow's!"... $8,500 for a flown Apollo 10 patch, $1,100 for photograph of Neil and Buzz, signed only buy Buzz, $7,000 for a flown Apollo 12 patch...

posted 04-02-2005 07:03 PM               

I wonder how long it will take Aurora to notify their winners of what they have won.

posted 04-02-2005 07:49 PM               

Phil

posted 04-02-2005 08:46 PM               

Walt's manuals did pretty well. I'll have to talk him into putting some of them onto his site. Couldn't believe that one of his CSM training manuals fetched $1000. A year ago, the average price was close to $55.

And I think I saved Larry McGlynn a few hundred bucks by not bidding him up on some key items.

posted 04-05-2005 04:55 AM               

I won lot 195 (Volume I of the same book) and would be interested in trading Xerox copies (or maybe a pdf scan?) if you're interested.

Cheers,
Matt

posted 04-05-2005 07:11 PM               

I have done this before. Swann will take offers on lots. The offer has to be more than the reserve. If it is, then they will sell it.

If you call Swann and ask for Andy. Then tell him the lot number and a price, he will tell you if it is over the reserve.

posted 04-08-2005 01:45 PM               

I failed to recognize any of the crew that I usually meet at the auction. I missed having the fun and camaraderie of friends at the auction. I wished that you had been there Tracy.

Based upon my notes from last year and this year’s results, I would have to say that surprisingly, the auction was more of a success. I had been hearing from several collectors of artifacts that they were going to be quiet this year. Yet, the preliminary results show that the auction will do better this year.

The floor was very active. The house was happy with Ebay, but it only accounted for 15% of lots won. The phones were active, the lots won by phone represented 23% Together the off site bidding represented 38% of the total lots won.

Another interesting thing is about 82% of the lots sold this year. Last year the total sales of the auction was around $400,000 with 67% of the lots sold and this year the sale has generated over $500,000 so far. I called Swann on a piece after the auction and found that it had been sold, so pieces are still going out the door.

The interesting thing is the 62% of the lots were sold to on the floor bidders. Now I have been attending this auction since 1999, when it was at Christie’s. I am used to seeing people I know at the auction every year and last year in particular when we had a regular Collectspace convention at Swann. This year was different, I knew no one. Does this mean that there are new space collectors out there in the market? I hope so.

And yes, Tracy, I did get hold of that Snoopy pin and few other things too. :-)

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Larry McGlynn
A Tribute to Apollo

posted 04-12-2005 04:18 PM               

Apollo Mission Material Generates Interest At Swann Galleries' Annual Space Exploration Auction On April 2

Early Rocket Component Designs, Spacecraft Models and Flown Apollo Mission Material
Among Sale Highlights

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Swann Galleries' third-annual Space Exploration auction on Saturday, April 2 saw spirited bidding and high interest from phone bidders for a diverse selection of flown material from the Apollo missions, early sketches of rocket components by Robert H. Goddard, and many attractive spacecraft models.

Gregg Linebaugh, Organizer and Cataloguer of the auction, said, "Interest was high and bidding strong for a wide range of items including photographs, rare books, manuscripts and spacecraft models—with many collectors buying at Swann for the first time. As always, much attention was paid to items from the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. There was also significant interest in flown flight manual material from Apollo 13—the mission in which the crew survived an oxygen tank explosion, as dramatized in the 1995 hit movie—which nearly doubled its pre-sale estimate."

Among those sought-after Apollo 11 items were a Flown Navigational Chart with Lunar Dust, inscribed and signed by Buzz Aldrin, which brought $32,200* ; a Flown Lunar Module (LM) Lunar Surface Checklist page with Buzz Aldrin's notations made while in the LM on the moon, inscribed and signed by Aldrin, $27,600; a Flown 4x6 inch U.S. Flag, inscribed and signed by Michael Collins, $17,250; a Lunar Landing "Insurance" Cover signed by Aldrin, Armstrong and Collins, Houston, 20 July 1969, $5,980; and a Flown Apollo 11 Robbins Medallion with a Typed Letter Signed by Paul Weitz, 1969, $5,750.

A selection of items from the Apollo 13 mission, famous for its narrow escape from disaster, included a Flown Lunar Module Contingency Checklist sheet on which Fred Haise recorded critical flight data during the life-and-death struggle of the mission, and a Flown Lunar Module Systems Data Book page with a schematic of the Lunar Module Cooling System containing Fred Haise's notes and calculations, both inscribed and signed by Haise, $5,750 each; as well as Haise's flown Robbins Medallion and Silver Snoopy, $2,760 and $2,185.

Among the other Apollo highlights were Walt Cunningham's Flown Apollo 7 LMP Checklist page with marks and additions made during flight, 1968, $2,160; an Apollo 9 Launch Plotting Chart used in Mission Control to measure telemetry from the Apollo 9 Saturn V vehicle, 1969, $4,140; a Flown Apollo 10 Cloth Crew Patch with a Typed Letter Signed by Thomas Stafford, $9,775; a Flown Apollo 12 Cloth Crew Patch with a Typed Letter Signed by Gordon Cooper, 1969, $8,050; and Edgar Mitchell's Apollo 14 Robbins Sterling Medallion, with a typed letter signed, 1971, $2,990.

Rounding out the Apollo material were flown items from Apollo 16 including a Lunar Orbit Chart carried to the lunar surface inscribed and signed by Charles Duke, $13,800; and Duke's Flown Apollo 16 Conversion Cue Card, with Lunar Dust, 1971, $4,830. There was also an extra-large 5-inch Apollo Soyuz Cloth Patch personalized with Tom Stafford's initials, with a Typed Letter Signed by Stafford, 1975, $5,980; an Apollo Lunar Landing Mission Profile with an 85-step diagram illustrating all key steps involved in an Apollo lunar landing mission, 1969, inscribed and signed by Walt Cunningham, Tom Stafford, Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Fred Haise, Edgar Mitchell, Al Worden and Charles M. Duke, $5,980.

Several items from the estate of Gordon Cooper, all signed and inscribed, included a U.S. Flag from the "Faith 7" Mercury Mission, 1963, $5,750; and an extra-large U.S Flag measuring 12x18 inches taken on Gemini 5, 1965, $8,050. Other material related to Cooper included Gemini 5 and 12 Mission Patches, 1965 and 1966, $5,980 and $4,370 respectively.

Sharing the spotlight with the flown material were items from the father of American rocketry, Robert H. Goddard, for whom NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is named, including two sheets of technical notes and drawings of rocket engine and tank valves which brought $18,400 and $12,650; and a manuscript with notes on alternative valve designs, $7,475. All of the material descended in the family of a machinist who worked closely with Goddard.

Other autograph highlights included an early group of signatures by the Original Seven astronauts on a NASA brochure from April 1959 that brought $3,450; and a Project Gemini Familiarization Manual inscribed by six Gemini astronauts, 1965, $1,725. A copy of Martin Caidin's book about Project Mercury, The Astronauts, signed by all of the 1960-61 Mercury astronauts sold for $4,140.

Compelling photographs and other images included a signed color photograph of Buzz Aldrin during one of his Gemini 12 space walks, $1,380; an 8x10 color photograph signed by Aldrin of Neil Armstrong and Aldrin placing the U.S. flag on the Moon, $1,265; an extremely clear color photo of Gemini 7 as viewed by Gemini 6 while in earth orbit signed by Tom Stafford and Wally Shirra, $1,955; and a rare crew signed lithograph portrait of the space shuttle crew who died tragically during their mission in 1986, $3,910.

Also desirable were several spacecraft models, including a model of the vehicle that carried Yuri Gagarin into orbit in 1961, $11,500; as well as a 14-inch Soyuz-Apollo model, $10,925; a model of the Space Shuttle with an 18-inch long external tank and two 17-inch solid rocket boosters, $8,625; and an Apollo "Executive" Contractor model of the Apollo Command/Service Module atop the Spacecraft/LM Adapter, that stands 26 inches tall, $8,050.

For complete auction results, an illustrated catalogue with prices realized can be purchased for $35 from Swann Auction Galleries, 104 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010, or viewed online at www.swanngalleries.com.

For information about the 2005 Space Exploration auction, please contact George Lowry at (212) 254-4710, extension 303, or via email at glowry@swanngalleries.com.

*Prices include buyer's premium.

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