Posts: 109 From: Los Altos an SF, CA, United States Registered: Sep 2011
posted 09-12-2020 10:07 AM
Pretty incredible stuff — Catalog:
RR's latest [Oct. 15, 2020] Space & Aviation sale boasts well over 500 extraordinary items — from Apollo artifacts to astronaut autographs, these lots offer a wide range of appeal.
The highlight of the auction is Gene Cernan's Apollo 17 EVA-3 cuff checklist, with his handwritten notes for the last speech given on the lunar surface.
Also offered are the original Cece Bibby-painted heat shield shingles from the MA-7 Aurora 7 and MA-8 Sigma 7 capsules, two iconic and immediately recognizable pieces of space history. Other items of interest include several meteorites, flown flags and relics, Apollo hardware, and a slew of signed prints and photographs.
thisismills Member
Posts: 355 From: Michigan Registered: Mar 2012
posted 09-12-2020 12:32 PM
Not often does such a large portion of a Mercury capsule come up for sale, let alone two in one sale, simply fantastic!
Photos from 1962, after Schirra's flight, show the panel already removed from the Sigma 7 spacecraft.
Would love to see them reunited with their spacecraft after all these years.
Had always wondered what happened to this piece of the puzzle. Happy to know they exist.
GACspaceguy Member
Posts: 2609 From: Guyton, GA Registered: Jan 2006
posted 09-12-2020 01:36 PM
I sure would like to know what the trail of ownership is on the shingles. I really feel they belong with the spacecraft. That's easy for me to say as I don't own them nor would I have a chance at affording to own them.
space1 Member
Posts: 882 From: Danville, Ohio Registered: Dec 2002
posted 09-12-2020 05:09 PM
Astounding historical items throughout the catalog!
SpaceAholic Member
Posts: 4669 From: Sierra Vista, Arizona Registered: Nov 1999
posted 09-16-2020 04:01 PM
Auction has now been uploaded to RR's website.
rgarner Member
Posts: 1278 From: Shepperton, United Kingdom Registered: Mar 2012
posted 09-16-2020 04:10 PM
I would urge everyone to look through the entire catalog as opposed to selected missions or you run the risk of missing out on some very special pieces.
space1 Member
Posts: 882 From: Danville, Ohio Registered: Dec 2002
posted 09-17-2020 09:29 AM
The auction includes a Gemini shingle (lot #4005) with a hand marking "S/C 7." As noted in the description, Gemini 7 is displayed with this shingle intact. I would also note that this could not be a flown shingle or from a test vehicle, because it does not have any mounting holes.
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 44857 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 09-25-2020 05:59 PM
RR Auction video
On December 14, 1972, Apollo 17 Commander Gene Cernan — the last Apollo moonwalker — delivered his parting words from the lunar surface. The Apollo program was over, and mankind knew not when it would return to another celestial body. Standing before the American flag, he delivered these words:
"Here man completed his first exploration of the Moon, December 1972 A.D. May the spirit of peace in which we came be reflected in the lives of all mankind."
An upcoming auction by Boston-based RR Auction will feature the Gene Cernan's Apollo 17 EVA-3 Cuff Checklist.
Commander Gene Cernan's Apollo 17 EVA-3 cuff checklist occupies a special place in Apollo history — it not only provided instructions for man's last moonwalk, but held the handwritten notes for the last words spoken from the surface. This historic speech echoed the words of Neil Armstrong from three years earlier: mankind had made its giant leap, and CDR Cernan looked forward to a peaceful, hopeful future.
Coming directly from the estate of Gene Cernan, it is a priceless Apollo artifact that would be the centerpiece of the finest private or institutional collections.
gliderpilotuk Member
Posts: 3404 From: London, UK Registered: Feb 2002
posted 10-06-2020 09:54 AM
I’m curious about the provenance on Lot 4473 Sergei Korolev. I have concerns over the style of the signature plus the fact that he pretty much remained secretive through to his death. Signed photos are like hens teeth and most authentic items are just scribbled work notes.
SpaceAholic Member
Posts: 4669 From: Sierra Vista, Arizona Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-06-2020 10:54 AM
Lot 4473 pulled.
SpaceAholic Member
Posts: 4669 From: Sierra Vista, Arizona Registered: Nov 1999
posted 10-08-2020 10:15 AM
Now open for bidding.
rgarner Member
Posts: 1278 From: Shepperton, United Kingdom Registered: Mar 2012
posted 10-12-2020 12:08 PM
This lot was mistitled until today: The coin was flown aboard Apollo 16.
Entirely rare 1971 Johannes Kepler 400th Anniversary pendant coin, 1.5" in diameter, attested to as flown by the niece of Jack Swigert, and carried into lunar orbit during the Apollo 16 mission on behalf of Apollo astronaut Jack Swigert.
EDIT: The title reverted back to the incorrect title less than 24 hours later.
colerise New Member
Posts: 5 From: Asheville, NC, USA Registered: Aug 2018
posted 10-15-2020 01:26 PM
Has anyone been able to identify the smaller MA-8 shingle location? It looks to be an upper panel, but the mounting holes don't seem to fit the other visible missing panel location on the MA-8 spacecraft. There's also a photo in the listing that shows a similar, uncut panel belonging to spacecraft #9, MA-5 (chimp mission), which seems to match the hole pattern better.
Jurvetson Member
Posts: 109 From: Los Altos an SF, CA, United States Registered: Sep 2011
posted 10-15-2020 09:33 PM
Well that was fun. Buyer price of $750K for the Apollo 17 Cuff Checklist and more than $200K for the two flown Mercury panels (one is just finishing up bidding now).
tothemoon Member
Posts: 42 From: California Registered: May 2020
posted 10-15-2020 09:53 PM
You ain't kidding!! These crazy auction prices are what make it hard to build an inventory for a museum. Ahh well.
Tallpaul Member
Posts: 192 From: Rocky Point, NY, USA Registered: Feb 2012
posted 10-16-2020 07:27 AM
With the buyer premium, the flown Apollo 17 patch sold for over $10,000. I believe this was only the second time a flown Apollo 17 patch has appeared at auction.
A few years ago, Larry McGlynn reported that there 457 patches in the OFK and that they were earmarked for VIP presentations not for crew souvenirs.
Chris Spain would know better than I but I believe this particular patch would rank as one of the rarest,if not the rarest flown patch from the MGA era. It certainly ranks right up there with the patch from GT-8.
randyc Member
Posts: 783 From: Denver, CO USA Registered: May 2003
posted 10-17-2020 07:12 PM
I checked the list of sold lots and did not see the Apollo 17 EVA #3 Checklist on the list. I recall that the estimate was around $750,000, and I thought the final bid was close to the estimate, but it did not sell. If the final bid was $750,000 then the seller would net around $580,000, using a sellers fee of 22.5%.
If the owner wants to net over $700,000 the bid, not including the buyer's premium, would need to be around $900,000 (again using a seller fee of 22.5%). If they want to net $750,000 the bid would need to be almost $975,000!
SkyMan1958 Member
Posts: 934 From: CA. Registered: Jan 2011
posted 10-17-2020 07:49 PM
The estimate was $800,000+. The estimate does not include the commission. Unlike most other auction houses (for example, Heritage) for whatever reason, RR does not officially state what the reserve is on their lots. Oftentimes (but not always) the estimate is the reserve. From what I can remember, the final bid on the lot was ~ $600,000. So, you're looking at a discrepancy of $200,000.
Also, regarding sellers fees, a seller with a bigger ticket item (or a collection in total that is valuable), can generally negotiate a lower sellers fee.
hbw60 Member
Posts: 108 From: Registered: Aug 2018
posted 10-17-2020 11:04 PM
quote:Originally posted by SkyMan1958: RR does not officially state what the reserve is on their lots.
RR doesn't officially state reserve prices, but I've found that it can be extremely easy to guess. And that's because RR has a tendency to severely lowball the estimated prices.
Most autographed items have an estimate of "$200+". Armstrong signatures might be "$1,000+". Flown patches that routinely sell for $1,000 or more will often have an estimate of "$600+". Those Mercury shingles had an estimate of $50,000 each, and sold for almost quadruple that. I believe this is intended to leave the consignors more pleased with the final prices.
But sometimes, the estimate will be abnormally high. I spotted this three times in the last auction. The Apollo 17 cuff had an estimate of $800,000. The Apollo 1 signatures had an estimate of $3500. And the Jim Lovell signed plotboard had an estimate of $2500. All three of those items ended slightly beneath the estimate, and none of them sold. So I think the key is just to look at the trends, and watch for anomalies.
Of course, the major downside of this is that I don't think RR allows you to reach that price unless two bidders hit it. Suppose an item has a reserve price of $1000. I put down a maximum bid of $1500. But the second highest bid is only $700. In that case, the current price will go to something like $750, and it'll go unsold, even though I bid well above the reserve price. I wish their software was smart enough to bump you up. So if the item has a reserve price, the maximum bid is always counted as the current bid amount until it hits the cap.
Or even better, if an item has a reserve price, just make that the starting price. Then there's never any doubt.
MikeSpace Member
Posts: 33 From: USA Registered: Jun 2020
posted 10-21-2020 10:08 AM
The 30 minute rule seems a bit long, it should not take that long to decide whether you can/will bid again.
thisismills Member
Posts: 355 From: Michigan Registered: Mar 2012
posted 10-21-2020 12:54 PM
I agree, even with people bidding on a list of multiple items, I think that a 10 or 15 minute rule would strike the perfect balance and cut the auction time in half.
Overall though, I do like this format as it allows you to bid on items when others have exceeded your budget, unlike a linear auction, where you would have already missed out.
posted 09-12-2020 10:07 AM
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