posted 04-16-2010 04:47 PM               

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Originally posted by kosmo:
To me the style of writing on Bob M's piece is an atypical autograph (his I'm annoyed, PO'd) but what do I know, I'm still learning.

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posted 04-16-2010 05:06 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by kosmo:
(his I'm annoyed, PO'd)

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quote:

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Originally posted by mjanovec:
I think Anders uses that style on items on items he knows would have a higher market value

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Anders signed my copy of "Who's Who in Space" using the same style signature as Bob's at a gala held at The Museum of Flight in 2000.

I asked him to sign the book and he politely refused as he explained he was trying to make his way across the room. A few minutes later, he sought me out in the crowd and volunteered to sign, so the idea that he was upset is not likely (he could have just as easily never come back if he didn't want to sign.)

And I don't think it's likely he thought the book was particularly valuable. He didn't see that others had signed it but even if he had, signed books aren't generally thought of as having a higher market value.

posted 04-16-2010 06:30 PM               

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
And I don't think it's likely he thought the book was particularly valuable.

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That all depends on Anders' perceptions. Some astronauts refuse to sign covers because they feel they are more commercially valuable than signed photos, though there is evidence to the contrary.

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
signed books aren't generally thought of as having a higher market value.

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posted 04-16-2010 07:00 PM               

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Originally posted by mjanovec:
Not even books that have been appraised on Antiques Roadshow as being worth $10,000?

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posted 04-16-2010 09:08 PM               

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Orginally posted by mjanovec:
For some, his signature might be worth the $2500 investment. But it appears that for today's bidders, it wasn't even worth a $900-1000 investment.

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I myself already have a signed Apollo 8 cover and I am seriously considering of asking Gen. Anders to sign my poster with an inscription. As you can see, money is not an issue and I know that if I were to ever sell it, not, it will not come close to the amount of money I spent.

posted 04-17-2010 02:05 PM               

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Originally posted by andrewcli:
The key word here is "investment." Asking for Gen. Anders' autograph should not be considered an investment and I think the majority of people who decided to go for it did not consider this as such, but wanted to add his signature to their collection, have the resources and are very happy with their decisions.

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No matter how you look at it, spending $2500 is an investment. It may not necessarily be an investment for monetary gain, but could be an investment towards personal happiness. If someone wants to make that kind of investment to enhance their collection (and therefore make themselves happier), more power to them. Indeed, it could also be argued that many of the astronauts' current fees are poor investments for monetary gain (especially on personalized items)...but still make a lot of people happy regardless.

posted 04-17-2010 05:15 PM               

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Originally posted by mjanovec:
I do think it's telling that the SDASM pieces consigned to Regency, with multiple other signatures besides Anders, failed to meet the minimum required bids (or get any bids whatsoever).

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posted 04-17-2010 05:36 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by mjanovec:
However, I do think it's telling that the SDASM pieces consigned to Regency, with multiple other signatures besides Anders, failed to meet the minimum required bids (or get any bids whatsoever).

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posted 04-18-2010 01:40 PM               

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
some of the ASE posters have autographs that are on the top ten rarest signature lists as compiled by collectors and still do not sell.

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posted 12-14-2012 09:55 AM            

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Originally posted by steelhead fly fishing:
Does anyone have any updated experiences with Gen. Anders?

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posted 10-11-2023 04:49 AM            

Of the eight I am still missing, I understand why seven of these signatures are hard to get - a combination of rarity (so rare as to be non-existent for two of them) mixed with expensiveness and level of demand. I fail, however, to understand why I am finding such difficulty in obtaining William 'Bill' Anders signature.

Why should his autograph be so hard to find in comparison to such as Aldrin, Borman, Lovell, Eisele or even Gagarin and Titov?

Editor's note: Threads merged.

posted 10-12-2023 02:13 PM               

Shown below are over two dozen signatures of Gen. Anders ranging from 1964 until 1991. All the autographs of the Apollo 8 lunar module pilot (LMP) illustrated represent at least five earlier signing-traits or formats from within that time period (less than 30 years). All of the autographs, with the possible exception of a suspect signature on the crew signed Apollo 8 launch photograph, are indeed authentic based on my opinion.

Since Gen. Anders is perhaps the rarest signer of all NASA flown-in-space astronauts before the shuttle program, I wanted to share only those autographs that I am comfortable with of his early signing characteristics mostly throughout the 1960's, 70's and 80's. For those signatures of the Apollo lunar orbiter that were attempted by in-person encounters from after the 1980's, I have no interest and do not collect them (only at times to keep copies for study purposes), even though some may be in fact genuine. I just do not care in acquiring his many atypical signing habits, besides, Gen. Anders has been noted for changing his signing habits a lot in order to confuse collectors. Overall, though, the former Apollo astronaut will usually most always refuse autograph requests in person and through the mail.

Of those depicted here, my very first astronaut autograph was Bill Anders seen at the above top center panel of an Apollo 8 crew emblem cover with no postal cancel on it. It was gifted to me be a neighbor friend working at KSC's Flight Crew Training Building when I was 12 years old before man's first lunar orbital launch in Dec. 1968.

My first in-person autograph of the moon-orbiting Anders was on the above pictured Apollo 8 prime recovery cover ship, also crew signed, along with the crew signed famous "Earthrise" NASA photo. Both had been acquired when meeting the Apollo astronaut while witnessing a later "live" Apollo moon launch from KSC's main VIP viewing site. Note that both his signatures were penned only as "Anders." Other signature varieties during those first decades would be, "W A Anders," "Bill Anders," "W A A," and just plain "Bill," all of those authentic for this posting.

My first "in the mail" request to Gen. Anders after he had left the space agency was asking for a signed official NASA self-portrait lithograph. He signed it to me, finally, in a heavy back marker pen, "To Ken. Bill Anders" after my fifth or sixth "try" or attempt in trying to reach Mr. Anders for a successful autograph request in early 1970 when he was the executive secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council in Washington, D.C.

A most unusual signed Anders letter, seen above in the center installment, was written to Ed White III, the son of America's first spacewalker, in Aug. 1991 when Anders was impressed with Mr. White's newly released "Spaceshots" limited edition series of collector trading cards.

It's a fascinating letter signed "Bill" in which the LMP placed an order for 7 sets of cards and even asked if Ed White would actually "please autograph (for him) the Edward H. White II card. I'd be honored to have you do it, since I was such an admirer of your Dad for his contributions and to you for your idea. Also, my sad role in informing your mother of his untimely death is marked in my memory forever." Wow! As a return favor to Eddie, Anders even signed "Bill Anders" on one of the first Spaceshots cards of the famous "Earthrise" photo that Anders snapped as the crew first entered lunar orbit for the first time in human history. Needless to say, it's one of my all-time favorite Anders' "set" of three signatures.

posted 10-13-2023 04:29 PM               

At the top is a Space City Cover Society cover for the Apollo 8 launch and autographed by the Apollo 8 crew. The Anders autograph is a fairly standard example from this period. I have two of these Apollo 8 crew signed covers and have seen a number through the years, which may indicate that some sort of private signing took place with the Apollo 8 crew.

The other cover is an unusual example, with his autograph on a Viking-B NASA/KSC official rubber stamp cachet cover. Surely this was a blank cover when he signed, then failed to be canceled for Apollo 8, and then later canceled for Viking 2. Also it bears a less-common "William A. Anders" autograph.

I had the good fortune to meet Anders in 1999 and he kindly signed his NASA portrait photo for me. His in-person and later style autograph is shown here at the bottom of page 3.

posted 10-13-2023 06:51 PM               

When admirers request an autograph, they're essentially putting that person on a pedestal, rather than engaging with them on equal footing. I attended Spacefest a few years ago, and I noticed that the more formal and respectful I was, the less an astronaut was able to have a real conversation with me. But when I was able to loosen up and just talk to them as equals, I had several conversations that I treasured far more than the autographs I left with.

So I understand why Anders would dislike autograph requests. Everyone who's met him here has said that he's a decent person in normal situations. But if one raises him up on a pedestal, I suppose he feels he has no choice but to look down on them.

However, while I understand why he'd feel that way, I wish he wouldn't be so flippant about it. When I was reading this thread, it reminded me of the book "A Reluctant Icon: Letters to Neil Armstrong." One of the letters in that book was written to Neil after he'd stopped signing, by an angry father whose son had requested an autograph. In the letter, the father talked about how happy he was that his son looked up to people like Armstrong instead of movie stars or professional athletes. And in his opinion, Neil denying his son a signature was a horrible insult that would drive his son to find new, lesser heroes.

In another letter, a young girl who got to briefly meet Neil during his world tour wrote to him and asked for his home address so that she could be pen-pals with his sons, and asked to come to his home and be permanent friends.

Letters like these really emphasize how difficult it must be to be considered an inspirational figure. The Apollo astronauts got to experience the voyage of a lifetime, but getting there required the hard work of 400,000 people, along with the financial support of every American taxpayer. That implies a heavy debt to society. To me, this is why Armstrong is the astronaut who most deserves the title of "hero." Not for being first on the Moon - it would have happened without him. Rather, for spending the remaining 43 years of his life doing his best to live up to those expectations.

He personally responded to tens of thousands of letters. He gave up opportunities for extreme wealth, power, and fame. There was a time when he was the most famous and beloved man on the planet, and he could have exploited that in so many ways. He could have been President of the United States. He could have been a billionaire. But instead he remained a quiet, simple man.

And when he finally decided to stop signing autographs, I'm sure it was incredibly difficult for him to disappoint people. Armstrong made great personal sacrifices over the course of decades, trying his best to be a good representative of the space program (and of the nation). He was grateful to the nation for the life he got to lead. And regarding his autograph, he felt that anyone who wanted one should have it, and that nobody should have to pay for it.

None of the astronauts actually owe the public anything, including Anders. But I wish Anders could have been a bit more like Armstrong in his approach to the situation. Both of them disliked signing autographs and eventually stopped doing it, but Armstrong took no pleasure in that decision. He always wanted to be polite and generous.