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Author
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Topic: Signing history and experience: Charlie Duke
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Scott
Member Posts: 3336
From: Houston, TX
Registered: May 2001
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posted 10-26-2021 01:17 PM
   
quote:
Originally posted by CEKebalo:
I wanted to share with the community a letter that Charlie Duke wrote to my 4 year old son recently.
What a great letter. |
AlanC
Member Posts: 183
From: Scotland
Registered: Nov 2014
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posted 11-14-2021 06:47 PM
Charlie Duke is class personified. |
Tom
Member Posts: 1673
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 11-15-2021 05:56 AM
Great letter from a true gentleman! |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49749
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-06-2022 04:40 PM
From NASA astronaut Jessica Meir (via Twitter): Charlie Duke was the first astronaut I met, 27 years ago. He took the time to reply to my query as an aspiring astronaut, and I flew that cherished letter to the International Space Station. Recently I shared this history with Charlie and his family while showing them around Johnson Space Center.  
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garymilgrom
Member Posts: 2097
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 05-06-2022 05:32 PM
Wow! Thank you. |
Harb73
New Member Posts: 1
From: 🇬🇧
Registered: Oct 2022
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posted 11-07-2022 01:56 AM
I’m in a quandary. I ordered a new signed Moonwalker book from Charlie Duke with a simple inscription but it arrived with the endsheet removed. I emailed back to ask and Charlie himself replied saying it was because he’d messed up the original signing, so cut out the messed up page and signed on the title page instead. He apologised and asked if acceptable. Should I just accept the slip up? The book cover lies flat without the endsheet fold and the bottom edge of the title page is also slightly detached. It’s noticeable, you open the book and there’s no inner blank page and you can see knife or scissor cuts along the seam. I’m a bit annoyed as this wasn’t an insignificant sum and an order rather than just a wishful signing request - but can we be annoyed with our astronaut heroes when they slip up? Has anyone had a similar experience or thoughts on this? |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 2097
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 11-07-2022 11:34 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Harb73:
...but can we be annoyed with our astronaut heroes when they slip up?
I think not. I think we need to accept the limitations of their age and constant requests for special considerations from media and the space memorabilia community. Sounds like you have a nice piece - how about a photo? |
davidcwagner
Member Posts: 978
From: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 11-07-2022 11:53 AM
Keep a copy of the email with the book. It may actually be worth more that way than a regualr signed book. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 49749
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 11-07-2022 01:33 PM
I don't think this is a question of value. Signed copies of "Moonwalker" are plentiful on the secondary market and given this book's description as "new," it wasn't a first edition, first printing. Thus even it was a pristine copy with all of its pages intact, it is not likely to appreciate in value for any more than the price paid to sign it, and likely less than that given the aforementioned supply. Rather, I would suggest the missing page adds a nice story to the book, one that shows that Charlie Duke cared enough to provide an inscription and autograph without any glaring mistakes. It also means Duke spent a few extra minutes with the book, such that it was not just a rote activity. |
ApolloGuy792
New Member Posts: 3
From: Monroe, CT, USA
Registered: Jan 2022
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posted 11-07-2022 03:09 PM
I would agree. I have a signed copy of Gene Cernan's book where his ballpoint pen went through the page, causing a small tear, going through to the next page. It makes it just a little bit unique and is one of my favorites for that reason. |
neo1022
Member Posts: 325
From: Santa Monica, CA
Registered: Jun 2013
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posted 11-09-2022 01:49 PM
I have to disagree. If you purchased a signed/inscribed new book from his website, he's just selling a product. If he messes up the inscription, he should pull out a clean book and start over. It's a basic cost of doing business — and he is running a business.Given his price increases for signing, the books are priced well above market value (you can get a signed 1st/1st for maybe a quarter of the price he's charging). If I were in his position, I'd eat the cost of the book and make my customer happy rather than butchering a book they paid a premium for in order to save myself a few bucks. My $.02. |
Jurg Bolli
Member Posts: 1170
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 11-09-2022 07:00 PM
I agree, the book should be in very good condition. |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4503
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 11-09-2022 07:43 PM
Charlie has given you the option not to accept the book in its current condition. He won't have an issue putting it right if you ask him. |
hbw60
Member Posts: 297
From:
Registered: Aug 2018
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posted 11-09-2022 08:26 PM
A few years ago, I met Charlie at SpaceFest. I brought a gorgeous, large-format lunar panorama photo for him to sign and annotate in silver pen. As he annotated it, the pen suddenly began leaking, and there are now several large ink splotches on the print in various places. Charlie apologized, and told his assistant to take $100 off the price. He was very willing to try and fix the situation however he could.But I wasn't bothered at all. And that's because I'm not concerned about the monetary value. I also asked him to personalize it to my name, which additionally hurt the monetary value. But I don't have any intention to sell it. When I look at the print, I'm not bothered by the imperfections, but rather just so grateful that I got to meet Charlie and get this item signed. It's very special to get something signed specifically for you by an Apollo astronaut, and that's more important than any imperfections. So I'm sure that if you asked, Charlie would be happy to send another copy. But my guess is that he just didn't like the idea of throwing away a brand new book. It just seems wasteful. Also, I see that you're in the UK, and international shipping for a second copy seems like a hassle. If you're not worried about the monetary value, I think this is a preferable scenario, because it gave you some added correspondence with Charlie. As mentioned by others, it's a nice unique story which adds to the sentimental value and shows a personal touch. But if it really does bother you, perhaps the best solution would be to ask for a partial refund. That way, the book doesn't go to waste, and there's no need for you to ship anything back, or for Charlie to send another book. |
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