How much do I hear for a genuine Moon scoop?

William Atkins
Tuesday, 25 March 2008 19:01

Science - Space

Heritage Auction Galleries is auctioning off historic air and space artifacts on Tuesday, March 25, 2008. Get your $300,000 lunar scoop at out-of-this-world prices! You can bid online!

Heritage Auction Galleries presents the “2008 March Grand Format Air & Space Auction” in Dallas, Texas (United States).

The office of Heritage is located at 3500 Maple Avenue, 17th Floor, Dallas, Texas 75219-3941.

Auction #6000 lasts from March 25 to 26, 2008.

Heritage Auction Galleries is the largest collectibles auctioneer in the world. Some of the other auctions coming up for Heritage is the sale of the entire town of "Garryowen Montana," and a "1933 Babe Ruth All-Star Game Worn Jersey," which once sold for $657,250.

Some of the historic air and space items up for auction is Buzz Aldrin’s Gemini 12 space suit, a scoop used by Apollo 14’s Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell to pick up moon dust, a U.S. flag also from the Apollo 14 mission to the Moon, a pair of needle-nose pliers from Apollo 16, and a lunar chart used for Apollo 17, the last manned mission to the Moon in the twentieth century.

Maybe the most personal item in the group is some mission patches that Buzz Aldrin gave his parents in 1966, which contain the inscription “with a grateful son’s love.”

One of the lesser priced items (so far) is the "Apollo 7 Robbins Sterling Silver Restrike Medallion," which is priced online at $500 before the live auction.

An unique item is a former California license plate of Buzz Aldrin named "Mars Guy," which is priced at $325 at the moment.

One of the more expensive items, at $75,000, is the "Apollo 17 Lunar Module Flown Complete Orbit Monitor Chart," with an estimated value at $125,000 to $150,000.

Check out the Heritage Air & Space Auction #6000 website for online bidding and the live auction at noon and 4:00 Central Daylight Time (CDT) on Tuesday, March 25, 2008.

Tom Slater, director of the Americana auctions for Heritage states, “When one considers ... just how few actual objects have been off-planet, it's amazing to think that any of us would have the opportunity to actually own one of these incredibly rare pieces.” [MSNBC/Associated Press: “Vintage space memorabilia up for auction”]