Neil Armstrong-signed Apollo 11 Moon Landing Photos
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GUEST:
I bought these in approximately 1971 from a company out of Houston, Texas, that was authorized to sell these on behalf of NASA. They were supposedly pictures that were taken from some of the original negatives. I bought the complete set of ten for eight dollars. Then, a few years later, I got to be friends with a fellow named Dan Cohen. Dan was also a good friend of Neil Armstrong. So one day, Dan, who had seen my pictures, called me and said, "Hey, come on up, and you can meet Neil." So I got to go up and had the good fortune to meet Neil Armstrong. We spent about 30 to 45 minutes just talking. And at the end of that, I said, "Mr. Armstrong, if you don't mind, I have some pictures I'd like for you to sign." And he said, "Well, sure." And so I pulled these out, and he kind of looked at it, and he said, "Is it okay if I just dedicate the set?" And I said, "Well, I have four children, "so I would really appreciate it if you could sign each one." Now, he doesn't like to sign autographs. And so my friend said, "Oh, Neil, go ahead and sign them." So he said, "Okay, I'll sign them." So he signed all ten of them for me, so...
APPRAISER:
That's great. And these are crystal-clear, great, strong autographs. And what I love about it is, it's one of the most iconic scenes in American history and world history.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
And you have Neil Armstrong landing on the moon. This shot here, that's one of his first steps out onto the moon.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
This, I believe they left this on the moon. That was the plaque...
GUEST:
Correct.
APPRAISER:
...that's still there now.
GUEST:
Yeah, it is.
APPRAISER:
So it, it's a wonderful collection. We do see Neil Armstrong photos. It's not like he never signed-- he did. But the most desirable photos for collectors are the ones that are signed of the moon shots. That's where the true monetary value comes. As far as personal value, this is a cherished keepsake for you, and you're going to pass it down to the family.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
In terms of value, first of all, I would keep it as a set.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
You wouldn't want to break these up. Um, I think it's worth far more as a collection and a set, since it's, they did ten of these photos. Uh, I wouldn't hesitate to estimate the set at $15,000 to $25,000.
GUEST:
Wow. Well, the primary reason I brought them out was because it is the 50th anniversary of the moon, lunar landing, and Neil Armstrong died a few years ago.
APPRAISER:
Correct.
GUEST:
Several years ago.
APPRAISER:
And I'm sure a lot of people remember where they were. I remember where I was, sitting in front of a TV set in 1969.
GUEST:
Yeah, yeah.
APPRAISER:
So, I really appreciate you bringing these. Thank you.
GUEST:
Okay, well, thank you.
APPRAISER:
It's a real treasure.
GUEST:
I appreciate the information. I had no idea at the time that I bought it that I would ever even have a chance to meet Neil Armstrong, much less sit down and talk with him.
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