Spacefest III: Your chance to meet the gods of the Apollo programme

There will be plenty of star appeal for the collectibles-minded investor at this June's Spacefest III

How would you feel, given the chance, to shake hands with a moon explorer? Nervous, excited... in awe?

Next month's Spacefest III in Tuscon, Arizona, offers you the opportunity to find out.

Running from June 2-5, an amazing six of NASA's 12 moonwalkers will star at the event, alongside other Apollo astronauts and 40 leading NASA scientists and managers.

Gene Cernan, the last man on the moon, will be around on the 3^rd and 4^th, autographing a range of items. He will be joined by Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon.

Apollo-mission autographs are among the most potentially lucrative alternative investments, thanks to the momentous achievements of the programme and the advancing ages of its participants.

The industry's PFC40 autograph index, which detailed the 2000-2010 price performance of 40 of the most desirable celebrity autographs, revealed that Neil Armstrong's autograph showed a 900% price rise during the decade.

A print of this famous Apollo 8 photo made $3,240 at Christie's in 2006

The Apollo 11 mission in general is extremely popular with investors looking for the potential of big returns. A photograph signed by all three crew members increased in value by 347.5% between 2000 and 2010.

Collectors seeking a piece of the action can find some real bargains on the private markets or, for those who like the thrill of the auction room, Heritage Auctions is hosting its Spring Space Memorabilia sale as part of at Spacefest III on June 3. More details will follow on Paul Fraser Collectibles.

Once you've met all your heroes at Spacefest III, there may also be time to take in a talk from one of several leading space experts or perhaps even buy a space-related piece from the art show.