Apollo 10 collectibles are making a splash as space 'alternative investments'

Space-flown items from the 'warm up' to man's first Moonlanding are selling for considerable sums

Apollo 10 splashed down in the south Pacific on May 26 1969 following an eight day mission that sent the crew tantalisingly close to the moon.

Apollo 10 was employed as a test run for the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission two months later, getting to within 8.4 nautical miles of the moon.

The three astronauts nicknamed the lunar and command modules Charlie Brown and Snoopy, and Charles Schulz sketched artwork especially for the mission.

A flown Apollo 10 patch sold for $3,500 in February

Space-flown collectibles from this important mission always attract attention when they come to auction.

A rare four inch Apollo 10 patch flown on the mission achieved $3,500 at a Lunar Legacies auction in February of this year.

The patch is the type worn on post-flight jumpsuits by the crew, which are hard to come by for investors. It is signed on the back by Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan, the Apollo 10 Lunar Module astronauts.

An American flag, also flown on the mission, sold for $3,723 at an RR Auction sale in January.

Collectors looking for a piece of the action should also consider the private market, where bargains can often be found.