Regency Superior's Space auction was completed at the weekend (October 14) with a great range of space memorabilia and autographs including some from the moonwalkers of the Apollo missions up for grabs.
Ahead of the sale, Regency's Vice President Penney Kols told us which piece she was expecting to be the star lot, "The highlight of this sale has got to be a gorgeous NASA photo of 'Earth above Moon' signed by all twelve Moon Walkers.
"To have all Moon Walkers sign on one piece is just a spectacular achievement, and considered the Holy Grail of space autograph collecting."
So it proved, with the piece selling for $27,000 - near the top of its estimate range.
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The colour 8"x10" photo of Earth above the lunar surface is clearly signed in black by Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Charles Conrad, Alan Bean, Alan Shepard, Ed Mitchell, Dave Scott, Jim Irwin, John Young, Charlie Duke, Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt.
The piece is likely to remain valuable - the PFC40 autograph index shows that the value of a photograph signed by moonwalkers has increased by 564.1% since 2000.
Collectors frustrated to have missed out on such a prime piece of space memorabilia will be pleased to know that a signed photograph of Buzz Aldrin's bootprint and signed not only by the Apollo 11 moonwalker but by an astronaut who walked the lunar surface from every successful moonlanding mission is still available.
Watch this space for more news of space memorabilia auctions later this year.