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Monday, January 26, 2004

Michael Collins Signing at Novaspace Gallery, March 2004

Michael Collins Signing at Novaspace Gallery, March 2004

This is certainly good news for space autograph fans!

General Collins is a very reclusive figure and prefers to avoid public appearances and autograph signings. So, this is a real coup for NovaSpace owner Kim Poor.

Certainly it is pricey, but not unreasonable considering what many more common (and less accomplished) astronauts tend to charge.

My dilemma is this....

I could have him sign an Apollo 11 crew photo and then add Buzz Aldrin later (who signs frequently for a large fee). Then, I could hope and pray that someday I have the opportunity to get Neil Armstrong to complete the photo. The odds of this happening are very, very slim, but the payoff is huge.

The downside is that I end up with an Apollo 11 crew photo with only 2 of the 3 signatures, and in autograph collecting, an incomplete item is not very desirable.

Friday, January 23, 2004

Rest In Peace, Captain Kangaroo

CNN.com - TV's 'Captain Kangaroo,' Bob Keeshan, dead - Jan. 23, 2004

In the summer of 1990, I worked as a room service waiter at the Albany, NY Marriott.

One day I brought a breakfast tray up to a room, and to my surprise Captain Kangaroo answered the door. He was older and grayer, but I was fairly sure it was him. Unfortunately, he wasn't wearing the red blazer with the wide lapels so I wasn't 100% sure. As the man signed for his breakfast, I asked him, "Excuse me, but aren't you Captain Kangaroo?"

He looked up and said, "He's a good friend of mine." I replied, "Tell your friend that I loved his show."

He smiled and thanked me.

I still have the signed room service slip. :-)

Thursday, January 15, 2004

NY Attorney General Still Pursuing Pastime Productions



As this article indicates, the Pastime Productions matter is still open. Pastime productions was a well-known NY area promoter than handled most of the big names. Last year they bailed out of a show at the last minute, and many collectors who sent items in for mail order never received their items back.

I will continue to follow this situation.

Thursday, January 08, 2004

It's 2004 Already?!?

Wow... I can't believe it's 2004. It just seemed like yesterday that the Year 2000 was far off and futuristic. That must be a sign that you're getting older when it seems like the years have passed so quickly.

I was very busy over the Christmas season.... in addition to the usual hustle and bustle, I got engaged... so my online time has been ** somewhat** reduced. ;-)

Because it has been so long since I've last updated, I thought I would feature some extra special signed items on the gallery.

The Gunsmoke photo is signed by James Arness and Amanda Blake. I rolled the dice and got this on eBay for a ridiculously low price.... it was about $20. The seller had a poor scan, but from what I could see and read, it seemed legit. Once I got it and examined it, I was convinced it is authentic. I compared it to dozens of real and fake signatures and it holds up. Amanda Blake has been dead for almost 15 years now and Arness was never a great signer. This signed photo should be worth at least $100.

I purchased the Reagans photo from R&R Auction about 2 years ago. Reagan photos are often forged, that's why I prefer personalized and inscribed. This is certainly the real deal signed by both.

As with the Reagans, Joe Dimaggio is often forged, and the fakes are so good you simply cannot tell the difference between real and fake, so a reputable source is key. I bought this from Richard Simon early in 2003.

The Don Drysdale photo is a favorite. It's not too often you see the hand-written HOF inscription. I got this on eBay in 2003.

Bob Champine was a test pilot, patriot and a gentleman. He died last month on the 100th Anniversary of Flight. He signed this photo for me several years ago.

The Gemini 6 photo I had signed in person in Washington DC at the UACC show in May 2003.

I obtained the Linda Blair photo in person a few years ago at a horror show in NJ.

Michael Chiklis and Vincent D'Onofrio are favorites of mine... I obtained D'Onofrio through the mail and Chiklis from Autograph World.

Hopefully this will be enough for now. My two typing fingers are getting tired!

Until next time, happy collecting!