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Why Doesn't Neil Armstrong Sign Autographs?
By Rob Sillito
Neil Armstrong is an American Astronaut who was the first person to walk on the moon during the historic Apollo 11 moon landing mission on July 20, 1969. Armstrong is known as a shy and reserved person who has never clamored for fame or attention, and saw his work as an astronaut as his duty and job, and not a means to an end.
Armstrong, along with most NASA Astronauts used an autopen for years on the majority of autograph requests he received. In fact, NASA is said to issue an autopen machine to every Astronaut! This has resulted in considerable scarcity of authentic autographs available in the market for collectors. Armstrong stopped signing autographs for the public in 1994. This is believed to be due to his increasingly reclusive nature along with his concern for forgery and feeling exploited because people were profiting on his name. In fact, he once threatened to sue his longtime barber for selling locks of his hair in the mid-1990’s. The barber was unable to get the hair back so he donated the proceeds to charity instead. Some of this hair is likely the source for the 2009 Upper Deck Piece of History baseball card set featuring a card with a lock of his hair. I’m always fascinated by this strategy employed by people to stop signing certain items, or in the case of Armstrong, altogether, as the main result is a skyrocketing in value due to the lesser amounts of autographs on the market. It reminds me of when famous musicians announce a certain tour will be their “last” and send fans and ticket prices through the roof. But I digress… Armstrong’s signature has been in the news recently as a check that he wrote to a fellow NASA employee for $10.50 the day of the Apollo mission as an installment on a loan. He instructed them not to cash the check unless he died in space. The check recently sold in an auction for $27,350, reportedly setting a record for any Astronaut autograph! The high price tag is probably due to the historic nature of the signature being dated the very day and written within hours of leaving for the moon and provides an enduring snapshot in time of that significant day. His signature is one of the most valuable of any living person due to the historic nature of being the first person to walk on the moon. Accordingly, forgeries are rampant in the marketplace. If you are considering buying an Armstrong signature, be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. Authenticity is a significant concern, and authentication that certifies the item is genuine and comes with a lifetime guarantee is essential. Expect to pay upwards of $5,000 for an original autographed picture. Interestingly enough, many of the authentic examples I have seen are signed in addition to the autopenned signature. A cut signature will run you over $1,000 – more if matted and framed in a nice display.
Armstrong turned 79 years old in 2009, and one can only wonder what his autographs will be worth if he continues to maintain his non-signing policy through the years.
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Contributor's Note
Rob Sillito has been collecting autographs for over 25 years, and is the owner of www.collecting-autographs.com.
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Wow... I had no idea the market for autographs was this big! No wonder people are always trying to get autographs from celebrities.
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