Investing in the Autographs of Astronauts

Just take a look at what's happened since 1997...

The autographs of the Apollo 11 crew (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins) would sell as a collection back in 1997 for around £1,750. Today, you'd be lucky to find them under £10,000 - an increase of over 470% in 11 years!

The signed picture on the right is of Buzz Aldrin, and was recently sold for £750.

Neil Armstrong, who stopped signing autographs some 35 years ago for ethical reasons, has seen even greater growth in his autograph as it is very scarce. In 1997, you'd have paid around £475; today, that same autograph will cost you £5,500. That's over 1,050% pure capital appreciation.

Look at one more example - the Twelve Moon Walkers. Only ten men have ever set foot on the moon and, if you want a collection of all their autographs it'll cost you around £8,500, as opposed to just £1,800 eleven years ago. That's a rise of over 370%.

(All data from Fraser's 100 Autograph Index)

And I believe it's just going to get better and better!

Consider this - of the twelve moon walkers, three have already passed on - Pete Conrad, Alan Shephard and Jim Irwin. The youngest is Charles Duke, who is over 73 years old (born October 3rd, 1935). In other words, they're a dying breed, and won't be around for many more years.

Having said that, I hope at least a few of those who remain survive another ten years - 2019 will be the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, and plans are afoot to have a major global celebration that year.

The combination of these two factors - the age of the astronauts from the Apollo era, and the massive upsurge in interest and demand that will be created around 2019 - is powerful enough.

However, there is a third factor that is already driving prices up, and that is a massive influx into the market from developing countries. China, in particular, sent men into space in 2008, creating a huge swell of interest in all things space-related among collectors there.

The Russians were as keen to get into space as the Americans. It was the height of the Cold War, and there was a sense that space could be weaponised. Therefore, whichever side got out there first would be the side that 'owned' space.

Happily, it didn't work out that way, and we're still struggling to put killing machines out there.

Anyway, Uri Gagarin was the first human being in space and, from that viewpoint, the Russians won. He left Earth in Vostok I on April 12th, 1961, and he orbited once in one hour, forty five minutes.

On re-entry, the craft shook so violently that he ejected, and parachuted safely back and landed in a field, right in front of an elderly peasant called Anna Takhtarova and her grand-daughter. The old lady was shocked to see a figure falling from the sky in an orange space suit and a helmet, but the grand-daughter reassured her, and they both got a kiss from Gagarin.

Sadly, he was killed in a plane in 1968 whilst on a training flight.

Alexi Leonov was the first person to 'walk' in space (and so won that race, too). It happened on march 18th, 1965, outside the Voskhod 2 spacecraft. He spent about ten minutes outside, and then almost didn't get back in again as his spacesuit had swelled up in the vacuum of space!

He flew again in 1975 for the historic docking of Soyuz 19 with an American Apollo craft. The next time a Russian and an American met in space was years later when the shuttle docked at the Mir space station.

The Russians also put the first ever woman into space - Valentina Tereshkova (pictured). She worked in a textile factory and was an amateur parachutist (what a scary mix of words that is!) when she got into the cosmonaut programme. She went into space aboard Vostok 6 on June 16th, 1963.

I am a collector, not a dealer - so I'm not trying to sell you anything here! I'm just sharing my enthusiasm for this particular alternative investment vehicle.

That said, I do sometimes have one or two pieces for sale, and I can sometimes get hold of specific items if there is something you're particularly interested in.

Similarly, if you have astronaut or cosmonaut autographs, do let me know - I'm always on the look-out for more!

NB I'm only interested in authentic autographs. If you're a forger, I will spot your work, I will expose you, and I will report you to the relevant authorities.

Just leave me a blurb, and I'll help you if I can.