@pdxleaf
I missed the 'other' auction this weekend.
You've probably explained this to me already but I can't find the information in my head.
Could you give a brief insight into NASA lithographs and photographs and explain the differences in collectability of the varieties of reds and purples(?) etc.
I think you focus on signed copies. My hopes of a signed Ed White took a hit with this result as I find Donnis usually has results below the other auctions.
https://lunarlegacies.hibid.com/lot...ni-4-space-walk-nasa-glossy-photo?ref=catalog
I agree. Lunarlegacies is often a good auction for finding relatively affordable items.
I bought this from the auction for my Apollo-Soyuz collection:
I'm not the guy to answer your questions about photos. Collecting photos hasn't attracted me so I avoided learning the details. A big negative for me was that there are so many different photos and I needed a more limited and manageable focus.
The goal to collecting photos is to acquire printings that came closest to the original negatives. The first negatives from space were used to make copies of negatives. The originals didn't make prints. The 2nd gen were used for prints. Some prints were given to journalists or special groups. Then more generations of negatives were made and used to give to the public. I never learned the details. Not because it wasn't interesting, but because I had to focus my limited budget on an area. Because I was interested in signatures, photo collectors do not want photos that have been signed, as it degrades the photo.
The red, purple, black ink is mentioned in the collectspace site below. Red ink is considered more collectible but some people think they all came from the same time, with no difference.
The type of photo paper can indicate how old the print is, as "a Kodak paper" on the back is an early paper for printing photos. Paper that was produced later had different markings, which is used to determine early prints from later prints, again with the earliest Gen being the most desirable.
Sorry that this is not detailed or specific. I was saving my limited budget and brain cells so didn't get much more into photo collecting.
As you mentioned, I followed the example of collectors who have been doing it for awhile and focus on lithographs. The advice was to find a theme. Some people collect postal envelopes, some patches. Many guys collect official NASA lithographs, which is what I decided to do. Lithographs are a good focus because they were produced by NASA for publicity at the time of the missions. Each astronaut would get their official photo, often in a business suit and one in their space suit. The space suit lithographs are called WSS, short for white space suit. These are kindof like baseball cards. They're the official photos. Astronauts would use these to sign autographs, which makes a nice collection. Astronauts would sign anything, from scrap paper to menus to glossy photos. The WSS lithographs are a way to keep a focus on what to buy.
NASA lithographs also included whole crew photos and photos of moonwalkers. Most moonwalk photos have the astronaut in front of the flag on the moon. I am close to completing my collection of Apollo missions with one WSS of each guy plus one of each who were on the moon. I have two signed crew photos and will likely expand to the others.
Another thing is whether the signature is just the name or includes a dedication to the recipient. Autographs without dedication are more valuable, often two to three times as valuable. So people with budgets like me will collect signed photos with dedications. To me, a dedication is a way to get more authentication of the signature, plus it's more handwriting. It doesn't matter if it says "to Bill" and my name is Dave. I wasn't able to collect it in person from the astronaut so it doesn't bother me if it's not my name.
I have collected a couple of interesting other photos, so don't just go for the lithographs. For example, I got a signed copy of the Ed White photo you showed. I recently picked up an Anders signed photo of the famous Earthrise, which he took on Apollo . I also have photo of the 35 new guys class with all 35 astronauts signed. That's a special one. I also have a collection of astronaut biographies signed by the astronaut. That's interesting because you can read the book and they're cheaper. I've gotten about 10 alone from used book stores for no additional cost ( although I have many more than 10.)
I certainly don't mean to frown upon or not respect photo collectors. It's just not my thing so I don't have much knowledge about them. It'd be a great theme.
Here are a couple sites with info:
https://www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum27/HTML/005765.html
https://www.space-collectibles.com/blog/space-collectibles-frequently-asked-questions
As an afterthought, I am currently auctioning a Maine state flag that was flown with John Young on Gemini. I bought it by mistake. I thought I bought the Oregon state flag that had been flown. The Maine and Oregon lots were one after the other and I was on a trip with my wife, bidding on the move. WhenI went to pay I was confused because it said I won the Maine flag. That's whenI realized I had screwed up. I really wanted that Oregon flown flag. Bummer. So my Maine flag is being auctioned on Sept 27 in the upcoming HA auction.
Sorry it's so long and never answered your question. Keep looking. Americanspacemuseum auction is another good place to look.
