How to Sell Your Mercury 7 Autographs
To auction, sell or consign your Mercury 7 autographs, please email your description and photos to [email protected] of Nate D. Sanders Auctions (natedsanders.com).
Who Were the Mercury 7?
The Mercury 7 were the first Americans chosen by NASA to be part of Project Mercury. These astronauts included Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Scott Carpenter, Wally Schirra, Gordon Cooper, Deke Slayton. They played an vital role in the space race and paved the way for the Gemini, Apollo, and the Space Shuttle programs.
Some Mercury 7 Autographs We’ve Sold:
Mercury 7 Signed Photo Display
We realized $9,688 for a Mercury 7 signed color photo display with signatures from all seven astronauts. Photo presentation is inscribed to National Geographic reporter Allan Fisher who contributed a group profile in the July 1960 issue. Photo is copyrighted by the National Geographic Society, measures 18 x 8.25 inches and is accompanied by a Steve Zarelli COA for all seven signatures.
Mercury 7 Signed Photo
NASA originally wanted the Mercury spacecraft to have no manual controls and instead be automated with people piloting from Earth. The Mercury astronauts objected to this an insisted manual controls were needed in the case of emergencies where they’d need to react immediately. John Glenn coined the term “Spam in a can” to convey that the astronauts would be mere passengers rather than pilots. We sold a black and white signed photo of the Mercury 7 posed with a model spacecraft for $8,662. Photo is slabbed and authenticated by PSA and also comes with Steve Zarelli Space Authentication COA.
Mercury 7 Signed Photo in Front of Mercury 7 Capsule
We realized $7,488 for a large 11 x 14 inch photo of the Mercury 7 posed in front of a Mercury capsule also signed by all seven astronauts. Photo inscription reads, ”To Betty Frick with all best wishes / From the Mercury Astronauts -”, signed ”Walter M Schirra Jr”, ”Leroy G Cooper, Jr”, ”John H. Glenn, Jr.”, ”M. Scott Carpenter”, ”Donald K. Slayton”, ”Virgil I. Grissom” and ”Alan B. Shepard”. Verso has Life magazine stamp and credits photographer Ralph Morse.
Mercury 7 Signed Photo
We realized $6,875 for a Mercury 7 crew-signed photo of the astronauts posing around a spacecraft model. Photo is inscribed to Jeri & Ted and the astronauts sign on the lower border: ‘Alan B. Shepard Jr.”, ”Walter M. Schirra Jr.”, ”John H. Glenn Jr.”, ”Virgil I. Grissom”, ”M. Scott Carpenter”, ”Donald K. Slayton” and ”Leroy G. Cooper Jr”. Photo is accompanied by a John Glenn signed letter on Project Mercury letterhead to a Jerry Hellman and mentions “the picture I promised”. Photo also comes with Steve Zarelli Space Authentication COA for all signatures.
Mercury 7 Signed Photo with Navy Frogmen
Project Mercury capsules landed in the ocean at the conclusion of missions and astronauts needed to be ready for a variety of post-mission events. Navy Frogmen, also called the Underwater Demolition Team, were the first responders to the splashdowns and the Mercury 7 trained with them to practice exiting the spacecraft, survive in the ocean and await a larger recovery team. We sold a crew-signed photo of all seven Mercury astronauts posing with the Navy Frogmen who assisted during splashdowns for $6,875. Photo measures 10 x 8 inches and is also accompanied by a Steve Zarelli Space Authentication COA.
Mercury 7 Crew-Signed First Edition of “The Astronauts”
We realized $6,300 for a first edition, second printing copy of The Astronauts by Martin Caidin signed by all Project Mercury astronauts. All seven astronauts sign the half-title page in blue and black ballpoint, in order: Virgil I. Grissom, Leroy G. Cooper, Jr., John H. Glenn, Jr., Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Donald K. Slayton, M. Scott Carpenter. Caidin’s book was published in 1960 before any of the Mercury missions took a human into space and was able to help introduce the intense world of space exploration to readers.
Mercury 7 Signed Photo Display For a National Geographic Story
We sold a Mercury 7 photo signed by all seven astronauts for $5,600, Photo was commissioned by the National Geographic Society and matting contains a copyright stamp below photo. Signatures from left to right include: ”John Glenn, Jr.”, ”Deke Slayton”, ”Scott Carpenter”, ”Gus Grissom”, ”Wally Schirra”, ”Alan B. Shepard, Jr.” and ”Gordon Cooper”, in black and blue ink. Photo also comes with provenance from Dean Conger, the National Geographic photographer who took the photo.
Thank you for checking out some of our Mercury 7 autographs. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have. Please let us know if you’d like a free appraisal or would like to sell your Mercury 7 autographs.
FAQ
How do I consign or sell my Mercury 7 autographs?
It’s never been easier to sell your Mercury 7 autographs at Nate D. Sanders Auctions. Email a description and photos of your item to [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can with a free appraisal.
This sounds great and I want to move forward. What’s the consignment process like at Nate D. Sanders Auctions?
We’ll send you more information about our auctions along with an agreement for your review. Your item will appear in our next auction. Unlike many auction houses, we hold monthly auctions and pay you within an industry-leading 45 days following the auction.
What factors determine the value of Mercury 7 autographs?
The value of your Mercury 7 autographs can vary based on condition and subject matter of the signed item.