Buzz aldrin

[psugator02]

don't bother bringing a baseball with you. aldrin was here nine months ago or so to start the NASCAR race that was in homestead. i walked with him from the airport to his car. i was as nice as could be. told him about my father and grandfather both being ex-military. but this guy wouldn't budge to sign an autograph. he knows exactly what is going on.

 

[vegas_guy]

Appreciate the tips. Was he turned off automatically when you asked him or was he still nice?

 

[psugator02]

well he was never nice LOL. he watched as i followed him to his car and he was leery the entire time. he has an unusual personality. not very cordial. he made me feel uncomfortable the whole time. he did engage me in conversation but never once was i given the impression that he would sign for me. some guys you just won't get. i put him in the same category as guys like bill russell and john mcenroe. if someone were to ask me whether they should try for aldrin i would simply tell them, "don't waste your time." and i don't say that too often about a celebrity.

 

[KcRoyalsFan22]

From research I have come to the conclusion that Aldrin is in the business to sell Buzz Aldrin. I just finished reading his book and he talks about really not knowing what he was going to do with his life after he landed on the moon. After his current wife lost all of her money in the 1980's saving and loans fall out Aldrin made it his priority to make money off autograph signings, appearances and speeches. Astronauts are very collectible autographs and the people that are hard core collectors know that astronauts (exp moonwalkers) will charge an arm and a leg to sign high end items. Even some of the least known astronauts are difficult autographs to obtain for free. If you are ever going to obtain Aldrin on any memorabilia you are going to have to shell out at least 400$. His base price (along with many other moonwalkers) continues to climb year after year. These celebrities don't factor in the economy or the fact that they are pricing common people out from even thinking of spending money on their autographs. How Aldrin continues to get people to pay these explicit prices is baffling to me.

 

[psugator02]

well aldrin is not appealing to the average autograph collector....it's the lawyers and the doctors who are shelling out this kind of money.

 

[KcRoyalsFan22]

Read his book when all he talks about in half of it is "making space flight possible for the common man". He tries to come across as a very likable person who cares the future of every single citizen and the plight of the space program. Bottom line is he wants money, and not only money but obscene money to ever write his name (he charges at least a hundred dollars to add any type of inscription). He is not concern with anyone ever reselling his autograph because he charges so much that there is not even any room to make a profit if someone wanted to. I understand he is trying to appeal to the high end collector but like I have heard from other space collectors "At what point does he price out even the high end collector?".

 

[SteveG34]

Keep in mind that these guys signed for free for YEARS thru the mail. It wasnt until the early 90's when they started to charge. Aldrin was asking $25 for a long time and the price gradually increased as time went by, and he got older. I'm not making excuses for his cranky personality, but he is nearly 80 years old. Astronauts didnt make much money for their service, and most use appearance and autograph fees to off set their small pensions.

 

[KcRoyalsFan22]

Don't get me wrong...I understand %100 why they charge...but when i look up at a number like $400 and $500 for base price fees....I think it has got out of hand. In their defense MOST of them have moderate fees that are understandable and fair in my opinion. Charging for an autograph is not my gripe...I think everyone has the right to make money....I just think it is obscene what someone like Aldrin and John Young are asking for.

 

[Rockstufff]

Best way to do it is to get the book signed... and even when he personalizes, which he does when you bring a few up to him, just cut the graph from the book and put it in a 16x20 frame with an 11x14 photo of him from the moon in it.... looks perfect...

something like this... http://www.hainsworth.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/moon_life_magazine.jpg

as close as you're gonna get to having a moon photo signed and for the price of a book...

 

[KcRoyalsFan22]

Ya I already have done this with Aldrin. I got a signed book for 30 bucks then framed it with a 5x7 photograph of the "visor shot". Probably cost me 45 dollars total for the item. I plan on doing something like it with Gene Cernan as well. He is willing to sign books for free as well.