Neil Armstrong autographs will also be desirable because Armstrong will be forever identified as the proverbial first man on the moon.  Ever since H. G. Wells popularized the concept of men visiting the moon with his classic book, First Men on the Moon, it was Neil Armstrong that made it happen.

For over thirty years Armstrong generously signed almost anything and everything that was presented to him.  For NASA administrator Thomas Paine, a former General Electric executive who was mainly responsible for the selection of Neil Armstrong for Apollo 11, Armstrong signed a photo of his boot imprinting a footprint on the moon.    However, Armstrong became discouraged by the commercialization of his autograph.  He wrote to a friend how disgusted he was with Internet auctions that sold his autographs for premium prices.  Armstrong was so sensitized about exploitation of his autograph, that he refused to provide autographs to his own secretaries and to friends in the aviation industry.  In 1994, Armstrong ceased signing autographs for fans.  Only with rare exception has Armstrong made his autograph available, such as signing a first edition of First Men on the Moon for the library at Columbia University.

The most available of Neil Armstrong autographs is an official NASA photographs with his solitary portrait, and another as part of the three-member Apollo 11 team.  Market prices for these autographed photographs have skyrocketed in value as demand for his autograph has increased as supply has decreased.  Unfortunately, as his autograph has skyrocketed in value, forgeries of Armstrong's signature have become common.  Experts warn that a high percentage of purported Armstrong autographs on Internet auctions are not authentic.  In one particular example, a signed astronaut photo that came with a certificate of authenticity appeared to have a beautiful example of Armstrong's autograph.  However, on careful scrutiny, the signature had Armstrong's first name spelled as "Neal" instead of "Neil".  A distinctive pearl concerning Armstrong's signature on official photos: Armstrong is not known to have signed his name across the American flag on his uniform.  Any NASA photograph bearing an autograph of Neil Armstrong that covers or even impinges the American flag should be viewed with suspicion.

Neil Armstrong is to be respected for his past generosity to autograph collectors.  Although he never attended fundraising events that exploit his autograph for commercial gain, he had been a generous autograph signer for thousands of collectors for many years.  Armstrong has made his mark as the first man on the moon, and Neil Armstrong autographs will forever represent a giant leap in the history of mankind.

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