Footprint on Moon (one) Signed by Buzz Aldrin: Collector Guide, Rarity & Value
This is a signed example of Footprint on Moon (one), the documentary film examining the Apollo 11 mission and humanity's first steps on the lunar surface — authenticated and bearing the signature of Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the Moon. Aldrin's signature on this piece is not decorative; it is a direct link to the man who stood on the Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969, and looked back at Earth from 238,855 miles away. For collectors of space history, that connection is irreplaceable.
About Buzz Aldrin
Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. (born January 20, 1930) is one of the most consequential figures in the history of human exploration. A United States Air Force pilot who flew 66 combat missions during the Korean War, Aldrin went on to earn a Doctor of Science in Astronautics from MIT, writing his thesis on orbital mechanics — the very calculations that guided rendezvous procedures in space. Selected by NASA in 1963, he served as Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 11 and descended to the Moon's surface just nineteen minutes after Neil Armstrong, becoming the second human to walk on another world. His reported response — "magnificent desolation" — remains one of the most evocative phrases in the history of exploration.
Beyond Apollo 11, Aldrin is a decorated aviator, an author, and a lifelong advocate for establishing a permanent human presence on Mars. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he has remained an active participant in public life and continues to sign memorabilia. His signature is consistently authenticated by PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) and JSA (James Spence Authentication), the two foremost third-party grading authorities for space autographs. To hold a Buzz Aldrin-signed item is to hold a physical artifact of the Space Age, certified by the man who lived it.
About This Specific Item
Footprint on Moon (one) is a documentary film dedicated to the Apollo 11 mission — specifically to the moment humanity first stepped beyond Earth and onto another celestial body. The title itself references the singular footprint Aldrin and Armstrong left in the lunar regolith: a mark that remains undisturbed on the Moon today, preserved in the vacuum of space with no wind or weather to erode it. That footprint is arguably the most enduring physical symbol of human achievement in the 20th century.
Items associated with this documentary carry layered significance. The subject is not merely a historic space mission; it is the defining event of an entire era — a moment watched live by an estimated 600 million people worldwide. A signed piece from this documentary, bearing Aldrin's signature, directly connects the collector to both the artistic documentation of that mission and to one of its two principal protagonists. The condition of this example is rated Excellent, meaning the surface, any printed matter, and the signature itself present with minimal wear and full legibility.
Rarity and Scarcity
Buzz Aldrin remains an active signer as of 2025, which places his material in a different scarcity category than that of Neil Armstrong — who stopped signing in 1994 and passed away in 2012, creating a finite and diminishing pool of approximately 55,000 authenticated Armstrong items. Aldrin's ongoing participation in signings means supply is not as artificially constrained, but that does not diminish the significance or long-term collectibility of his signature.
Several factors compress effective supply for Aldrin material. Not all signed items are authenticated; raw (unauthenticated) examples trade at a discount and carry provenance risk. Not all authenticated items are in Excellent condition. And specifically signed documentary-related items — as opposed to standard NASA photographs or lithographs — represent a narrower subset of the market. Collectors who want a PSA- or JSA-certified Aldrin signature on a piece directly tied to Footprint on Moon are working within a materially smaller universe. As Aldrin ages, the pace of new signings will inevitably slow, and the window to acquire freshly authenticated material at current price levels will close.
Authentication and What to Look For
PSA and JSA are the gold standards for astronaut autograph authentication. A PSA-graded certificate includes a unique holographic label, a numeric condition grade (typically on a 1–10 scale), and an item identifier that can be verified in real time at PSA's online registry. JSA authentication similarly issues a numbered holographic sticker and a corresponding certificate of authenticity. Both services employ expert examiners who compare submitted signatures against extensive reference databases of known authentic examples.
Aldrin's signature has evolved over decades but retains consistent characteristics: a bold, forward-leaning script with a prominent capital "B" and a looping "A" in Aldrin. Examiners look for pen pressure, letter formation, and flow consistent with his established signing pattern at the approximate date of signing. Gauntlet Gallery sources only items with third-party authentication in place — we do not sell raw autographs as "authenticated by the seller." Every space memorabilia piece in our inventory comes with documentation that can be independently verified, and we cross-reference our holdings against Gauntlet Gallery's database of over 160,000 comparable auction and private sales to establish current market context before pricing.
Value Context
Buzz Aldrin-signed items span a wide range depending on the specific piece, condition, and authentication status. At the lower end, PSA/JSA-certified Aldrin signatures on standard 8x10 NASA photographs have realized $300–$600 at Heritage Auctions and RR Auction in recent years. Signed books and more unusual items — particularly those with thematic specificity to the Apollo 11 mission — have achieved $800–$2,500. Exceptional pieces, including large-format photography, mission-related artwork, and rare documentary material in high grade, have exceeded $3,000–$5,000 at Bonhams Space History sales and comparable venues.
The Footprint on Moon (one) item occupies the thematic specificity tier: it is not a generic NASA portrait but a signed piece tied directly to the documentary record of the mission itself. Condition is rated Excellent, which commands a premium over average-condition examples. Gauntlet Gallery lists this item at Contact for Pricing, allowing us to match serious collectors with current market data and discuss comparable sales before finalizing terms. This approach ensures buyers receive accurate market context rather than an arbitrary retail markup.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this Buzz Aldrin signature authenticated?
- Yes. Gauntlet Gallery carries only PSA- or JSA-authenticated Buzz Aldrin signatures. Both PSA and JSA are the leading third-party grading authorities for astronaut autographs. Each item comes with a holographic label and a certificate number verifiable in the PSA or JSA online registry.
- How rare is a Buzz Aldrin signed Footprint on Moon (one)?
- Aldrin continues to sign memorabilia, so his autograph is not as scarce as Armstrong's. However, PSA/JSA-authenticated Aldrin signatures on Footprint on Moon documentary material represent a narrow subset of the market. As signing opportunities diminish over time, authenticated examples of thematically specific items will become harder to source at current price levels.
- What is this item worth?
- Certified Aldrin-signed pieces typically realize $300–$600 for standard NASA photographs at auction, with documentary or thematically significant material ranging from $800 to over $3,000 depending on format and condition. This example is rated Excellent. Contact Gauntlet Gallery for a full market analysis and current comparable sales.
- Where can I buy authenticated Buzz Aldrin memorabilia?
- Gauntlet Gallery specializes in authenticated space memorabilia backed by PSA or JSA. Browse the full collection at gauntlet.gallery/collections/space-memorabilia or contact us directly for availability and pricing.
Browse authenticated space memorabilia — including Apollo-era astronaut signatures — at gauntlet.gallery/collections/space-memorabilia.
