Series I: #19 Apollo 11 on the Moon (Space Candy) is hand-signed by Buzz Aldrin — the second human being to walk on the Moon. Aldrin set foot on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969, and his signature on this piece connects any collector directly to that singular moment in human history. Authenticated through PSA and JSA, two of the most trusted third-party grading authorities in the hobby, this is not a reproduction or a printed facsimile. It is a physical artifact touched by the man who stood 238,855 miles from Earth and looked back at an entire planet.
About Buzz Aldrin
Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. — universally known as Buzz Aldrin — was born on January 20, 1930, in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. He flew 66 combat missions as a U.S. Air Force pilot during the Korean War before earning a doctorate in astronautics from MIT, making him one of the most credentialed astronauts NASA ever produced. He served as Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 11, the mission that fulfilled President Kennedy's 1961 pledge to land a man on the Moon before the end of the decade. On July 20, 1969, mission commander Neil Armstrong descended first; Aldrin followed nineteen minutes later, becoming the second human to walk on another world.
Aldrin's footprints are, quite literally, still on the Moon — the lunar surface has no wind or weather to erase them. In the decades since Apollo 11, he has remained one of the most outspoken advocates for Mars exploration, authoring multiple books and founding the ShareSpace Foundation to promote science education. Unlike his crewmate Neil Armstrong, who stopped signing autographs in 1994 and passed away in 2012, Aldrin continued to sign memorabilia into his nineties, granting collectors ongoing access to authenticated examples. His signature carries the weight of more than fifty years of history — a living connection to the moment humanity first escaped its home world.
About This Specific Item
Series I: #19 Apollo 11 on the Moon (Space Candy) is a collectible piece that commemorates the Apollo 11 mission and the astronauts' experience on the lunar surface. The Space Candy series frames iconic moments from space exploration in a bold, vividly styled visual language designed to make the history accessible and striking to a new generation of collectors. Number 19 in the first series centers on the defining image in NASA's catalog: astronauts on the Moon, with the Earth hanging in the blackness above the horizon and the stillness of the Sea of Tranquility surrounding them.
The Apollo 11 mission launched on July 16, 1969, carrying Armstrong, Aldrin, and Command Module Pilot Michael Collins. While Collins orbited above, Armstrong and Aldrin spent approximately two and a half hours on the surface, collected 47.5 pounds of lunar material, planted the American flag, and spoke by telephone with President Nixon. More than 600 million people — roughly one-fifth of the global population at the time — watched the landing live on television. The mission remains one of the most-watched broadcast events in human history. Any item commemorating Apollo 11 and signed by a participant sits at the very apex of space memorabilia collecting.
Rarity and Scarcity
Buzz Aldrin is one of only twelve human beings who walked on the Moon. Of that twelve, only four were still living as of 2025. Aldrin has been an active signer throughout his life, which means authenticated examples are more available than those of Neil Armstrong — who stopped signing in 1994, passed away in 2012, and whose total signed inventory is estimated at roughly 55,000 pieces, a figure that will never increase. Aldrin's continued signing activity makes authenticated pieces attainable, but it does not diminish their historical weight: you are acquiring the signature of one of the twelve people who ever walked on another world.
Scarcity functions differently here than in standard celebrity memorabilia. Armstrong's pieces have already entered the finite-supply phase, driving prices aggressively upward at auction. Aldrin's pieces remain relatively accessible now, but the same dynamic will apply in time. Collectors who understand the long arc of space memorabilia markets — Heritage Auctions, RR Auction, and Bonhams have all documented the appreciation pattern across the Apollo astronaut roster — recognize that the window for acquiring authenticated Aldrin material at accessible price points is not permanent. Condition-graded, PSA- or JSA-certified examples in excellent condition represent the strongest long-term hold in the category.
Authentication and What to Look For
Gauntlet Gallery authenticates all space memorabilia through PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) and JSA (James Spence Authentication), the two most widely recognized third-party grading services for autographed collectibles. A PSA-authenticated piece carries a tamper-evident hologram sticker with a unique alphanumeric code traceable to the PSA online database, where you can verify the item, the assigned grade, and the signer's name. JSA authentication works similarly, with a COA number cross-referenced through JSA's verification portal.
Aldrin's signature has remained largely consistent across decades of signing — a forward-slanting script with a distinctive capital B and a long underline flourish beneath the full name. Key characteristics include the sharp upward sweep on the A in Aldrin and the loop structure of the capital B. Forgeries tend to hesitate at those transitions; authentic signatures flow without interruption. Every item offered by Gauntlet Gallery comes with full provenance documentation, and our authentication process draws on a comparable sales database of more than 160,000 transactions, giving our team an unusually precise benchmark for what authentic Aldrin signatures look like across different eras and surfaces.
Value Context
Buzz Aldrin-signed space memorabilia spans a wide range depending on the specific item, its format, and its authentication tier. Single-signed photographs — particularly Apollo 11 mission imagery — have achieved between $800 and $3,500 at Heritage Auctions and RR Auction in recent years, with mission-specific images (lunar surface, Earth-rise, crew portraits) commanding premiums over generic NASA portraits. Boldly signed, PSA- or JSA-authenticated pieces in excellent condition consistently outperform unsigned or faintly signed examples by 40 to 60 percent.
The Space Candy series format occupies the contemporary collectible tier of the market, where strong authentication and vivid presentation drive demand from both traditional memorabilia collectors and a broader art-adjacent audience. Gauntlet Gallery prices this piece as Contact for Pricing because market conditions, comparable auction results, and condition premiums all factor into the final figure — and we prefer to match each collector with the right piece at the right price rather than post a static number that may not reflect current market conditions. Comparable Aldrin-signed contemporary pieces have moved between $1,200 and $4,000 in the authenticated collectibles channel over the past 24 months. Contact our team for a current valuation specific to this piece.
FAQ
- Is this Buzz Aldrin signature authenticated?
- Yes. All Buzz Aldrin-signed memorabilia at Gauntlet Gallery is authenticated through PSA and/or JSA. Each piece carries a tamper-evident hologram with a unique code verifiable in the PSA or JSA online database.
- How rare is a Buzz Aldrin signed Series I: #19 Apollo 11 on the Moon (Space Candy)?
- Buzz Aldrin is one of only twelve people who have walked on the Moon. While he has been an active signer, authenticated examples in serialized contemporary formats remain limited relative to global demand for Apollo 11 material.
- What is this item worth?
- Authenticated Aldrin-signed space memorabilia has achieved $800 to $4,000 at Heritage Auctions, RR Auction, and Bonhams in the past 24 months. Contact Gauntlet Gallery for a current valuation on this specific piece.
- Where can I buy authenticated Buzz Aldrin memorabilia?
- Gauntlet Gallery specializes in authenticated space memorabilia with full PSA/JSA documentation. Browse the collection at gauntlet.gallery/collections/space-memorabilia.
Ready to add this piece to your collection? Browse authenticated space memorabilia — including Apollo 11 material signed by Buzz Aldrin and other mission veterans — at gauntlet.gallery/collections/space-memorabilia. Contact our team for current pricing, condition reports, and full provenance documentation on any item.
