Overview
This vintage souvenir deck commemorates the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, featuring the mission's iconic eagle patch and Neil Armstrong's historic quote.
Identification
Brown & Bigelow Apollo 11 'One Small Step' Playing Cards, c.1970
Photo reference
5 uploaded photos
Story
Commemorating the 1969 moon landing, this deck features Michael Collins' iconic eagle patch design and Neil Armstrong's historic quote, serving as a quintessential piece of Space Age commercial memorabilia.
Maker / Origin
Unattributed · Brown & Bigelow, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, Early 1970s Space Age
Condition & Value
Valuation is heavily dependent on condition, with sealed New Old Stock decks establishing the market ceiling, while opened, circulated decks anchor the lower end. The box shows visible edge wear, corner softening, and surface scuffing consistent with age.
Full Research
See what it's actually worth.
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Market Analysis
Direct comparable sales firmly anchor this standard, mass-produced Kennedy Space Center souvenir deck in the $15 to $25 range on secondary retail platforms. While a user category hint of 'memorabilia_signed' was provided, the documentary evidence lacks explicit proof or imagery of a signature; therefore, this baseline valuation relies strictly on the physical attributes of an unsigned, open-run vintage deck. Exact-match comps for unsigned Apollo 11 decks in used-but-excellent condition consistently realize $15 to $20. Sealed New Old Stock (NOS) examples of similar Space Age decks establish the ceiling near $25. At traditional auction houses, single mass-market novelty decks frequently pass without bids (as seen in the 2019 LiveAuctioneers comp) or require bundling into larger ephemera lots to sell, making direct-to-collector retail platforms the most accurate gauge of Fair Market Value. A signed deck would serve as a completely different asset class and is not averaged into this estimate.
Value Drivers
▲ Apollo 11 'Space Age' Kennedy Space Center provenance and historical theme
▲ Specific corporate lineage markings dating the item precisely to c.1970
▲ Novelty 'Corobex' germ-proofing aesthetic indicating original manufacturing era
▲ Presence of authentic astronaut signature (would categorically transform value if verified)
Concerns
▼ Mass-produced tourist souvenir lacking intrinsic material rarity
▼ No explicit documentary evidence of a signature despite the category hint
▼ High availability of identical or similar unsigned examples caps secondary market ceilings
Best Venue
eBay or Etsy
Upside Potential
If the deck or box is authentically signed by an Apollo 11 crew member (particularly Neil Armstrong), the value would immediately escalate into the $1,500-$2,500+ range.
Authenticity Notice
High risk only if a signature is claimed. NASA utilized autopen machines extensively during the Apollo era, and forgeries of Armstrong and Aldrin are prolific. Any claimed signature must be verified by premier third-party authenticators (PSA/DNA, JSA, or Beckett) to achieve signed premium value.
The upgraded report is now attached to this item.