Back when Neil Armstrong and his fellow Apollo Astronauts were getting ready for their moon missions the cost of Life insurance on them would have been prohibitive. They only made $17,000 a year back then, and a Life insurance policy would have run them about $50,000 a year, or $300,000 in today’s dollars!
So what they did was bank on their place in history! To insure they did not catch any bugs before their historical mission they were quarantined. So about a month before they were set to go to the moon, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin were locked into a Plexiglas room together and got busy providing for their families the only way they could — they signed hundreds of autographs.
In what would become a common practice, the guys signed their names on envelopes emblazoned with various space-related images. The ‘covers’ would, of course, become intensely valuable should the trio perish on the mission. They’re now often referred to as ” Apollo Insurance Covers.”
And to ensure the covers would hold maximum value, the crew put stamps on them, and sent them in a package to a friend, who dumped them all in the mail so they would be postmarked July 16, 1969 — the day of the mission’s success — or its failure. Fortunately, the trip went off without a hitch and all three men went on to live long, healthy lives and all remained alive until Neil Armstrong’s death a few days ago. The covers are still around, and not too hard to find. In 2011, Collectors Weekly pegged their average value at around $5,000.
While this may be a clever example of American ingenuity and resourcefulness, if you can’t bank on your autographs value, you may want to consider purchasing a Life insurance policy to protect your families financial security? And, a fully funded permanent policy will guarantee a benefit for your loved ones! Call your insurance agent today, and get this taken care of.
Liberally copied from Business Insider, Inc. 2012 by Corrin Trowbridge, Trowbridge Insurance. If you would like a quote for Life Insurance or any of your Insurance needs contact us on our website: http://www.farmersagent.com/ctrowbridge
