(CNN) -- It may be the next best thing to owning a piece of the moon. A cloth American flag that was taken to the moon's surface was one of more than 500 aviation and space exploration artifacts sold into private hands at auction this week. "To be honest with you, there's only 12 men who walked on the moon out of 105 billion people who have walked on this earth since humankind started walking upright," Larry McGlynn, the newest owner of the American flag told CNN on Friday. "These are incredibly rare items." The 2.5 inch-by-1.75 inch commemorative American flag framed with an Apollo 15 uniform patchâ€”which also went to the moonâ€”was sold to McGlynn for $27,741.35, according to Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of New Hampshire-based RR Auction.
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A joystick used by Apollo 15 commander to land on the moon sold for over $600,000
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It was among hundreds of aviation and space exploration artifacts sold at auction this week
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Many items touched the surface of the moon during multiple Apollo missions
Many of the collectors, including McGlynn, grew up watching @placeholder's space program, and feel a personal connection to the pieces.