Nearly $13,000 was paid for a toothbrush used by an American astronaut who went to the moon. The starting bid for the toothbrush was one-third of what it was finally sold for.

Command module pilot Jack Swigert used the toothbrush during the 1970 Apollo 13 mission. It was sold for $12,861, according to the Nate D Sanders auction house. The name of the buyer has not been revealed yet. Actor Kevin Bacon portrayed Swigert in a movie, Apollo 13, released in 1995.

The Apollo 13 mission was aimed at marking the seventh manned journey on the lunar surface, but due to explosion of an oxygen tank 55 hours in the trip, the touchdown was abandoned.

NASA said Swigert and two crew members somehow managed to convert their lunar module, Aquarius, into an effective lifeboat and returned safely to earth.

Swigert was among 24 American astronauts set to fly around the moon, but not among the dozen who actually walked on the surface of the moon. Swigert succumbed to bone cancer in 1982 at 51.

Silver Robbins medal was the most expensive item that was given to Swigert for the Apollo 17 flight, which was the final lunar landing of the program. The item was sold for $60,503 during the auction. A still-working silver mechanical pencil used by Swigert on Apollo 13 mission was sold for $11,092. Other items that were sold in the auction comprised an Apollo 13 flown flag (sold for $19,661) and an earpiece (sold for $6,453) worn by Swigert in space.

A joystick controller from the fourth US manned lunar landing, Apollo 15, was sold for $655,768 last week.