Ever since the word broke on the young, dark, handsome man from Memphis with the deep voice and the provocative dance moves, audiences could not get enough of Elvis Presley. Even nowadays, everyone seems to want a piece of the legendary performer – which is probably why even the weirdest memorabilia from his times as the King of Rock and Roll still fetch incredible prices at auctions all over the world.
The Extraordinary Life of Elvis Presley
The King wowed the crowds from the moment he started recording songs with Sun Records in 1954 – and just two years later, his career had catapulted into stardom status. Elvis was a sensation not only at home but all over the world – and everyone seemed to want a piece of him, from screaming fans to journalists to Hollywood studios – even the US military, which drafted him into service in 1958. Elvis was truly one of a kind – and talented on multiple fronts. According to Graceland, his official estate, he sold more than 1 billion records all over the globe, more than any other artist in the history of the music industry. He received more than 150 gold, platinum or multi-platinum certifications for his albums - records and singles - and an estimated 40% of his albums were sold outside the US. He also starred in 33 films – 31 feature films and 2 documentaries – and for a while, he was among the highest-paid actors in Las Vegas with his casino acts being a key driver for the star.
The King wowed the crowds from the moment he started recording songs with Sun Records in 1954 – and just two years later, his career had catapulted into stardom status. Elvis was a sensation not only at home but all over the world – and everyone seemed to want a piece of him, from screaming fans to journalists to Hollywood studios – even the US military, which drafted him into service in 1958. Elvis was truly one of a kind – and talented on multiple fronts. According to Graceland, his official estate, he sold more than 1 billion records all over the globe, more than any other artist in the history of the music industry. He received more than 150 gold, platinum or multi-platinum certifications for his albums - records and singles - and an estimated 40% of his albums were sold outside the US. He also starred in 33 films – 31 feature films and 2 documentaries – and for a while, he was among the highest-paid actors in Las Vegas with his casino acts being a key driver for the star.
Photo: Elvis Presley via Facebook.
He successfully relaunched his career twice: once after his military service and once in 1968 with the television special Elvis, which led to a phenomenal 636 sellout shows over the course of 7 years, from 1969 to 1976, in Las Vegas – a city where you can still find Elvis impersonators roaming the streets, paying homage to the legendary singer. The Sin City shows yielded $229,761,360 in overall revenue according to BetWay, which safely places the King in the top-5 most successful Las Vegas acts of all time. Elvis was also posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, almost ten years after his death in 1977, at age 42 - a tremendous achievement for any musician.
From a Broken Dental Crown to a Crumpled Paper Cup
With all this frenzy surrounding him, perhaps it is not weird that even the most bizarre memorabilia from him are usually instant sellers – and slightly overpriced. A lock of his hair was auctioned off in 2012 and brought in an impressive $115,000 (more than £80,000), more than double what John Lennon’s (£ 35,000) or even Beethoven’s (a little over £8,000) had gone for. Apart from the romantic lock of hair, other more mundane Elvis memorabilia have gone up for sale, including his gun permit (which contains arguably the only full set of fingerprints of the King, who was also a gun aficionado, true to his Midwest roots), a dental crown from his molar that he broke in 1975, along with the accompanying documentation, that was put to auction for £14,000, and his full medical records that were auctioned in 2001 as part of the collection of one Mick Fleetwood, the drummer of fellow musical act Fleetwood Mac.
From a Broken Dental Crown to a Crumpled Paper Cup
With all this frenzy surrounding him, perhaps it is not weird that even the most bizarre memorabilia from him are usually instant sellers – and slightly overpriced. A lock of his hair was auctioned off in 2012 and brought in an impressive $115,000 (more than £80,000), more than double what John Lennon’s (£ 35,000) or even Beethoven’s (a little over £8,000) had gone for. Apart from the romantic lock of hair, other more mundane Elvis memorabilia have gone up for sale, including his gun permit (which contains arguably the only full set of fingerprints of the King, who was also a gun aficionado, true to his Midwest roots), a dental crown from his molar that he broke in 1975, along with the accompanying documentation, that was put to auction for £14,000, and his full medical records that were auctioned in 2001 as part of the collection of one Mick Fleetwood, the drummer of fellow musical act Fleetwood Mac.
Photo: Elvis Presley via Facebook.
Elvis was also a wristwatch enthusiast – countless photos of his time on the billboards show him sporting one. While in the military, he gifted his Omega Constellation watch to a friend from the army and it was later sold off at the impressive price of £35,000 – which is all the more astonishing if one considers that the watch’s value today would be just a little over £1,000, had it not once adorned the King’s wrist. The two champagne glasses that were used from his wedding with Priscilla also went up for auction, expected to go for around £400 – but incredibly, a wrinkled old paper cup that the King allegedly drunk from went even higher, as it fetched almost £1250 on eBay. The same seller successfully parted with three tablespoons of water from a cup that the King drank from in 1977 – which the seller kept in his freezer for years and later decided to auction off for an impressive £300. Sometimes, memorabilia ranges from the weird to the creepy – like the tools and toe tag allegedly from the King’s autopsy that were set to go up for sale in 2010. Yet due to their contested authenticity, they were thankfully removed from the auction, and the King can continue to rest in peace.
Elvis had a fascinating life and touched the hearts of countless people around the world. It is no surprise that diehard fans are eager to appreciate even the strangest things from their idols’ private world – even if that means paying a strangely high price.
Elvis had a fascinating life and touched the hearts of countless people around the world. It is no surprise that diehard fans are eager to appreciate even the strangest things from their idols’ private world – even if that means paying a strangely high price.
