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Fine Art & Antiques by Dr. Lori
Collecting The King
Las Vegas has a wedding chapel
dedicated to him. More than a few
actors make their living impersonating
him. People across the globe report
numerous sightings of him. Who is he?
None other than the King—Elvis Presley.
Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977.
He left a legacy that continues to inspire
many fans to this day. In addition to his
mansion, Graceland, his mountain of hit
records and his ultra popular movies,
Elvis still connects with collectors
more than 30 years after his untimely
death. Beloved by millions, Elvis was a
visionary talent and a star among stars.
Collectors are devoted to Elvis
and what some call “Elvis-abilia,” in a
manner that differs from that of other
celebrities or rock stars. Elvis was
an icon, and while his hit records are
valuable on today’s secondary market, it
is his global appeal that has attracted so
many collectors to Elvis objects—both
musical and otherwise. People collect
objects relating to Elvis’ career, home,
family and his lifestyle because they were
inspired and impressed with him. Elvis
made a career out of connecting with
his audiences. What’s more, his personal
decisions to serve in the military and to
support American causes contribute to
his widespread popular appeal. The King
of Rock and Roll raised funds to help
construct Hawaii’s famed U.S.S. Arizona
Memorial, and he was immortalized
on a U.S. postage stamp in 1992. The
Elvis stamp remains the most publicized
stamp in U.S. history, yet its collectible
value is rather low since so many—
over 500 million—were distributed.
When it comes to collecting,
Elvis objects are a good longterm
investment. Each year on the
anniversary of his death, the prices for
Elvis collectibles temporarily spike.
Many objects that relate to the King
of Rock and Roll are quite pricey, today.
His bejeweled performance costumes
have sold to collectors in a range from
$25,000 to $300,000. An avid collector
of American automobiles himself, Elvis
enjoyed the fastest cars of the Post War
Era and purchased many automobiles from the late 1950s to the mid-1970s. An
example from his classic car collection
sold to a fellow collector for $295,000.
Elvis posters are popular, like the
1955 printed board announcement
from the Grand Ole Opry that sold for
$12,650. A traditional early career leather
jacket brought $37,000. In addition, Elvis recordings continue to bring high
prices. A Sun Record recording of That’s
All Right in its original paper sleeve,
45 rpm, sold for more than $1,100.
Major artists also helped to further
immortalize Elvis to his ever-growing
numbers of fans. Andy Warhol’s
characteristic pop art masterpiece of Elvis
Presley from 1963 entitled, Single Elvis,
in silkscreen ink on a silvered background
sold at auction for $3.3 million.
It’s good to be King. It’s
even better to collect the King.
 Ph.D. antiques appraiser and awardwinning
TV personality and TV talk
show host, Dr. Lori presents antiques
appraisal events nationwide. Join her
on her next vacation cruise focusing
on antiques this October. Watch Dr.
Lori across the country on the Fine
Living Network’s Worth Every Penny
and on Daytime which airs on Atlanta’s
ABC 2 WSB-DT at 9 am, Tampa’s
NBC 8 at 10 am, Jacksonville’s CW
17 at 6 am, and others. Visit www.DrLoriV.com
or call 888-431-1010.
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