Elvis auction surprises - including $7,500 for his socks

Updated
Film - It Happened at the World's Fair - Elvis Presley
Film - It Happened at the World's Fair - Elvis Presley



A huge auction of Elvis memorabilia at Graceland has raised more than half a million dollars. Among the more bizarre items that fans forked out for were a hotel room service menu signed by the singer - which sold for £2,400 and a mixed collection of luggage - including gold-toed socks - which sold for $7,500.

Unfortunately a number of the lots were withdrawn just before the sale, as the auctioneer said it could not confirm they were the real thing - including a white jumpsuit and a guitar that was said to have been signed by Elvis.

Pricey

However, there were still some big sales. The most expensive was his handgun, engraved with 'Elvis' and 'TCB' (which stands for Taking Care of Business - which is what he called his band). That sold for $62,500.

There were also some expensive jewellery sales. The priciest was a gold ring with diamonds and tourmaline, which sold for $47,500. This was followed by a diamond and gold TCB pendant that Elvis gave to Sammy David Jr, which sold for $32,000, a similar one given to Richard Davies which sold for $35,000, and a gold owl-shaped ring that he gave to a fan from the stage, which fetched $32,500.

They are impressive prices, but this particular sale didn't set any records, because they fall a long way short of being the most expensive Elvis memorabilia ever sold. The priciest sale is thought to be that of two private planes - Lisa Marie and Hound Dog II. They were auctioned off at the beginning of this year, and although the sealed bids were not disclosed, the estimate for the pair was between $10 million and $15 million.

Clothes

Clothes worn by the man himself also fetched steep prices at the auction. The most expensive were an outfit made up of a jacket and leather trousers - worn by Elvis in the 1960s, and his racquetball shirt - which both sold for £32,500.

This was followed by a custom-made leather and mink coat that fetched $27,500, while a nondescript black suit that Elvis wore in the 1962 film It Happened at the World's Fair sold for $25,000.

It's a lot to pay for second-hand clothes, but it starts to seem like the buyers got a bargain when you compare them to the priciest Elvis outfit ever sold - a peacock jumpsuit which sold in 2008 for $300,000.

Weird
Unusual items in this sale included a racquetball glove - which sold for $5,000, a pair of pyjamas - which fetched $15,000, and a signed airline ticket - which made $4,250.

However, again these have been outdone in the oddness department by previous Elvis sales. Perhaps the weirdest was a lock of his hair, which sold in 2002 for an incredible $115,000.

But what do you think? Would you pay these kinds of prices for items once owned by a celebrity? Or does the idea of paying $15,000 for a pair of second-hand pyjamas leave you baffled? Let us know in the comments.

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Elvis Presley Artifacts Auctioned At Graceland
Elvis Presley Artifacts Auctioned At Graceland



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