Category Archives: PRODUCTS BASED ON ELVIS

Elvis Santa Hats and Other Bad Ideas

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Phil Arnold | Leave a comment

Back in July 2010, ElvisBlog critiqued the items offered by EPE in their big summer sale, “12 Days of Christmas in July” . Some item drew praise, while others were blasted – like this one:

Gold sunglasses with fake sideburns – uugghh. Graceland has sued vendors for making unauthorized Elvis merchandise, often citing how the product demeaned the image of Elvis. Well, what does this do? The glasses are fine, but the sideburns look so cheesy.

Now, something new has been offered in the official Elvis catalog that is just as bad:

What genius came up with a blue Elvis Santa hat with sideburns? Just what you wanted, right? It’s a good thing they had Elvis embroidered on the white fur, or we would have no idea what this was supposed to be, especially since the hat is blue. The catalog says the blue design was inspired by Elvis’ famous jumpsuits of the 70s. However, Elvis had some great red jumpsuits. Why not use one of them and at least keep the red Santa theme?

While we are talking about blue Santa hats with sideburns, here is another one.

There might actually be some Star Trek fans out there who would like to have a Spock Santa hat, especially since it has an extra feature – Spock’s pointy ears. Santa’s elves are often portrayed with pointy ears, so it kind of looks like this might work as a Santa’s elf hat.

Now, if the elves have really big ears, maybe this would be the perfect hat:

Too bad. The embroidery says Santa Yoda, not Santa elf. If they can put out a Star Trek Santa hat, why not a Star Wars one, too?

It’s easy to imagine that someone would want a Santa hat or a Santa Elf hat, but would anybody want a Santa Reindeer hat?

Let’s end with a special Santa Elvis hat that surely symbolizes everything that is Christmas.

Yes sir, a black Santa hat with Elvis sunglasses and the title of one of his Christmas songs embroidered on the fur. I think I kind-of like this one. It’s just $13 at Kmart online. You know, I am going to get one.

Too bad they didn’t put sideburns on it.

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Do We Really Need Elvis Barbie?

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Phil Arnold | 2 Comments

On September 15, Elvis.com/news featured an interview with the designer of the new Elvis Barbie doll. Maybe I missed something, but I never knew it was already on the market. As you can see, Elvis Barbie is wearing an outfit inspired by his famous gold lamé suit. She is touted as wearing a ‘pompadour ponytail, and can be yours for only $49.99.

The article begins with this declarative statement, “Wearing one of the king’s signature looks, the new Elvis Barbie doll has quickly become a must-have item for collectors and fans!” In the interview, the designer said, “From the collector community to Elvis fans, everyone is loving this doll!”

Well, not quite everyone. As soon as the interview text ends, 33 comments are listed. Obviously, they were not screened, and that might have been a good idea. Here are some samples:

Tim Clinton:  Uhhhhmmm. Somebody is running out of ways to make money?

Tammy Moore Colon: What a stupid looking thing… ELVIS IN DRAG?  What disrespect to the king and his fans!

Beth Harper:  It sucks and Elvis was no sissy and that doll makes him look like and the doll is so freaking ugly, nobody wants to buy that    piece of crap….

Mike Kennedy: Elvis Barbie is such an idiotic idea… at least make Ken look     like Elvis.

Actually, somebody already came up with that last idea. Here are two mini Elvis outfits you can buy on eBay to make your Ken doll look like Elvis.

Here are a few more comments from folks who saw something else in the face of the Elvis Barbie doll:

Hounddoggle Hundley: Doesn’t look like Elvis. Looks like Priscilla more.

Joan Domske: I agree. Guess the Priscilla doll wouldn’t sell.

Okay, you can call it. Does Elvis Barbie look more like Elvis, Barbie or Priscilla? Remember, they already did Priscilla before in the Elvis and Priscilla Barbie Doll Collector Gift Set.

Here are two other sentiments from totally out in left field:

Maudie Johnson: This doll should be called Lisa Marie and not Elvis or Priscilla.

Johnny Jr. Szeto: Looks more like the Korean band – Wonder Girls.

Of course, not all the comments were negative. In fairness, there are some folks who like Elvis Barbie:

Espen Kromke: I want it. Actually, I do.

Savannah Faircloth: Instead of complaining about how it disrespects Elvis or looks like Priscilla… maybe we should all be grateful that the King’s legacy is still living on. So maybe it is a girl doll or maybe it looks like his ex, regardless, people continue to release new and exciting products in remembrance of Elvis.

Reeme Dreeme: OMMMMMMMMG! This is SOOOOOO COOOOL! WANT IT NOW!

Can you blame Mattel going for another Elvis and Barbie connection? They certainly hit pay dirt with the Barbie Loves Elvis Collectors’ Set.

Elvis looks plenty manly here, but he doesn’t look much like Elvis. And Barbie certainly doesn’t look so hot. There are even pictures on the internet of a counterfeit Elvis and Barbie set.

I Googled Elvis Barbie to do research on this blog story, and I went to enough sites to see a bewildering array of Barbies. An Italian website had several poses of Elvis Barbie in a different outfit. Here’s one showing the pompadour ponytail from the side.

Another site had Barbie in black leather. Mattel might sell a lot of this one if they released it as ‘68 Comeback Barbie.

The weirdest thing I found on my internet search was a nude beefcake shot of Elvis from the wedding set. There was no similar nude Priscilla shot. Very strange.

May I include a beef of my own about Elvis Barbie? Why did they make her so skinny? Her legs look to be the size of matchsticks and her arms like toothpicks. Maybe they should call her Anorexic Barbie. Any person that thin would be taken to the hospital and put on IV support.

Just for kicks, I used Windows Paint to make Elvis Barbie more voluptuous. If she had been marketed with that body, at least the comments from guys might have been better.

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Moving Elvis Mr. Potato Head Parts Around

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Phil Arnold | Leave a comment

I’ve done two previous articles on the Elvis Mr. Potato Head figures. The first was favorable, and that resulted in me getting an e-mail thank you message from from Dean Gorby of PPW Toys, the company that makes the Elvis Mr. Potato Heads for Hasbro. I wrote back and asked if I could get some in-house photos of the Elvis Live, as the first model was called.

Dean sent me unpublished pictures of Elvis Live with the white jumpsuit, and I used that for a second ElvisBlog article. More recently he sent me photos of the ’68 Special black leather model, including a little note filling me in on the results when ’68 Special debuted at the New York Toy Fair in February.

Elvis Mr. Potato Head is front and center at the Toy Fair

Dean expressed his happiness at getting so many favorable comments from the folks coming by their booth at the Toy Fair. “Many people said they liked it better than the first. The overall response was that people thought it was cuter because you can see his eyes, where as the first version had sunglasses.”

Elvis Live '68 Special

Sorry, but I am going to disagree with those folks. I like the sunglasses way better than the eyes. However, there is some good news. You can remove the eyes from black leather and replace them with the sunglasses. Like this.

’68 Comeback Elvis Wearing Sunglasses

The next two outfits in the series will probably be Jailhouse Rock and Gold Lamé, but both are unlikely to include the sunglasses because they are 50s themes. Of course, if you have your sunglasses from Elvis Live, you could move them around to all the models. I liked this idea so much, I asked Dean if he would send me some extra glasses, so every Elvis Mr. Potato Head I buy can wear them. They just came in, and they are very cool. Thank you, Dean.

While we are talking about moving Mr. Potato Head parts around, here’s another idea to think about. It sure looks like the mask and helmet of Darth Tater would fit nicely over that black leather suit. And, you know you can replace that mic stand with the light sabre. Remember how Elvis always imagined Captain Marvel Jr. as his alter ego. I wonder what he would think about being Darth BlackLeather.

Speaking of mics, Dean recently told me about the bonus goodies they inserted into 500 packages of each model. Their experiences with Elvis Live and ’68 Special were quite different. They produced 500 gold mic stands, and randomly mixed them in boxes of the black leather Elvis above. It didn’t get noticed. However, the 500 gold guitars they placed with the white jumpsuit Elvis had quite an effect. Dean said he has seen many for sale on line, and they have consistently sold for about $100 each.

Elvis Live with standard black guitar Special Gold Guitar

Now, I’ve got to ask Dean for one of those gold guitars.

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Elvis and the Island of Misfit Gifts

Posted on December 12, 2010 by Phil Arnold | Leave a comment

Do you remember the Christmas video Rudolph: The Island of Lost Toys? It was the sequel to the classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and it still shows up on television from time to time.

I saw this publicity still on the internet and thought there might be a parallel in Elvisworld. Over the past fifty-five years, there have been many, many Elvis products introduced – and some were pretty crummy. I know, because I’ve received some of them as Christmas presents.

So, if there was an Elvis Island of Misfit Gifts, here are some strange items that should be there.

Elvis Bikini: Would any of you ladies really wear this? Probably not, when you consider where the words “Good Rockin’ Tonight” are positioned when the pants are on. Remember, terms like Rock and Roll and Good Rockin’ originally were euphemisms for having sex, so some folks who see you in this suit might get the wrong message. On the other hand, if you are on vacation and looking to make things happen, the old Elvis bikini might just do it.

Elvis Guitar: This one actually freaks me out. Elvis’ head looks like some kind of mutant growth on the side of the guitar. I just don’t think any up-an-coming young guitar player would be caught dead with this thing. Can't you just see a high school kid cringe when Grandma gives him this guitar for Christmas?

Elvis for Dummies: This might actually be full of good stuff about Elvis, but so are lots of other books. If a real Elvis fan owns this, it probably was a Christmas present from some relative who doesn’t have a clue.

Elvis Toilet Seat Cover: There is one way this could be an okay gift. It would work for those really committed fans who have their own Elvis Room — and there is a bathroom right across the hall. It probably already has a bunch of overflow stuff from the Elvis Room, so the Elvis toilet seat cover will work out there just fine.

Hunk ‘A Burnin’ Love Coffee Mug: I have received other Elvis coffee mugs for Christmas, and they're fine. But, this mug is a definite misfit. Why a cartoon Elvis? Especially one with no nose or mouth. In this image, Elvis looks like he has a duck bill. And, it also looks likes he is giving the finger.

50s Elvis Hat: Maybe this hat was cool back in the 50s, but I doubt it. Dorky and Elvis just don’t mix. It says GALS on the sign, so maybe the Elvis Presley hat looked good on them.

Elvis Sex Toy: Just kidding. But, the real product description doesn’t make much more sense: “Elvis Keyboard Cleaner Brush.” I guess you lift the hair off and it’s the handle for the brush.

Elvis Airplane Teapot: I have photos of other Elvis teapots, but they are just variations of Elvis’ head. This one goes farther and has Elvis in an airplane. I don’t know what that other little snowman is about, unless he is an alternate lid for the pot. Not much of an improvement, is it?

Elvis Album Cover Necktie: I actually have this one, and, yes, it was a Christmas present. Because I wear ties only at weddings or funerals, I guess my Elvis tie will never get out of the closet. Maybe I’ll have some occasion to wear it as a joke.

Elvis and Nixon Globe: Graceland snow globes are nifty. Elvis and Nixon globes…not so much.

Elvis Impersonator Wine Caddy: The ad on the internet actually calls this “Custom Elvis Impersonator Wine Caddy.” Why Elvis impersonator and not Elvis? Maybe they knew it was too ugly for Graceland to make it an EPE licensed product, so they couldn’t call it Elvis. All I know is, the next time I want to carry some wine around, it won’t be in one of these misfits.

Betty Boop Bobbler: Let’s see, the stand says “Elvis,” and that looks like a white Elvis jumpsuit. But, what’s with Betty Boop? Very strange.

Elvis Plush Toy: There must be hundreds of Elvis plush toys out there, and this may be the worst. And what is that yellow hot-dog-looking thing sitting on his feet?

I do not own any Elvis plush toys, but if some relative wants to give me one for Christmas, I hope it is this cool blue ninja Elvis Teddy Bear in a gold lame’ coat.

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Elvis Mr. Potato Head, Part 2 and 3

Posted on October 31, 2010 by Phil Arnold | Leave a comment

Most Elvis websites and blogs noted the announcement of Elvis Mr. Potato Head back in June. Some were actually hostile to the idea, but I liked it and said so. I may be old, but I like my Elvis toys, and this is a good one.

In the favorable ElvisBlog article, I dug a little deeper and reported on PPW Toys, the company that manufactures Elvis Mr. Potato Head as a licensee of Hasbro. This prompted a nice comment by Dean Gorby, business development manager for PPW. He was impressed that I understood his toy represented Mr. Potato Head dressing as Elvis and was meant as a humorous homage.

Four months later, Mr. Gorby went even further. He sent me four images and told me I was welcome to use them on ElvisBlog. Here they are.

This is an image you will see a lot pretty soon. As previously announced, the second Elvis Mr. Potato Head will be dressed in black leather from the ’68 Comeback Special. Unfortunately, it will not be available for the 2010 Christmas season, but we can get it starting in February 2011.

This is a super artist’s rendering of the final design selected for the first Elvis Mr. Potato Head dressed in a white jumpsuit.

This is a design that didn’t make it, and I think we can see why. The optional sunglasses are a nice design, but the buck-teeth are a no-no.

This is impressive – views from the front, back, both sides, top and bottom. Elvis Mr. Potato Head may be a toy, but designing it is a serious business.

Mr. Gorby also advised me that there will be a third Elvis Mr. Potato Head introduced in late 2011. To pump up interest, Hasbro/PPW will let the fans choose what iconic Elvis image will be featured. They will offer three choices and have a vote to determine which one they will actually make.

If it works out like the other series of Elvis collectibles, these choices will be from the usual group of images – Jailhouse Rock, gold lamé, Blue Hawaii flowered shirt, etc. I would like to propose some other options that are often overlooked.

This could inspire a “Hound Dog” version, so named because this is the shirt and coat Elvis wore when he appeared on the Milton Berle Show, June 5, 1956, and introduced “Hound Dog,” This performance was the one that created a firestorm of negative reaction across the country. It was a TV event just as momentous in Elvis’ legacy as the Comeback Special and Aloha From Hawaii, but his outfit never gets the same notoriety.

This outfit could be called either “Loving You” or “Teddy Bear” because Elvis wore it in the movie Loving You when he sang “Teddy Bear.” It has a part in the story line when it is a gift to celebrate Elvis moving up to co-headliner of the travelling concert troupe. He is also wearing it when a very aggressive groupie sneaks into his dressing room and puts some moves on him.

The teddy bear outfit has also been featured on various CD, album and 45 record covers, but it never shows up on Elvis collectible figurines.

This one could be called “Karate Elvis.” I actually have a refrigerator magnet set that includes this Karate Gi as one of the clothing options. Wouldn’t a Karate Elvis Mr. Potato Head be cool?

No matter what the choices for design # 3 are, Hasbro and PPW will have a great run of success with Elvis. If the series continues on to additional designs, I’ll bet you’ll someday see a boxed set of mini Elvis Mr. Potato Heads. If so, you can count me as a customer.

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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More Elvis Auctions Coming — Let's Wrap Up The Last One

Posted on September 26, 2010 by Phil Arnold | Leave a comment

Within the next month, three companies will hold auctions containing Elvis items. Heritage Auctioneers has their latest “Music and Entertainment” auction starting October 25. Julien’s has their “LEGENDS Pop Culture Artifacts” auction starting on October 8, and Guernsey’s has their “Iconic Objects and Documents” going on right now.

I plan to follow all three, and there will be some interesting Elvis memorabilia to report on here. However, before doing that, it would be a good idea to finish up on the wonderful “Ultimate Elvis Auction” presented by Heritage at Elvis Week this year. Let’s start with a strange-looking item.

What Is This – And Why Would It Be Worth $500?:

This strange looking item is a mailing box addressed to bandleader, theatrical agent, and Elvis Presley staff member Al Dvorin in Chicago. Dvorin is the man credited with coining the phrase “Elvis has left the building.”

On August 16, 1977, Dvorin was in a hotel in Portland, Maine, with the Colonel's advance group, preparing for the start of Elvis' upcoming tour — one that would never take place. Elvis died in Memphis that day.

Dvorin had brought with him a case of Elvis photo medallions on chains that were to be sold during the tour. With the news of Elvis’ untimely death, the necklaces were sent back to the warehouse in Chicago, where they remained for more than 20 years.

There were twelve of these photo medallions in the box. They measured 2.25 inches across and came with a chain of so-called silver metal. I can’t imagine why the auctioneers didn’t just try to sell the medallions without the shipping box. However, I can imagine why nobody anted up the $500 minimum bid.

Elvis Slot Machine from Japan:

This 1980s era slot machine is 32 inches high and still works. It even came with 132 steel game tokens. It is rather modest compared to today’s Elvis slot machines…

…but it still went for almost $3000 (and you have to pay freight from Japan).

Loving You Slacks:

Back Up Pants Actual Pants Worn In Movie

Sometimes bidders don’t read the fine print on the auction website. It clearly says, “This pair of maroon Western-style slacks with white piping was a back-up pair made by legendary tailor Nudie Cohn for Elvis during production of his second feature film Loving You.

Because they were not the real pants Elvis wore in the filming of the movie, the pre-auction estimate was only $4,000. This was reasonable because Nudie was the man who designed Elvis’ famous gold lamé suit. Nudie’s personal label with Elvis Presley's name and a Paramount studio stamp are on the outside lining of one of the back pockets. The pants certainly have collectible value, but some fool must have thought they were the real ones from the movie and paid $20,315. Uh-oh.

You Gave Me A Molehill:

“You Gave Me A Molehill” Promo Record

This was part of a set of radio show albums, so there is no way to know what the pre-auction estimate was for it individually or what the bidders thought it was worth. However, there is an interesting story behind this strange record title.

On March 27, 1972, Elvis and the TCB Band assembled in RCA’s Studio C in Hollywood. It was the first studio recording session using Elvis’ touring band, and it was very productive. Both “Separate Ways” and “Burning Love” went on to be hits for Elvis.

After the serious recording was finished, a film crew moved in on March 30 and 31. The plan was for Elvis and the band to create “mock recording session” footage to be edited into the upcoming Elvis on Tour motion picture. In fact, Elvis and the guys actually rehearsed the songs they would perform on the fifteen-day concert tour.

One of the songs was “You Gave Me A Mountain,” written by Marty Robbins. When the instrumental introduction during one take was rather weak, Elvis joked, “It sounds like a molehill to me.”

For some reason, the tape rolled on, and Elvis failed to take the lyrics seriously for the rest of the song. He changed one line to “…blamed for the loss of his eye…er, uh…of his wife…” When the line repeated, Elvis ad-libbed “you dirty bastard.”

Elvis’ Personal Address/Phone Book:

This book measures 7″ x 9″ and Elvis maintained it in the 50s and early 60s. The pre-auction estimate was $3,500. In addition to addresses and phone numbers of his friends and big Hollywood stars (the open page includes Tommy Sands, Red Skelton, Hank Snow, and Ed Sullivan), it contains business cards, studio directories, and lots of hand-written personal notes. Wouldn’t you love to read all those notes Elvis wrote? You could have if you had shelled out $10,217.

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Elvis T-Shirt Review 2 — Ladies Tees

Posted on September 5, 2010 by Phil Arnold | 1 Comment

All summer long, a two-year old article has been among the daily top ten most popular ElvisBlog articles, often in the top five. It is “Elvis T-Shirt Review,” and I have wondered why it is so popular. I guess Elvis fans were thinking about T-shirts during the summer season.

I also wondered if most of the fifteen shirts I recommended in that July 2008 blog had cycled off the offerings from ShopElvis.com. Had they been replaced by new ones worthy of comment? After doing a little research, I noticed the abundance of new tee designs for women. Some of the designs are available on men’s T-shirts as well, but some are exclusives just for you ladies.

So, before summer becomes a distant memory, let’s look at the best fifteen ladies Elvis T-shirts according to ElvisBlog. They are in no particular sequence.

Vegas Remembered: This tri-color image of Elvis in jumpsuits is an attention catcher. Check out the outstretched hands of the fans at the bottom of the picture, giving it the feel of a concert setting. That’s a nice touch I like a lot.

Elvis Singing Blues: I prefer a variety of colors in my Elvis T-shirt collection, so I was favorably inclined toward this blue one for women. There are many more T-shirt designs with jumpsuit images than with 50s Elvis images, so this one gets points for depicting young Elvis.

Elvis ’68 Lights: Simple but stunning. Everyone will recognize this image from Elvis’ ’68 Comeback Special. Would it be cool if the back said, “…will never leave the building.”

Elvis Stick ‘Em Up: This is truly clever. The picture of Elvis is from the movie Loving You, when Elvis wore a cowboy outfit while singing “Teddy Bear.” I love the stick ‘em up shadow silhouette behind him.

Elvis Smile Lines: Strange, but interesting. With lines criss-crossing over Elvis’ smiling face, this shirt name is probably as good as you could come up with. It gets extra consideration because it is green.

Don’t Be Cruel Heart: In my opinion, all of the designs so far would work as well on men’s T-shirts. However, I see this one as a chick shirt only. It must be the pink heart. They could have skipped the crossed guitar necks and made the heart bigger and the Elvis Presley signature a lot bigger. Quibble, quibble. I still like it.

Elvis Sings: Great image, nice blast of red color on a black background. A good option could have been variations with green, blue, and yellow backgrounds.

Pink Rhinestone Sweatshirt: Okay, it’s not a T-shirt, but I like it. It’s hard to see the rhinestones, even if you blow up the picture, but if they sparkle in the sun, this could be pretty cool.

Elvis King Scroll: Several different images have been used on T-shirts with the theme King of Rock & Roll. This one is a painting by Betty Harper, who has the most wonderful portfolio of Elvis art. There are Swarovski crystals in the design, bringing the price up to $130.

Alfred Wertheimer Photos Make Great Tees

Elvis Chopper: This one looks like it would be more fitting for men, but I’m sure it would look great on younger ladies. Maybe not so good on the old gals my age. The Harley picture is one of several iconic Alfred Wertheimer photos from 1956 that have been used on Elvis T-shirts.

Elvis Spotlight: Here’s another Alfred Wertheimer photo, one of many I like so much. This image came from Elvis’ appearance on the Steve Allen Show on TV, where Allen had Elvis wear a tux and sing to a basset hound. Elvis hated the whole concept, but the picture makes a great T-shirt. Elvis in a tux, from the back.

Elvis White Light: This is the third of my favorite Alfred Wertheimer ladies tees. The famous photo on this shirt was one Al took during Elvis’ concert at the Mosque Theater in Richmond, VA in July 1956. The picture has been colorized, but the white circle is on the original photo. Just as his shutter snapped, someone in the audience flashed a bulb, and the effect is almost cosmic. I can’t imagine why EPE didn’t use Al’s title for his shot: Starburst. I like that better, and I love this shot.

Joe Petruccio Art and Swarovski Crystals

Elvis King of Rock: This image is not a photograph, it is a painting by Joe Petruccio, whose work appears on all sorts of Elvis items. At the moment, EPE is marketing exactly 100 different items featuring Joe Petruccio paintings. Here’s the description of this shirt on ShopElvis.com:

“This women's black babydoll features a Joe Petruccio design of Elvis in his '68 Comeback Special leather suit accented with “King of Rock N Roll” text and Swarovski crystals.”

I don’t know what a babydoll T-shirt is, and I don’t know what Swarovski crystals are. However, I do know that you will have to shell out $65 to buy this one.

Elvis Heartbreak: The Joe Petruccio artwork here is from Elvis’ first 1969 concert appearance in Las Vegas as he returned to live performing. This time, they call the sparkly items Crystallized Swarovski. They must be pretty special, because the price for “Elvis Heartbreak” is $130.

Rock n’ Roll Racerback Tank: We will end with a pretty girl wearing an expensive tank top. The website item description has delightful prose that warms you up for the sticker shock:

“Light and airy with a chic, edgy feel, these tanks sparkle with hand-applied crystals. Two side pockets are perfect for carrying tiny treasures. Created by Susan Fixel and featuring artwork by Joe Petruccio.”

Well, even on a tank top, Joe Petruccio’s images of Elvis don’t come cheap. Especially if they are covered with hand-applied crystals. This fine item goes for $120.

It really wouldn’t surprise me to see them come out someday with men’s Elvis T-shirts with Swarovski Crystals, but I don’t think they will sell. Guys won’t pay over $100 for a T-shirt – unless they are buying one for their chic, edgy babydoll.

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Critiquing the 12 Days of Christmas in July

Posted on July 18, 2010 by Phil Arnold | 2 Comments

If you have ever bought anything from www.ShopElvis.com, you probably get their frequent e-mail announcements of items they are promoting. If you are like me, you have received lots of these.

However, I’ve never seen anything like the sales blitz they put on the past two weeks. It was called 12 Days of Christmas in July. Basically, it was a new e-mail promo each day featuring a group of items from their catalog at reduced prices. It all started on June 30, and my first thought was that they were just trying to blow out some slow-selling merchandise. I figured I would look them over and get a few laughs at some of the ill-conceived items.

Boy, was I wrong. Almost immediately, I found something I really liked and would love to own. Of course, there were losers too, so I decided to critique the best and the worst of each day’s offerings, and report them here on ElvisBlog.

Good June 30 Bad

White Light Ladies T-shirt Jailhouse Rock Replica T-shirt

T-shirts were the theme for the first day. The “Jailhouse Rock Replica” was an easy call for the worst item in this lot. It just looks silly – like a retarded necktie or something. They will have to cut the price below $20 to get rid of this one. My pick for best goes to a T-shirt with a colorized Al Wertheimer photograph of Elvis in concert at the Mosque Theater in Richmond, VA, June 30, 1956. The key to this one is evident in its title: “White Light.” Al Wertheimer took several other photos that looked much like the one above, except they did not have the explosion of light in the background. That was caused when a fan snapped a flash bulb at the exact same time that Wertheimer took the shot. The result is an image with a celestial feel. This is an excellent T-shirt.

Good July 1 Bad

Sunglasses Ornament Picture Frame Light Set

Day 2 was a group of Christmas ornaments, and the string of little Elvis photos doesn’t do much for me. Maybe it would, if it had ten different pictures and went for a lot less than the $20 sale price. However, the gold colored sunglasses caught my eye. I must admit, I have always been fascinated with Elvis’ sunglasses. I have fifty-one different digital photos of him wearing his signature design. I once bought a box of a dozen knock-off Elvis sunglasses, and I’m wearing one of them in my blog bio photo. The quality of the ornament appears good, and the $6 sale price is reasonable, so this looks like a worthwhile purchase. Unfortunately, this ornament will never grace my Christmas tree. If my wife caught me hanging one, she’d kill me.

Good July 2 Bad

Official Graceland Guide Graceland Full Wall Sticker

Graceland was the theme for the third day of Christmas in July. The official Graceland Guidebook sounds like it is packed with excellent pictures and info, so it gets a thumbs-up. The ad says it is the latest updated edition, so they aren’t just dumping some left-over old version. This seems to be a good bargain at the sale price of $15.

The Graceland wall sticker may appeal to somebody with lots of bare space on their walls, because this thing is huge. It measures six feet wide by nearly four feet high. I might pay $77 for a poster that size of Elvis… but not Graceland.

Good July 3 Bad

Sun Records Black Cap Fantasy Race Car Cap

The deal on Day 4 was “Buy One Hat and Get One Free.” I like the black cap with the Sun records logo and young Elvis embroidered on it. It is simple but distinctive. However, the “Elvis and Dale Earnhardt Fantasy Race Car Cap” is an overdone mess (as is the name). Count up the images: Elvis, the Las Vegas sign, Dale Earnhardt, Elvis’ autograph, Earnhardt’s number 3, and Earnhardt’s autograph. Too much, man, way too much.

Good July 4 Bad

Army Poster Elvis in the Army Panel Shirt

The theme on the 4th of July was “GI Blues.” The “Elvis in the Army Panel Shirt” must be one of those slow-movers they were trying to blow out, because it was originally priced at $55, and then was reduced to $39, and finally $31 for this promotion. Good luck moving the last supplies of this one. The Army poster was a great buy at just $8 on sale, and it is big, measuring 24” by 36”.

Good July 5 Bad

Birthday Dog Tag Watch 75 Years Black Matte Zippo

I was never big on all the merchandise that came out celebrating Elvis’ 75th birthday, but some of them showed up on Day 6. The “Birthday Dog Tag Watch” is a pretty clever idea. The ad says 75 rhinestones spell out Elvis’ signature, so they sure must be tiny. If this concept were used with different designs, and they all sold for $26, this could be a popular item. I wish EPE had never licensed any cigarette lighters, but there are several in the catalog. However, I do like this image and the tag line “75 Years In The Making.” If they had used it on a 24″ by 36″ poster for $8, that would be pretty cool.

Good July 6 Bad

Sweater Wind Spinner Blue Suede Shoes Lamp

I really didn’t find anything I liked a lot in the assortment of “Home Accessories” on Day 7. So, I reluctantly picked the Elvis wind spinner as the daily winner. It is eight inches across and has the Jailhouse Rock photo of Elvis in the turtleneck sweater when he sang “(You’re So Square) Baby, I Don't Care.” It is a little pricey, even at the sale price of $21. I had absolutely no trouble picking the big loser. Look at this horrid lamp – it’s like some sort of bad April Fool’s joke. And they want $45 for it on sale. I don’t think there is a price low enough to move out the supplies of this one. When people come to our house, I like to show them my Elvis stuff, but I would be embarrassed by this.

Good July 7 Bad

’68 Comeback Special Poster Love Me Tender Poster

I like Elvis posters, and they were the next theme. There are hundreds of photos in existence showing Elvis in the ’68 Black Leather suit and they all would make excellent posters, including the one above. Again, it is 24″ by 36″, and it is an excellent value at just $9. The pink poster is a Joe Petruccio design, but it is smaller – only 20 inches by 16 inches. Petruccio has done some wonderful paintings of Elvis, but this one looks washed out. And what’s with the pink background? At $11, it will probably appeal to some people.

Good July 8 Bad

70’s Gold Sunglasses Sunglasses with Sideburns

Ahh. Sunglasses. I love this category and most of the selections in it. The “70’s Gold Sunglasses” are a winner at just $10 on sale. However, the “Sunglasses with Sideburns” is an insult to Elvis. It’s ironic that Graceland sued several manufacturers years ago for making unlicensed products that besmirched Elvis’ image. What would you call this? I call it a disgrace and think it should be pulled from the catalog.

Good July 9 Bad

All Shook Up Energy Drink Shake Rattle N Roll BBQ Sauce

An Elvis energy drink is a great idea. As a regular drinker of Diet Mountain Dew, I would love to upgrade to Elvis’ All Shook Up. This is definitely an item my relatives will hear about as a Christmas suggestion for me. The item I didn’t like in the Kitchen and Barware category is actually a three-way tie. In addition to the BBQ Sauce, there is also Steak Sauce and Picante Salsa. What’s next, Elvis ketchup? Elvis mayonnaise? Elvis pancake syrup? I know. How about Elvis pink-colored whipped cream – for the kinky Elvis fans.

Good July 10 Bad

Vegas ’69 Book Vegas Gold Stocking

You know there had to be a Viva Las Vegas category. The “Vegas Gold Stocking” is embellished with lots of faux gems and rhinestones. It is 17 inches high, and it costs $23. But, what is it really? Are you supposed to hang it on your mantle at Christmas? It’s pretty and all, but there are zillions of things that symbolize Elvis better. The “Vegas ‘’69 Book” is another item I will be telling relatives about. At $40 it’s more than I would like to pay myself, but my brother-in-law won’t care what it costs. “Elvis: Vegas '69” is a new 200-page hardback book by Ken Sharp that commemorates the 40th anniversary of Elvis’ historic return to live performances. It sounds like that book would be a lot of fun to go through.

Good July 11 Bad

1,000 Piece Puzzle Elvis Switch Plate

They saved the ’68 Comeback Special for the theme of the 12th Day of Christmas. Does an Elvis switch plate sound like a stupid idea to anyone else? Maybe it would work for those folks who have their own Elvis Room. $9 on sale. I think the Elvis puzzle is a good item. The $17 sale price seems a fair price for a 1,000 piece puzzle. Immagine a group of Elvis fans getting together, playing a bunch of Elvis CDs, and sitting at a coffee table to put this together. Once it gets completed, they can fight over who gets to take it home and put it on their wall.

Well, that’s our look at ShopElvis’ 12 Days of Christmas in July. I can’t wait until I get the e-mails about their 12 Days of ElvisWeek in August.

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Mr. Potato Head Elvis — Yikes!

Posted on June 13, 2010 by Phil Arnold | Leave a comment

I told my wife that they were coming out with an Elvis Mr. Potato Head, and she replied, “Oh God, what’s next.” I think I have the answer to that question, but first let’s take a look at the latest in themed Elvis collectibles.

Elvis Mr. Potato Head

According to a report on www.elvis.com/news dated 6/9/10, Elvis Mr. Potato Head will be unveiled at Elvis Week this year. Want to bet they will sell a lot of them – even at the inflated price of $20.

Of course, Elvis Mr. Potato Head is just the latest in a long line of Elvis figures in white jumpsuits you can buy:

      M&M Elvis                   Elvis Whisky Decanter            Plush Piggy Elvis

Bobble-Head Elvis Elvis Teddy Bear Pez Elvis

The news release stated that a second version of Elvis Mr. Potato Head wearing his ‘68 Special black leather outfit will be out in time for the 2010 Christmas season. It was unstated, but you can be sure there will be other iconic themes to follow. All the Elvis collectibles pictured above have several models, including Jailhouse Rock, Private Elvis, 50s Rocker, etc. I’ll bet the third Elvis Mr. Potato Head is decked out in gold lamé.

The news release also stated: “components such as hairstyles, costumes, faces and musical instruments will be compatible with every version so fans can mix and match the styles with hilarious results.” That doesn’t sound so hilarious to me, but it might be if you used other available Mr. Potato Head accessories.

Party Spud Accessories Halloween Spud Accessories

Can you imagine Elvis with buck teeth, Dracula hair, or a clown hat?

Hasbro Toys has been making Mr. Potato Head since 1952, and they have developed many versions over the years. Here are a few that are pretty cool:

Santa Potato Head Darth Tater Princess Sweet Potato

Unlike these examples, Elvis Mr. Potato Head is actually produced by PPW Toys as a licensee of Hasbro. PPW has previously developed a series of sports-themed Mr. Potato Head figures.

Atlanta Braves                                Dallas Cowboys                           Duke Blue Devils

Elvis was not the first rock and roll Mr. Potato Head produced by PPW Toys.

KISS Potato Heads

EPE has been trying to find as many ways as possible to get youngsters interested in Elvis, and I think Elvis Mr. Potato Head will work just fine. However, to answer my wife’s question about what’s next, Graceland should look at the latest craze with the kids — Silly Bandz. They are wearing hundreds of different shapes on their wrists. There are the only a few available shapes with a musical theme, so here’s a tip for EPE. Sign up Silly Bandz as yet another licensed vendor and add this to their product line.

Musical Silly Bandz Future Elvis Silly Bandz?

I’m too old to ever wear an Elvis Silly Bandz, but this big kid has already told his wife he wants one of those Elvis Mr. Potato Heads for Christmas. I will put it on the shelf above my desk, right next to my set of Elvis M&Ms and my Pez Elvis.

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Silver Elvis

Posted on March 27, 2010 by Phil Arnold | Leave a comment

There is a precious metals store just a few miles from my home, so I dropped in to see what they had for sale. I quickly learned that silver comes in little 1 oz. bars and rounds produced by dozens of independent mints around the country. And they come with every conceivable image minted on them. Even Elvis!!

The store didn’t have any Elvis silver items, so when I got home, I Googled “Elvis silver bars” to see what would come up, and here is what I found.

This is a special commemorative set put out by the U.S. Postal Service in 1993 as part of their promotion of the Elvis stamp. There are two 1 Troy oz. silver bars minted with the stamp image. Both bars are Sterling Silver (.925 pure), and one has been gold plated. The owner was asking $65 for the set, which seems pretty reasonable because of the collectible value. Here is a close-up of the front and back of the silver bar.

Elvis Stamp Silver Bar

Perhaps because the photos were taken with the bar inside the protective plastic sleeve, the minting doesn’t look as good as others I saw at the store. For example, there is a series of US Presidential bars that look like miniature works of art. However, some of the other Elvis silver items available on-line had even worse images than the Postal Service bars. Here is a terrible one.

Elvis Bear Silver Round

Elvis looks kind of spooky, doesn’t he? The teddy bear on the reverse side looks a little better. This is a Australian product called the Elvis Bear for obvious reasons, and the owner was asking $35 for it. These are referred to as rounds, not coins, because they have no currency value. Note that the reverse side states 1oz .999 Silver, which is the industry standard and something silver collectors always look for.

The next bar is called The Day the Music Died, which is a phrase more commonly associated with Buddy Holly. Again, the photo was taken with the bar inside the plastic sleeve, so the minting might look better without it.

The Day the Music Died Elvis Silver Bar

This Elvis bar certainly gets the award for the most information minted on it. There is his first name plus his birthday, Jan. 8, 1935, and the date of his death, Aug. 16, 1977, (Presumably The Day the Music Died), and a litany of Elvis’ achievements – 400 million records, 35 films, and 100 million fans. With all that on the front, the mint put nothing on the reverse side but their name. What’s missing is the notation 1 oz .999 Silver. With an asking price of $75, people buying this one will have their fingers crossed..

The owner of this next Elvis silver round chose not to show the reverse side, so we don’t know if the weight and silver content are spelled out on it. The text accompanying the picture says it is 1 oz .999 Silver. The King Lives On round is listed at $28, which makes it the cheapest item I found in my search, but I wouldn’t buy it. That Elvis image just doesn’t cut it.

The King Lives On Elvis Silver Round

I like the King of Rock and Roll bar much more. It has a pretty good image of Elvis on the front and has the weight and silver content on the back along with the mint’s name.

King of Rock ‘n Roll Elvis Silver Bar

It has a limited mintage of just 150, which must be part of the reason the owner is asking $200 for it.

The next Elvis silver round does not has a catchy phrase minted on it, so it is referred to by the image on the front side. Here is Elvis Two Poses, a very good bargain at $29

Elvis Two Poses Silver Round

It has to be one of the better two-sided Elvis rounds, with the gates of Graceland minted on the back. Also, please note the “Silver Trade Unit” at the bottom. Phrases like this and “Official Barter Unit” appear on a few silver rounds, a reference to the belief held by some people that America is on the road to financial collapse and that precious metals will become the de-facto currency.

We’ll follow one of the best items in Elvis silver with one produced by a mint whose minting is considered inferior by some silver sellers. The Dahlonega Mint is in Georgia where there was a minor gold rush in the 1800s. There are still a couple of tourist-trap “Gold Mines” with wooden sluices where you can pan for gold. My wife and I tried it there once, and we found a tiny flake of gold. They put it in a little vial of water which you can shake up and watch the gold float around.

Elvis Autograph Silver Bar

This Elvis bar doesn’t look so bad to me, and it does have something on it that none of the others have. Elvis’ autograph is minted on it, so I will call it by that name since no other was used. The owner was asking $40 for it, which may be a little pricey..

The next does have a name: A Great American. I think you may find that used on silver bars and rounds with other images as well.

A Great American Elvis Silver Round

I’m not real crazy about the Elvis image, but I like the mini-star flags on each side. At $30, this might be a fairly good item to buy.

Finally, we come to my favorite Elvis silver collectible. Elvis Lives has the best minted image of Elvis; it is 1.5 ounces of .999 silver; and only 150 were produced.

Elvis Lives Silver Bar

The reverse side is a complete mystery to me. Why would they put an outdoor scene on it? There is some wording above the rising sun and under the word mint, but zoom-in just makes them too fuzzy to read. However, that is not why I would have to pass on Elvis Lives. $250 is just too rich for me.

There are fewer Elvis bars and rounds available in gold than silver. However, I’ll keep checking the on-line offerings, and as soon as I find enough for a blog article, we’ll take a look at Gold Elvis.

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

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Posted in COLLECTORS, Main Page, PRODUCTS BASED ON ELVIS, THE MOST UNUSUAL ELVIS ARTICLES ON THE WEB

Category Archives: PRODUCTS BASED ON ELVIS

Elvis Santa Hats and Other Bad Ideas

Do We Really Need Elvis Barbie?

Moving Elvis Mr. Potato Head Parts Around

Elvis and the Island of Misfit Gifts

Elvis Mr. Potato Head, Part 2 and 3

More Elvis Auctions Coming — Let's Wrap Up The Last One

Elvis T-Shirt Review 2 — Ladies Tees

Critiquing the 12 Days of Christmas in July

Mr. Potato Head Elvis — Yikes!

Silver Elvis

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