Monthly Archives: May 2011

The next time you look at concert photos of Elvis in his jumpsuits, check out his fingers.  You will note that he usually has three or four rings on each hand.  Elvis must have really loved rings, but he was also very generous with them and gave many away.  Because of that, quite a few have ultimately ended up at rock and roll memorabilia auctions.  During the past three years alone, thirteen Elvis rings have been offered at ten different auctions. 

Diamond Owl Ring:

This ring sold at the first auction I followed, the Gotta Have Rock and Roll Auction in April 2009.  Its owner let it go at a time that turned out to be the peak of high demand for Elvis jewelry, as it brought in over $44,000.  From that point on, the effects of the economic downturn seems to have made bidders much more cautious, and the winning prices for Elvis rings have steadily declined.   This is an outstanding custom-made ring with all those diamonds and a mess of 14KT gold.  The Elvis Owl Ring’s value was enhanced by an accompanying 8”x10” color photo of Elvis (with little Lisa on his knee) wearing the ring.

Green Cat’s Eye Ring:

There were two Elvis rings at the Julien’s Summer Sale auction in June 2009.    This fabulous green cat’s eye ring went for over $28,000.

Blue Lapis Ring:

Elvis was noted for his generosity to employees, friends and even complete strangers.  He gave both rings on auction at Julien’s Summer Sale to Dr. Nick, his personal physician and friend.  This gold, diamond and lapis stone ring topped out at over $33,000.

Crystal Opal Ring:

There was another Elvis ring at the next Gotta Have Rock and Roll Auction in March 2010.  This time it was a massive 14KT gold vintage ring featuring a beautiful crystal opal surrounded by approximately 1.25ct of diamonds.  Elvis bought it from Thunderbird Jewelers in Las Vegas in the early 70s, and he wore it both on and off stage for years.  Accompanied by a fuzzy color photo of Elvis wearing it at the Las Vegas Hilton in July 1974, it brought in over $20,000 at the auction.

Onyx and Diamond Ring: 

It is unclear if this is a personal ring or a movie ring, because the only supporting photo is a shot of Elvis wearing it in The Trouble With Girls.  It went for over $15,000 at the Julien’s Music Icons Auction in June 2010.  Elvis gave this gold, diamond and onyx ring to his Memphis Mafia buddy Alan Fortas, but it is now in the hands of a private collector.

Opal and Diamond Ring:

The Ultimate Elvis Auction was presented in Memphis by Heritage Auctioneers during Elvis Week 2010.  It contained a treasure trove of Elvis memorabilia, including this stunning opal ring which they proclaimed was one of his favorites.  The 24 x 20 mm opal is surrounded by 34 full cut diamonds.  It came with a letter of provenance from famed jeweler Lowell Hayes who originally sold it to Elvis.  Also included was a five-page appraisal from the Chicago Gem Lab.  With all this pedigree, the auction estimate was $50,000, but no one cared to even bid the minimum of $25,000.  We will probably see this ring at auction again, but with a lower minimum bid.

Diamond Roundel Ring:

Guerney’s was the third auction company to offer Elvis rings in 2010.  In September, this 14KT gold ring with seven diamonds had an estimated winning bid of $30 – $40,000.  It came with photographs of Elvis wearing the ring, a history of ownership, and a certificate of authenticity.  However, that was not enough to coax the minimum bid out of anyone.  The trend toward lower prices for Elvis rings was now very evident.

Horseshoe Ring:

Julien’s had another chance with an Elvis ring in October 2010.  The 14KT cast horse head has two diamonds for the eyes, and the silver horseshoe around its neck contains 18 diamonds.  It was designed after Elvis’ beloved horse Rising Sun.  This time, Julien’s set the starting bid at just $8,000 with an estimate of $12,000.  Unfortunately, I failed to follow up quickly enough before auction results were removed from their website, so I don’t know what it went for.

Black Star Sapphire Ring:

In February, 2011, Heritage had their Beverly Hills Signature Music and Entertainment Auction.  It featured this large black star sapphire and eight diamonds in a 14KT gold nugget setting.  According to the auction catalog, black star sapphire was one of Elvis’ favorite stones, and he had many pieces made with it.  He gave this ring to tour promoter Tom Hulett who provided a letter of authenticity and several photos of Elvis wearing the ring.  It sold for over $13,000.

Navaho Turquoise Ring:

Gotta Have Rock and Roll had a trio of Elvis Rings in its March 2011 auction, including this authentic Native American ring.  It has elaborate silver work accented with turquoise and red coral stones.  In the early 70s, turquoise rings were very popular, and Elvis had several.  One day Elvis realized he had so many and said to Charlie Hodge, “What am I going to do with so many turquoise rings?”  He solved the problem by giving this ring to Charlie.  With a letter of provenance from Charlie and a photo of Elvis wearing the ring, it brought 0ver $5,000.  This is actually is a hefty price for an Elvis ring with no gold or diamonds in it.

Opal and Gold Ring:

This is the second Elvis ring from the March 2011 auction.  It is also the third Opal ring we have looked at in this photo essay, and the auction guide says opals were one of Elvis’ favorite stones.  It is difficult to see, but there are also a number of small diamonds set in the 14KT gold, and it sold for almost $5,000.  Did you notice something wrapped around the shank of this ring.  It is a Band-Aid.  Elvis had many of his rings sized larger, so he could use Band-Aids to vary which figure he could wear them on.  When the market for Elvis collectibles picks up steam again, the new owner of this ring could probably take the Band-Aid off and get $50 for it an auction.

Gold and Blue Lapis Ring:

This ring provides another story illustrating Elvis’ amazing generosity.  He wore it while performing at the Las Vegas Hilton.  One night before a show, Elvis was in the office of Mary Pride on the Hilton staff.  She commented on the ring and he gave it to her on the spot.  For the auction, she provided a letter of authenticity and a photo of Elvis wearing it, and it brought in nearly $8,000 

White Gold, Diamond and Ruby “Elvis” Ring:

This fantastic ring was part of a special small auction that Heritage conducted for a private individual in April 2011.   It has a wonderful story.  After one of Elvis’ shows at the Las Vegas Hilton in 1975, he was approached by J.D. Sumner, leader of Elvis’ backing group The Stamps.  Sumner asked if a family friend and her two daughters could come up to Elvis’ penthouse suite.  Elvis agreed, and that would be special enough by itself, but things got better.  One girl’s first name was Novalene, and Elvis laughed at the fact they both had unusual names.  Novalene found Elvis very easy to talk to, and soon they became instant friends.  Before the evening ended, Elvis went into his bedroom and came back with this ring.  He put the ring on a necklace and put it around her neck.  Is that a special gift, or what?

The estimate for this diamond “Elvis ring was $12,000.  Unfortunately, there were no archive results of the special auction, so I don’t know what it went for. My guess is that it was much more than the ones sold during the previous year.  It is safe to say that if any ring could reverse the downward trend in prices on Elvis rings, this one would be it.

©  2011    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

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

Two weeks ago, we took at look at Elvis’ personal and movie clothing that sold at the recent Gotta Have It auction.  There were also a number of rings up for bid, as there have been at almost every Elvis auction the past few years.  Soon they all will be combined for an Elvisblog pictorial feature on Elvis rings.  However, the last Elvis auction contained more than just clothing and rings, so here is a look at several other interesting items.

The Coolest Collectible and the Biggest Bust: 

These leopard spotted mohair shoes had a minimum bid of $12,000 and an estimated winning bid of $45,000 – 50,000.  The reason for the rosy projection was the fact that Elvis wore them on stage in 1954.  According to the auction description, these shoes may well be the earliest known piece of stage clothing worn by Elvis Presley, and they are in very good condition.

In spite of this, the leopard shoes failed to get a single bid.  There are two possible reasons for this: the hefty minimum bid and the question of authenticity.  Apparently there is no known photo of Elvis wearing the shoes.  They do come with a letter of authenticity from a man named Edgar Lundberg, which can be roughly paraphrased like this.

“My mother was Mary Joyce, a good friend of Dixie Locke, Elvis’ girlfriend in late 1954.  After Elvis wore these leopard shoes on stage, he gave them to my mother.  She kept them for over fifty years, and told me the story about Elvis.  I don’t have any picture of Elvis wearing the shoes, but it’s the truth.”

Boy, what a shame Mary didn’t get a photo of Elvis wearing his leopard shoes.  If she had, her son might have gotten his fifty thousand.  If you ask me, these leopard shoes are about as cool an Elvis collectibles as you can get, so we will see them again at a more modest price – and they will sell.  I’d love to have them.

Vince Everett 45 Record Sleeves:

These sure look like they should be Elvis records, but the name on them is Vince Everett.  You will probably remember that as the name of Elvis’ character in the movie Jailhouse Rock.  With the help of Peggy Van Alden (Judy Tyler), Vince became a recording star.  He and Peggy founded and Laurel Records, and these picture sleeves represent some of the records Vince released during the movie.  They topped out at $150 and $100 respectively.  It would be interesting to see if the Laurel Records sleeve of “Treat Me Nice” ever comes up at auction.  It was Vince Everett’s first release on Laurel, and the records actually had significant screen time in the movie.

A Toy That Lets You Punch Elvis:

This is the large red balloon showing an Elvis head and a headless-body with boxing trucks and gloves.  You blow up the balloon, push the end through a slit in the base, and tie a knot to hold in the air.  Then it supposedly stands upright and makes a good toy for a young child.  Good, that is, if you want your kid to punch Elvis.

Because it was in very good condition, it did bring $84.

Even Broken Elvis Sunglasses Go for Big Bucks:

Elvis wore these Neo-Nautic 14 KT gold sunglasses during his concert at the Las Vegas Hilton on July 22, 1974.  Between songs, he gave a karate demonstration, and somehow he broke the glasses.  Now they have been framed in a shadow box display with a descriptive plaque (and accompanied by photos of Elvis wearing them on stage), and they brought in $6,853.   A good example of how presentation and authentication can add to the value of an Elvis collectible.

What Kind of Elvis Picture Is This?:

How do you like this crazy image?  A giant Elvis forehead on top of a smaller Elvis body.  Actually it is the juxtaposition of two Elvis pictures on what is known as a “Flickr” button.  It was part of a set of two (the other was positioned to show just one image), and they sold for $60, a little over the minimum.

Engraved Microphone from That’s The Way It Is:

Only one person bid on this microphone, but he was willing to pay $4,800 to get it.  It is a Shure SM-58 mic with Elvis’ name engraved on the barrel.  Elvis often had his name engraved on the microphones he liked so that no-one else would use them. This one was used during the rehearsals of his MGM film, That’s The Way It Is, and it came with letter of provenance from Elvis’ friend and musical director Charlie Hodge.

“Pink Cadillac” Painting is Turning into a White Elephant:

This is a truly unique painting by a world famous artist, but it failed to get even one person to make the minimum bid of $5,000.  The artist is Ralph Wolfe Cowan, who, according to several websites, is considered the number one portrait painter in the world.  He has been recognized for painting more reigning monarchs and world leaders than any other painter in history.  His work includes portraits of four US Presidents: Kennedy, Johnson, Carter and Reagan.  His painting “Loving Elvis” is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution in the National Portrait Gallery’s “Bravo” exhibition.

If you have visited Graceland, you have seen his full-length masterpiece “Heavenly Elvis” embellishing the main wall in the Trophy Room.  It was the only portrait Elvis ever allowed to hang in his home.  Cowan has painted other Elvis portraits that have brought as much as $45,000 at past auctions, so what is wrong with “Pink Cadillac?”

Perhaps the problem is that it is just too weird.  The painting is in the shape of an automobile window, but it is “framed” by a real car door painted pink.  Unfortunately, Cowan used a Ford Falcon door, not one from a Cadillac.  In March 2009, “Pink Cadillac” went up for Auction with a minimum bid of $25,000 and an estimated bid range of $35-45,000.  It failed to receive any bids.  In November 2010, it was again at auction with the minimum bid lowered to $15,000.  Again, no bids.  Finally, in March 2011, it appeared again, this time with a minimum bid of just $5,000.  I’m really surprised it had no takers, but it will probably show up again and maybe somebody will bite.

©  2011    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

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

If you like to follow auctions of rock and roll memorabilia, some of the best are presented by Gotta Have It.  Bidding ended March 25 on their Rock & Roll Pop Culture Auction, and it contained about a hundred Elvis items.  I planned to do an article on the more interesting ones right after it finished, but several more time-sensitive topics (like April Fool’s Day, the death of Lamar Fike, and stuff in the news) kept pushing the auction blog back.  Now, here is a look at items from Elvis’ wardrobe that collectors picked off.

Karate Gi:

This is one Elvis collectible that would be fun to own.  You could easily slip into it and admire yourself in the mirror.  You can’t get much closer to Elvis than that.  Although he owned six of these Karate Gi’s, this one brought well above the $7-8,000 estimate.  It inspired the third most active bidding for Elvis clothing items and topped out at $11,042 (including auctioneer’s fee).  The other man in the photo of Elvis wearing it is Kang Rhee, who was Elvis karate instructor for seven years.

Red Jacket, Black Pants and Black Shirt from Viva Las Vegas:

Without seeing the title above, would you know what movie Elvis wore this coat in?   You should remember it from Viva Las Vegas, because Elvis wore four versions of this one-button Bolero coat in the movie —   black, yellow, blue and the red one offered in this auction.  Elvis favored the red Bolero coat for numerous publicity stills.