Monthly Archives: April 2016

Just about every time you log on to Graceland.com/news, you don’t have to scroll down very far to find an announcement for some kind of sale going on at Shop Graceland. I clicked on this one because I wanted to see what else was being marked down to $14.99. Unfortunately, these were the only two items.

I might have been interested in the T-shirt if it had said “WILD about ELVIS.” You have to look really close at the fine print on this shirt to see his name. Under the large–font Graceland it says The Home of Elvis Presley. What’s the deal with so much merchandise coming out with the emphasis on Graceland and not Elvis?

I decided to scroll through the Shop Graceland offerings to see what other items generated a reaction.

Here’s a worse example of the increased emphasis on Graceland. These plaid lounge pants don’t bother with any mention of Elvis. Do they really think the fans would buy more of these saying Graceland rather than Elvis Presley? I wouldn’t, especially at $32.99.

Now, this is something I like. The TCB/Lightning Bolt symbol is showing up on a lot of Elvis merchandise. I actually own the original version of this baseball cap. It doesn’t have the mosaic of little TCBs across the front, or the Elvis Presley signature on the side. I wear my cap all the time, and I love it when someone sees the TCB and says, “You’re an Elvis fan, huh.” Realizing that they know what it means, I know I have encountered a kindred spirit, and conversation follows easily. When I finally wear out my cap, I’ll be glad to shell out $17.99 for this new model.

Here’s something I hated the first time I saw it. It struck me as the worst Elvis silhouette ever, especially the hands and feet. It reminded me of an alien creature.

Then, I read the fine print. The photo was a huge blow up of a charm for a bracelet.

Viewed at its actual size, you hardly notice that Elvis’ head is replaced with a loop. The bracelet goes for $99, or you can buy all the charms (and additional designs) separately for your own bracelet.

Here’s something they better unload quick. Once the Heartbreak Hotel is torn down, how much demand can there be for this key charm? But, maybe if you’ve stayed there over the years, it would be worth $8.99 to get one of these mementos. One thing is the item description confuses me. They are made with simulated enamel. What the heck is that?

Here’s another item that mentions only Graceland. Actually, this thing is so ugly I’m glad it doesn’t mention Elvis. The item description talks about the burnout print, slight distressing, and raw edges like that is something good. Really? No wonder the price on this pullover hoodie has been dropped from $25 to $20.

I like these lounge pants much more than the Graceland style earlier. Somehow this image reminds me of this screen grab from the kitchen dance scene in Girls, Girls, Girls.

Here’s something I think would look cool on the female Elvis fans. I’m not familiar with the name of the designer, Christine Alexander, but the item description says she is “the leader in embellished apparel and accessories.” And that she elevated this T-shirt from an apparel piece to a work of art.

Who would mind shelling out $60 for something where “Elvis’ sultry gaze is exquisitely defined by rows of Swarovski Elements that stand out from the black background in a celestial glow.” That has to be the best pitch-line I’ve ever seen on Shop Graceland.

I never thought I’d see something like this from a web store selling Elvis merchandise. It is a young girl’s T-shirt, but with the A-line styling it looks like a dress. The colorful tie-dye floral design is pretty, but where’s the Elvis reference? How about removing Girls Rule and changing it to Elvis Rules and making it in sizes for women. The youth model must not be selling so well, because the price has been marked down to just $12.

I usually scroll past the few infants offerings on Shop Graceland, but this one caught my eye. Camo designed clothing for babies is a pretty bold move. But, I had to study the rest of it to realize it is a play on words. We Elvis fans know that T.R.O.U.B.L.E was an Elvis song, and we can see that the silhouette image came from a familiar photo of Elvis in his Army dress uniform. It’s kind of a stretch, but a rug-rat crawling around in this bodysuit and getting into everything could qualify as major trouble. On the other hand, if anyone thinks the whole concept is bizarre, I can see their point.

Ladies nightshirts have not been featured much on Shop Graceland, but I think they have a winner here at a price of just $26.69.  The item description says, “This classic and comfy nightshirt makes the perfect gift for the Elvis loving lady in your life.”

What female Elvis fan wouldn’t appreciate receiving something that has red heart accents and Elvis’ face on it? But I can’t help thinking the guy who gives it might prefer to see Elvis kissing Ann Margret instead of a guitar.

We covered a few T-shirts in this article, but there are many more left for the annual ElvisBlog review of Elvis T-shirts in early July.

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