Elvis Presley Memorabilia Ventures Into The Dark And Odd

Elvis Presley means something different to each of us, but for hardcore fans and collectors of memorabilia, there seems to be no limit to what objects they might be willing to bid on. Elvis fans recently added some new items to their collections that range from the normal, run of the mill offerings to some — well, let’s just say off the wall items. What may be even more surprising than the list of items themselves are just how high the bidding went in some of these cases, but then again, there may be no limit to what some fans of the King of Rock and Roll are willing to pay for a piece of his life — or a lock of his hair.

It Still Costs A Pretty Penny To Own A Piece Of Elvis Presley

By now, it would seem that every object that had once held a place in Elvis’ life has already been auctioned, pilfered, or destroyed and, while that is true of much of the more traditional memorabilia, the seedier side of Presley collectibles is still very active. Proving there is no longer a line drawn at good taste, here’s a list of five items that were recently offered at auction

Gun Permit.

We all know that Elvis held an interest in law enforcement and that he owned a collection of firearms. In fact, the King of Rock and Roll liked to carry a hand gun wherever he went, so, being a touring rock star, he had to have a gun permit in every state. Normally, permits are destroyed following the gun owner’s death, but Presley’s 1970 California permit survived and was auctioned off at Idea Generation Gallery in London in 2008.

Medical Records.

In 2001, an auction organized by Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood offered up a copy of Presley’s medical records. In a surprising turn of events, Elvis disappointed at the auction block with not a single bidder interested in the King’s health secrets. The medical records failed to capture any interest, even at a starting bid of $29,300.

Here’s where things begin to take a bit of a darker turn.

Hair Sample.

This isn’t really that unusual and certainly not a first for celebrity memorabilia auctions. People have been bidding on hair for some time with Beethoven’s tresses going for $7,300 and John Lennon’s locks selling at $48,000. Now that there are examples for comparison, is it unusual that Elvis’ personal barber paid $115,000 for authentic Presley hair?

Dental Fixtures.

Every king deserves a crown and so it was with Presley, but his crown was worn in his mouth.

“In 1975 Elvis broke his crown on his molar, and he and his longtime girlfriend, Linda Thompson, ‘Miss Tennessee’ headed to his dentist for emergency repair,” claims Elvis Owned, a website that specializes in Elvis Presley memorabilia.

The piece was offered on Ebay, but company regulations against selling human teeth prohibited the selling of the Presley crown. Now, Elvis Owned is offering the item for $20,000 on their own website.

Finally, if human hair and teeth aren’t dark enough, how about a pair of unwashed trunks?

Dirty Underwear.

Yes. This is a thing and it really happened. Elvis’ unwashed underwear went up for auction in 2012, but these weren’t just a random pair of briefs. This pair of briefs were worn by the King of Rock and Roll beneath his white jumpsuit in 1977. One can just imagine the condition of those skivvies.

Before some readers begin wondering where one might have come across a pair of Elvis Presley’s soiled undergarments, rest assured it’s a perfectly normal situation. Vernon, Elvis’ father, kept them after the King passed away. See? Perfectly normal.

The item was offered at auction with a starting bid of $11,000. Surprisingly, the underwear also failed to get a single bid.

[Featured image by ABC]