Elvis and gifts from fans ?

[Chad Gates]

Elvis seemed to be such a hoarder and the trophy room is full of gifts that he was given by fans, I know that they were in storage boxes before they were put out on display but did you ever see Elvis go and look through these things or were they packed away pretty soon after he was given them and pretty much forgotten about ? I.m not suggesting that it would be a bad thing if he did that but just curious as to how he saw them alongside his awards and gold records ,I think he would have been as proud of something a fan gave him especially if they made it themselves as he would have been of a gold record.

Alan

[DutchLA]

Elvis seemed to be such a hoarder and the trophy room is full of gifts that he was given by fans, I know that they were in storage boxes before they were put out on display but did you ever see Elvis go and look through these things or were they packed away pretty soon after he was given them and pretty much forgotten about ? I.m not suggesting that it would be a bad thing if he did that but just curious as to how he saw them alongside his awards and gold records ,I think he would have been as proud of something a fan gave him especially if they made it themselves as he would have been of a gold record.

Alan

I honestly don't know much about Graceland or what or where they kept gifts he received because I only took a couple of trips there while ELvis was alive.

The gifts I do know about are books that he received from fans which he would pack up and bring down to Palm Springs with him...he always made it a point to tell us it was a book a fan had sent him, and he did read them. He also used to receive copies of The Elvis Echo when it was in publication that the New York club used to send him and he'd read those also and he kept them. My roomate and I gave him a St. Christopher's keychain which I saw hanging up in the house on the key rack all the time - it was later auctioned off by Graceland (grrrrr) We also gave him a hooked rug with a big G in the middle of it. We had in mind "Graceland" but on a trip to Memphis, we saw it inside the circle G ranch. Don't know where it is now..so if anyone sees it on a trip to Memphis, let me know.

He once told us that stuffed animals and such that he received were donated to local hospitals and children's centers; clothing that didn't fit, he'd
give to one of the boys if it fit them, if an item of clothing fit him and he liked it - he kept it (case in point: a fan sent him a beautiful velour striped robe made up of all the jewel colors (Burgundy, navy, hunter green , gold) It was a floor length robe and was beautifull and he wore that all the time! I know some of the nik naks at Graceland were gifts from fans, as were some things in Palm Springs and LA but I'm sure he received alot of things he could not use but don't know what they did with those. Maybe they got donated or just packed up. When he was in his "hat" phase, fans would bring him similar styled hats and he'd wear them from time to time although he mostly wore his own. That's all I can think of right now.

[Chad Gates]

Thank you for your reply, It`s nice to know that he apreciated and used the gifts he was given by fans, Shame about the St. Christopher's keychain you gave to him and just so typical of graceland to auction off such a personal item Grrr indeed.

Alan

[DutchLA]

Thank you for your reply, It`s nice to know that he apreciated and used the gifts he was given by fans, Shame about the St. Christopher's keychain you gave to him and just so typical of graceland to auction off such a personal item Grrr indeed.

Alan

Yes, a BIG GRRRRRR -- I forget what it sold for (it was Sterling Silver) but I know it was way out of my budget. I don't even know who bought it but I wish I could have. I did take a photo of it before it was put up on display - so I've got that!

[N880EP]

Thank you for your reply, It`s nice to know that he apreciated and used the gifts he was given by fans, Shame about the St. Christopher's keychain you gave to him and just so typical of graceland to auction off such a personal item Grrr indeed.

Alan

Yes, a BIG GRRRRRR -- I forget what it sold for (it was Sterling Silver) but I know it was way out of my budget. I don't even know who bought it but I wish I could have. I did take a photo of it before it was put up on display - so I've got that!

So that was yours (a gift to EP)?

Cool.

I agree, typical EPE / Graceland behavior. (Yet another example of them finding another way to make $$$ off of the fandom ---> by selling their own gifts to EP back to them; The Col. lives!)

---------------

A quick check of the auction catalog (if I got the right item) shows:

Item # B245 - "Bank Loan Book and Key for Elvis Presley's Cadillac."

"National Bank of Commerce payment book, circa 1967, for Elvis Presley's Cadillac. Book shows payments of $142.39 a month, and on May 23rd he paid off the balance of $1,628.47. Original envelope is included with payment book. Silver GM key for Elvis' Cadillac, and one gold and silver key chain with an engraving of St. Christopher in the middle of a silver circle; inscription on metal says, "St Christopher Protect us." 3 1/4 x 7 1/2" Payment book. 4 1/2 x 10" Envelope. 2 . 3/4" Keys.

This was Elvis' Cadillac sport model purchased on May 11, 1967.

Est. $3,000 - 3,500

Final Price = $2,250"

---------------

It would seem that your keychain was part of an entire lot of several items.

Photo of lot included in the catalog and shows only a single Cadillac key attached; based on this, . . . . IMO, the keychain obviously had some special meaning to EP (that, Sandi, IMO, is priceless.)

Thanks for all your insights - very much appreciated.




All my best,
N8
... just a fan ....

PS - This is also a good representation as to how some of EP's personal items have so much to tell and a history behind them. Some of it, like this one, will put a smile on your face, . . . . others, can be important parts of the historical record.

[DutchLA]

Thank you for your reply, It`s nice to know that he apreciated and used the gifts he was given by fans, Shame about the St. Christopher's keychain you gave to him and just so typical of graceland to auction off such a personal item Grrr indeed.

Alan

Yes, a BIG GRRRRRR -- I forget what it sold for (it was Sterling Silver) but I know it was way out of my budget. I don't even know who bought it but I wish I could have. I did take a photo of it before it was put up on display - so I've got that!

So that was yours (a gift to EP)?

Cool.

I agree, typical EPE / Graceland behavior. (Yet another example of them finding another way to make $$$ off of the fandom ---> by selling their own gifts to EP back to them; The Col. lives!)

---------------

A quick check of the auction catalog (if I got the right item) shows:

Item # B245 - "Bank Loan Book and Key for Elvis Presley's Cadillac."

"National Bank of Commerce payment book, circa 1967, for Elvis Presley's Cadillac. Book shows payments of $142.39 a month, and on May 23rd he paid off the balance of $1,628.47. Original envelope is included with payment book. Silver GM key for Elvis' Cadillac, and one gold and silver key chain with an engraving of St. Christopher in the middle of a silver circle; inscription on metal says, "St Christopher Protect us." 3 1/4 x 7 1/2" Payment book. 4 1/2 x 10" Envelope. 2 . 3/4" Keys.

This was Elvis' Cadillac sport model purchased on May 11, 1967.

Est. $3,000 - 3,500

Final Price = $2,250"

---------------

It would seem that your keychain was part of an entire lot of several items.

Photo of lot included in the catalog and shows only a single Cadillac key attached; based on this, . . . . IMO, the keychain obviously had some special meaning to EP (that, Sandi, IMO, is priceless.)

Thanks for all your insights - very much appreciated.




All my best,
N8
... just a fan ....

PS - This is also a good representation as to how some of EP's personal items have so much to tell and a history behind them. Some of it, like this one, will put a smile on your face, . . . . others, can be important parts of the historical record.

**Yes, it was a gift for him - and I didn't think he'd know the meaning of the St. Christopher aspect of it since that's a Catholic thing but when he received it he said "St. Christopher?......because I travel alot, right? "

The center part of the keychain (the St. Christopher part) could rotate, or swivel. It was a cool keychain and I loved it the second I saw it in the store and he was the first person that came to mind since he was difficult to buy for so needless to say, anytime any of us gave him a gift, and then saw him use it, we were thrilled beyond words. I would still love to know who bought it and whoever it is - I hope they take good care of it. Here is a photo we took at the auction ---

[andyr]

A little diversion on this subject... do you know if Elvis ever reply personally to fans for any of the more special gifts he received, or did he just get his secretaries to do it?

[Monique]

A little diversion on this subject... do you know if Elvis ever reply personally to fans for any of the more special gifts he received, or did he just get his secretaries to do it?

In the movie " Touched By Love" they suggest that Elvis himself wrote back to the little girl.

[DutchLA]

A little diversion on this subject... do you know if Elvis ever reply personally to fans for any of the more special gifts he received, or did he just get his secretaries to do it?

**When we were in memphis right after Xmas - all thefamily gifts had been opened already but were still being displayed under the Xmas trees. There was one tree however, a big silver one with the color wheel shining on it - that had many, many un- opened gifts under it. Elvis explained those were gifts from fans and no one opened them but him but he had to wait until the sec'y had time to be there so she could take notes on who the gifts came from and what they were. She then would type up the Thank You notes and Elvis would sign them before he left Memphis again. (he also mentioned there were more gifts in the office also!) I know a few incidences where he would write a thank you note himself, or a short letter but I think that was the exception, rather than the rule when it came to gifts. I was just impressed that he opened the gifts himself!!

[lovethatvoice]

I always love your stories. Thank you again, S !