On October 18, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers held an auction of Elvis Presley memorabilia from the collection of Gary Pepper, who was the president of the Tankers Fan Club, for Elvis fans.

Elvis' hair, Leslie Hindman lot #66

Many items exceeded the high estimates, but those items that were personally Elvis’ did best. Lot #66 was supposedly Elvis’ own hair from his army recruitment haircut in 1958. No DNA test had ever been done on it to prove its origin, but that didn’t stop the bidders. The lot sold for $18,300 against a pre-sale estimate of $8-12,000

A cotton shirt monogrammed 'E.P.', Hindman lot #31

The top lot of the sale was a cotton shirt with the initials “E.P.” Even with a disclaimer by the auction house that this may not be the exact shirt that Elvis had worn in the accompanying photo, the lot soared to $62,800, against a pre-sale estimate of $2-4,000. Wow! That’s a lot of dough for a shirt that MAYBE Elvis had worn.

Collectibles about Elvis, but not personally his, did well, but not as well as the personal items. For example, a large collection of 1950s publicity photographs of Elvis sold for $610 against a pre-sale estimate of $2-400. A group of ticket stubs from Elvis Presley concerts estimated at $20-40 sold for $427.

Click on the following link to view the entire results of the auction. The Gary Pepper Collection of Elvis Presley Memorabilia.

Please send me your suggestions or questions about art glass, lamps, Louis Icart, shows, auctions, etc. If it’s interesting, I’ll answer your question in a future blog entry.

Call or write and let me know what you would like to buy, sell, or trade. philchasen@gmail.com or 516-922-2090. And please visit my website. chasenantiques.com