Collectors Corner

August 2, 2022 by olive

Lee Jones’ collecting journey began in 2004, when he was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. At the time, only 7% of people with this type of cancer lived beyond five years. Says Lee, “I realized that if I ever wanted to get guitars, now was the time to do it!” With his decision to take as much time off from work as he needed to get better, Lee now had lots of free time, and a passion for collecting was born.
“As I was recovering from chemo or surgery, I would go on eBay looking for interesting guitars,” shares Lee. “It kept my mind occupied and enabled me to get through a very emotional time.” From his many guitar orders, Lee got to know the FedEx and UPS delivery men quite well. It even got to a point where every time she heard the doorbell ring, Lee’s wife was petrified that another guitar was coming! “If she answered the door, the delivery person would have a, ‘please don’t hurt me’ look,” recalls Lee.

Lee now owns around 200 guitars. “I’m one of those people that has a collecting mentality,” he explains. In the beginning, he would purchase Gibson guitars, and then eventually he moved on to Fender and other guitars that he had never heard of before. Lee explains that the time period of 1969 or earlier is when classic Gibson guitars of higher quality were made. “There are some classic Gibson guitars that I really enjoy. One’s a 1964 Gibson Tal Farlow Custom.” He also owns a 1951 Gibson ES5. Both guitars are beautiful and in excellent condition. “Those are really something special that you don’t see every day. They are probably worth about $7,000 each.”

Lee also once purchased some reissued classic Gibson guitars. “I read an article in Vintage Guitar magazine that Gibson was doing some reissues of their Les Paul guitars. Les Paul was a well-known designer and jazz guitar player – he helped Gibson design these guitars. Gibson started reissuing these classic models, so I started buying!” There were 1957, 1958, and 1959 reissues that were made in much the same way that guitars were back then. To top it off, they weren’t factory-made – they were custom made.

Lee admits that his collection isn’t very organized. “The only organization is that the acoustic guitars are all up in one bedroom with a humidifier and dehumidifier depending on the season.” Acoustics can expand and contract based on humidity, so it’s important to keep them in the right environment to avoid cracking. Most of the electric guitars are down in the finished basement, and there are some in a closet in a guest bedroom. “I don’t have them displayed because the safest way to keep the guitars is in their cases!” explains Lee.
Lee’s kids have no interest in guitars, so when he wants to keep the numbers in his collection under control, he sells.

When he sells, he uses a website called Reverb, but he’s not always guaranteed to get the price that he originally paid. Though a few of his guitars have appreciated in value, some of the guitars have not gone up. Despite this, Lee considers each of the guitars in his collection to be special in their own way. “I always hate selling something because I’ll never see it again!”

Collectibles Insurance Services was founded by collectors, for collectors! Homeowners insurance often falls short when it comes to providing coverage for collections, so that’s where we step in. We help insure collections of all kinds — from LEGOs to sports memorabilia, and comic books to toys, and so much more.
Find out what types of collections we insure or get a quote today!

July 28, 2022 by olive

Scott got his start dealing in antiques about 45 years ago. His interest began in the 1970s when his parents were cleaning out their basement and had a lot of items to get rid of. There were Indian baskets and other items that his great-aunt had picked up from her years teaching on an Indian reservation in Wisconsin.

After this experience, Scott started going to flea markets and shopping around to see what other people were selling. “Collecting can be an expensive hobby if you are into high-end stuff,” shares Scott. “Although I’ve been dealing for 45 years, I started collecting about 20 years ago, but it has taken me a while to acquire what I wanted.”

Scott’s interests mainly include French cameo glass by makers such as Galle & Daum Nancy, art glass, Tiffany glass, and antique French dolls. “Even non-collectors are attracted to Tiffany art glass,” shares Scott. There is a specific kind, favrile glass, that really stands out. It comes in different colors, with the most common being gold and the more desirable colors being blue or even red. “It has a rich, iridescent finish; even those not into antiques can appreciate its beauty.”

When it comes to antique dolls, Scott mentions that there is a special doll maker, Leon Casimir Bru. A specific doll, known as a Bru Jne doll, is a pricey doll for which prices have recently skyrocketed. “Some of these dolls can command north of $30,000,” he explains. “The dolls are a piece of art!” Also popular are dolls made by the prolific French doll maker, Jumeau, who began making dolls in the mid-19th century. “Some of their bisque bebes can command a high price.”

Scott’s personal collection of about 60 dolls and 60 pieces of glass is on display in curio cabinets in his home, but not organized in any particular way. “It’s a curated collection of items that are special to me, because I like them.” Of collecting, Scott’s mantra is to always, “buy what you like.” The value of collectible items, especially antiques, is always fluctuating. If you curate a collection of items that you love, then if the value changes, at least you are left with something you enjoy.

July 21, 2022 by olive

“My wife says I have a disease!” says Timothy Wagner of his still-growing collection of over 700 diecast cars. This large collection stems from a genuine passion for real vehicles. Many of the cars in Tim’s collection are based on real-life vehicles that have special meaning to him.

The first car in Tim’s collection was a red 1956 Chrysler New Yorker. This was the same car that his grandparents owned when he was a teenager – a car in which he drove his grandfather to the hospital when he was just 15 years old. Tim loved this car, but, “My mother had the audacity to tell me I was too young to have a car, and so she sold it for $300,” shares Tim. “I cried!”

Tim is a collector of mostly Chrysler products, as well as Plymouths, Dodges, and some racecars. His most prized car is a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere Sox and Martin car signed by racecar driver Ronnie Sox. “I was into drag racing as a kid,” he shares. Another prized possession is a 1968 Roadrunner model, of which he owns both the model and a real full-size car. “I’ve had this car for 35 years, and I love it!” He also has a 1965 Ford Galaxy model that a friend is helping him change to a convertible. His mom owned a 1965 Ford Galaxy 500 convertible for 14 years when he was a kid.

Tim’s collection has grown in value. He purchased many of his model cars for under $50, and now they are worth well into the $200 range. “All my Sox and Martin cars were bought for under $100, and they are now worth over $200.” He has a whole collection of just 1/18 scale diecast cars valued at $25,000.

Tim has become interested in collecting diorama figurines to go with the diecast cars. “They are plastic figurines called Diorama Classics. They help set up the scenery for the cars in my collection!” He has a glass case with about five cars in it, and they are the cars that he stages with the figurines.

Most of his cars are on display in Tim’s family room, which his family refers to as the “toy room.” He built wooden shelving on which to store the cars and is in the process of lighting them. The cars are sorted by type – Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler – and then there is a section with trucks and a few other odd items that defy categorization. “My daughter and my son always give me diecast for Christmas and birthdays, so I end up with a lot more of them. They just keep growing!” In addition to the cars, Tim’s “toy room” also has a track with a Lionel train that runs around it.

Tim’s collection has become an outlet for his love of cars. “It gives me the chance to have [model-versions of] the cars that I would’ve loved to have but couldn’t,” shares Tim. “I’ve had over 290 full-size cars, but now I’m down to just seven full-size cars and two trucks. My wife says I’ve got enough!”

July 19, 2022 by olive

Some collections are more than what they seem at face value, and this is true of Ken Florey’s collection of women’s suffrage memorabilia. Ken is drawn to collecting such items because of the story that unfolds with each piece. His collection is the largest accumulation of women’s suffrage memorabilia gathered by a private collector, and it consists of items such as posters, buttons, china, prisoner’s medals, postcards, sashes, pennants, sheet music, and more.

Ken’s interest in collecting such items was sparked in the 1980s, when he was the Vice President of the Ephemera Society of America, which has a conference every year. At the time, there was a periodical called AB Booklist, a trade publication for antique book dealers. Every year, an issue would be published in conjunction with the annual convention. One year, they wanted to do a special issue on women, and Ken was asked to do an article on women’s suffrage.

Ken had a friend with an extensive collection, so he used this as a source for the article. “I became so attracted to the items and the stories behind them,” shares Ken. He began to collect for himself, focusing on buttons, sashes, and ribbons. As his collection grew, so did his definition of memorabilia. Today, he has about 4,500 different items in his collection. Besides his passion for the history behind each object, Ken also loves the connections that develop from collecting. “I formed some lifelong friendships,” he says. “My collection is more than just collecting objects. It’s getting in touch with other people, it’s forming friendships.”

Ken considers himself to be a collector since childhood. “There are two kinds of people in the world: collectors and non-collectors. When I was a kid I collected comic books, stamps – all kinds of things. As I grew older, my toys changed.” Before he got into suffrage, he was collecting political items and buttons. He has since sold these political collectibles to focus solely on suffrage. His collection dates back to the 1850s, with most of the buttons and ribbons dating from the end of the 19^th century to the early 20^th. In America, most of the objects were produced from 1907 or 1908 to about 1917.
Ken’s favorite piece from his collection is an item called a hunger strike medal. “It’s a medal that was given in England to women who underwent hunger strikes in prison and were force fed,” explains Ken. “There are only about 100 of these medals. Each medal hangs from a ribbon and on the back has a name.” Lavander Guthrie is on the back of Ken’s medal. Research revealed that Guthrie was not a major participant in the suffrage movement. When she got out of prison she was given this medal and then dropped out of the movement and then sought out a means to make a living for herself, including becoming an actress under the name “Laura Grey.” The medal, “is the most prized piece in my collection,” Ken says.

Another portion of the collection that Ken values is some special china that came from a very wealthy socialite named Mrs. Alva Belmont, who bankrolled much of the suffrage movement. “In 1913 she held the famous Council of Great Women Conference at her estate,” Ken explains. “She had ordered from England a complete set of china for this meeting. She also used the china in a lunchroom that she ran. To have these pieces is just wonderful!”

Ken also has a small cardboard poster that advertises a meeting in Connecticut. The poster shows some of the local suffragists and one of the photos on the poster is a woman with several of her children. The woman is Katharine Hepburn, the mother of the actress, and one of the children pictured is the actress herself. He also has a paper invitation, dated 1870, inviting people to a meeting to form the American Women’s Suffrage Association. Julia Ward Howe, who wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” was an ardent suffragette, and she composed a personal, penciled note on the back of this invitation to a “Mr. Weiss,” asking him to attend. Finally, another notable item is a 19^th century ribbon autographed by Susan B. Anthony.

July 14, 2022 by olive

The first movie that Matt Sherman remembers seeing was the James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me, in 1977. He soon discovered paperback James Bond novels in a store and began to collect them. Over 100,000,000 copies of these books have been sold, and they have been printed in over 20 languages. Eventually, he got tired of waiting for new books to come out, so he sold some of his books to invest in movie props. Getting props from the earlier films was challenging, as these movies were released before the days when a prop from popular film would be auctioned off for big bucks. People weren’t yet thinking of props as collectibles!

With the ability to find auctions on the internet, Matt began to collect other Bond items. Today, this collection is modestly sized, containing about 300 items total. “There are two kinds of collectors,” Matt explains. Some collect everything they can get their hands on. Others will buy, sell, and trade to get better items. Matt is the latter. “Most of my items are genuine props from the films.”
Over half the world’s population has seen a Bond movie. There have been 26 James Bond films released since 1962, with the 27th, No Time to Die, coming in October. Matt has props from 18 of these movies. The most coveted are the “screen-seen” props, which appeared on camera. Matt’s first purchase involved the vehicles that appear in the films. “At the Ian Fleming Foundation, they curate and restore actual vehicles. As a fundraiser, they would mount and frame parts of the James Bond vehicles.”

These days, Matt’s main collecting emphasis has been Bond casino items. “I have over 200 plaques and chips from Bond casinos and films,” he shares. These are screen-used plaques, which were a bit costly because they are difficult to find. The most valuable item is a plaque from the 1999 Bond film The World Is Not Enough, starring Pierce Brosnan. This was the central plaque on the head table when they played $1 million on one high card draw. Its value is at least five figures. “Bond collecting is like collecting from the Star Wars films,” shares Matt. “There’s a lot to collect. [There are] clothes, posters, props, perfumes, colognes, and makeup. There are still bargains to be found. I occasionally find a genuine prop for $30 or $40.” The most he has spent on a single purchase is about $5,000.
Matt finds it difficult to name a favorite item from the collection. “For me, it’s like choosing my favorite child!” Still, there are a few standout items. “I have a letter from her majesty Queen Elizabeth. I wrote to her, and she sent me a reply and she acknowledged my fandom.” Die Another Day had an ice motif, and the villain had a palace of ice and an ice motel. Matt has an ice gun from this movie, one of a limited number made for the lead actors and film producers. “I also appreciate my Casino Royale plaques,” he shares. “They were made by the casino company that made all the casino plaques for the last century, and this was the only non-casino plaque they made.”

Everything from this collection is on display in Matt’s home. “One of the reasons I reduced the number of collectibles I had is that I wanted them all on display – not boxed up.” He’s also not concerned about touching and handling the items. “I have glass shelves, and everything is out for display. I allow friends to handle them. They are accessible and within easy reach.” He also has different shelves for different Bond actors, such as Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan, and all the casino items are grouped together. He has a holding case of at least 100 different poker chips so that people can see them all in one case.

Bond collectors are a small group compared to collectors of other movie props – such as Star Wars and Star Trek. This creates a community where everyone knows each other and shares collectibles. “My wife and I have been running James Bond fan conventions for about twenty years,” says Matt. This includes fan tours, where people are taken directly to film locations. Unlike Star Wars and Star Trek, Bond movies were often filmed on-location rather than in the studio. Collectors will often return from these tours with pieces of a vehicle or other items from the location. “Fans delight in finding things on location – it’s a piece of movie history that you got to have by visiting the site,” shares Matt. “It’s very unique to James Bond.”

When asked about his favorite Bond actor, Matt explains that his opinion aligns with that of many other fans. “Sean Connery was a terrific actor, and if he hadn’t done the first films they would not be doing them years later.” But he also enjoys actor Timothy Dalton. “Timothy Dalton read the books and looked like the character, and he tried to bring that to his portrayal.” Overall, he believes that Sean Connery was the best for introducing Bond to the world, while Timothy Dalton was most like the Bond of the books.

Matt’s collection is the biggest and best Bond casino collection because of the effort he has put into pursuing collectibles from around the world. In addition to collecting, Matt has several books in print, including James Bond’s Cuisine: 007’s Every Last Meal: Every Bite and Sip of the World’s Greatest Agent and Playing Games with James Bond.
You can learn more about the fan events Matt hosts at BondFanEvents.com.

July 12, 2022 by olive

While they are often used interchangeably, did you know that collectibles and memorabilia are not actually the same thing? The word “collectibles” represents items that are collected for fun and do not have any value outside of their intrinsic value to the collecting community. “Memorabilia,” on the other hand, represents items that were originally created with a specific purpose, but have since derived value from their rarity or condition. Collectibles include trading cards, model trains, or art. An example of memorabilia is a hockey ticket from a specific game in 1961, which would now be close to one-of-a-kind due to its rarity.

Food for thought: is your collection comprised of collectibles, memorabilia, or both?
Collectibles Insurance Services was founded by collectors, for collectors! Homeowners insurance often falls short when it comes to providing coverage for collections, so that’s where we step in. We help insure collections of all kinds — from LEGOs to sports memorabilia, and comic books to toys, and so much more.
Find out what types of collections we insure or get a quote today!

July 5, 2022 by olive

The first quarter of 2022 has come and gone, and during this time, we witnessed some interesting trends in the collectibles market, with growth occurring in everything from sports to comic books. What exactly happened during this time? Keep reading for some of the key highlights in a few of the most popular collectible categories of 2022.

Sports
While the prices for sports collectibles were not quite as lofty as they were in 2021, the first quarter of 2022 still showed healthy numbers for this category. A major highlight? Tom Brady announced his retirement in January of 2022 (although shortly thereafter, he announced his return), driving the demand for Tom Brady collectible merchandise and cards. Sales more than doubled for every kind of Brady collectible, including cards and jerseys.

Comic Books
The comic book market was booming in 2021, and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. With so many new superhero movies and tv shows being released, one way to capitalize on this boom is to keep an eye on which movies are coming soon. Comic books can be purchased early on at lower prices and then sold at the height of the subject’s popularity.
Keep an eye out for popular characters from upcoming movies and television shows, including She-Hulk, Miles Morales, Moon Knight, The Black Knight, Daredevil, and Batman.

Statues and Figures
Statues and figures are a hot collectible in 2022. These can be expensive to procure, but they often double and triple in value on the secondary market, making them a solid investment. Some popular makers are Sideshow Collectibles, Hot Toys, and XM Studios.

Toys and Action Figures
Both new and vintage toys are hot on the collectibles market, with toys from the 80s especially seeing great popularity. Popular vintage toys include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, GI Joe, Star Wars, and Cabbage Patch dolls.

Trading Card Games (Pokémon and more)
Over the past few years, trading card games have experienced a resurgence in popularity and value. Games such as the Pokémon TCG are still seeing positive growth in 2022. Check out our guide to collecting Pokémon cards to learn more about which cards are popular, plus how to protect your investment.

Sources
https://thenerdhoard.com/what-collectibles-are-hot-right-now/
https://www.altaninsights.com/reports
https://themarketherald.com.au/fancy/the-most-valuable-collectibles-of-the-80s/

July 5, 2022 by olive

For Craig Rogers, his collecting journey began one day during his childhood when his mother brought him a three-pack of comics from the drugstore. The packet contained issues of Hulk, Fantastic Four, and Daredevil. “I read the three books, and I gravitated toward Daredevil.”

A few months later, he was at the grocery store with his dad when they came across a newsstand. His dad asked him if he wanted anything, and he browsed the newsstand and found a Daredevil comic book, with an image of Daredevil backed up against a wall. “It stood out to me because I recognized the character,” shares Craig. “The subtitle was ‘Daredevil: The Man Without Fear.’ It caught my eye because he looked completely terrified. The irony appealed to me.”

That was the first comic that he picked out for himself. The thing that truly got him hooked on comics was when his dad informed him that there was a comic book store in town. “That was it!” Craig says. “I went there every week looking for issues of Daredevil that I didn’t have. I was 100% hooked from that point on.”

Today, Craig’s collection is comprised mostly of comic books and other comic-related art. A notable addition to his collection is the original cover artwork to that issue he had bought with his father. “I asked my husband for permission to buy it, but unfortunately, the seller informed me he had just sold it that day,” he recalls. But the seller reached out to the buyer, and as luck would have it, the buyer had only picked it up because he was doing a trade deal – it wasn’t something he was actually after. He was willing to sell to Craig for the same price he had paid for it. “I ended up with the cover art of Daredevil #223 – a classic John Byrne cover,” Craig says. “It’s especially cool because it has such a history with me, with it being the first time I picked up a comic book.

What makes his collection unusual is the fact that Craig focuses primarily on the character of Daredevil. “This was born out of necessity because when I first started collecting comics and art, I was buying up anything and everything I liked. It just got out of hand, so I had to narrow my focus to keep the spending in check.” He decided to focus on Daredevil, and at one point, he collected the complete Volume 1 of the Daredevil series. He has since sold many of these, but recently he got back into trying to complete this series again – only with higher grade copies of everything. Today, he has narrowed his search to just the best copies he can get of the first 100 issues, as well as the comic book art.

While selecting a favorite from his collection is impossible, there are three major pieces of artwork that stand out. The first is the Daredevil cover, with the personal history behind it. The second is a commission piece by Gene Colan. “I asked him to do a self-portrait of himself and Daredevil, the character he’s best known for drawing,” explains Craig. “It’s his interpretation of the famous Norman Rockwell triple self-portrait, with Gene sitting and painting Daredevil.”

Craig wanted to meet Gene and thank him in person, so he went to a show in San Francisco and gave him a leather sketchbook as a thank you gift. That spurred a friendship, and they kept in touch, right up until Gene sadly passed away. The third piece of art that stands out is a creature design by Bernie Wrightson. “It’s a beautiful picture – beautiful of a monster!” laughs Craig. Bernie sadly passed away, and after his death, a friend gifted Craig with two of Bernie’s last drawing pencils, which are framed with the drawing.

One of the most valuable items in his collection is a page of original artwork from Daredevil #3 from 1964. “I love it because it’s historically significant.” Craig originally paid $1,500 for this piece, but today it’s worth between $15,000 and $20,000. “The prices for collectibles in the past few years have gone bonkers! It’s hard to know what things are now worth versus two years ago. There are things I could have gotten for a fraction of the price a few years ago. If you’re selling, it’s fantastic, but it’s pricing people out of the hobby.”

While the original art is quite valuable, Craig gets more enjoyment out of finding artists and commissioning pieces from them. “They are not worth as much as published pieces, but it’s always fun! There are times when I have an idea of what it will look like, and it comes back and it’s a thousand times better. It’s fun to know I helped bring something to life with my idea. [I enjoy] that collaborative aspect of commissioned art.”

Collectibles Insurance Services was founded by collectors, for collectors! Homeowners insurance often falls short when it comes to providing coverage for collections, so that’s where we step in. We help insure collections of all kinds — from LEGOS to sports memorabilia, and comic books to toys, and so much more.
Find out what types of collections we insure or get a quote today!

June 6, 2022 by olive

Did you know that investments in wine have been outperforming investments in traditional stocks? The Liv-Ex Fine Wine 100 — a benchmark index for wine performance similar to the S&P 500 for U.S. stock performance — has risen by 270.7% over the past two decades. This is 8 percentage points higher than the S&P 500 over the same period.

When it comes to determining the value of wine, there are multiple factors to consider:

Vintage: This term refers to the year in which wine was harvested in a region. There are many conditions, such as weather, that contribute to the quality of wine produced in any particular year. It’s important to know what years are good for production of specific types of wines.

Reputation of the wine producer: The wine’s brand is a key factor in determining its value. Wines from well-known producers will be more valuable.

Aging potential: Some wines will age better than others. Those that age well will outperform those that don’t. Factors that contribute to aging are the type of grapes, acidity, and tannins in the wine.

Wine scarcity: A rare wine or wine produced in small batches will increase in value over those that are readily available.

Wine critics: Finally, it’s important to keep in mind what wine critics are saying about a particular type of wine. This will impact its value!

In addition to these factors, don’t forget to consider insuring your collection of fine wine! Insurance will provide peace of mind that your valuable collection is covered in the event of an unexpected loss.

Collectibles Insurance Services was founded by collectors, for collectors! Homeowners insurance often falls short when it comes to providing coverage for collections, so that’s where we step in. We help insure collections of all kinds — from wine to sports memorabilia, and comic books to toys, and so much more.
Find out what types of collections we insure or get a quote today!

Source:

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/how-to-invest-in-wine/

May 27, 2022 by olive

The interesting thing about Glenn Johnson’s enormous Elvis collection – besides its size – is the fact that this wasn’t born out of a love of collecting, nor did it stem from a passion for Elvis Presley. “It started about 20 years ago as an investment!” shares Glenn. “I definitely was not a fan.” That has changed, however. As the collection grew, Glenn did develop an interest in the king.
How did a non-Elvis fan decide to start a collection on the subject? “It came down to Elvis or Marilyn Monroe,” explains Glenn. “My first concert as a kid was Elvis, so I went with him.” In the first few years, he began accumulating a lot. Now, he’s got an emotional connection to his collection of over 1,000 pieces.

Glenn’s first purchase for the collection was the merchandise that Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker, put out in 1956. “Elvis was the first celebrity to have merch,” explains Glenn. He has about 80% of the pieces that were originally available. There are wallets, hats, and more. “I even have a large photo of Elvis with blonde hair – before he started dying it black – looking out over a table of all the merchandise.”

This collection is the largest one outside of Graceland. “I have a lot of pieces that are the ‘first’,” Glenn says. “The first jumpsuit he ever had made. The first piano he bought. The first contract he signed as an adult.” One of the earliest items in the collection is a 1954 pair of shoes that he gave to a girlfriend. “They have a leopard fur on them – kind of unique for 1954.”

Many of the items in the collection are extremely valuable. The most valuable item? A jumpsuit! Glenn paid $200,000 for the first jumpsuit that Elvis ever had, and today the value is around $750,000. “The jumpsuits climb in price fast because there are only about 21 or 22 in private hands. There were about 126 jumpsuits made for him, and most of them Graceland has.” Other notable items include the first piano he ever played, purchased for $112,000 and now worth $400,000. A star ring that had been worn on stage was purchased for $12,000 and today is worth around $150,000
When asked which item is his favorite, Glenn shares, “My mind goes to his dental records, which a lot of people are surprised by. I have his handwritten dental records from the dentist he went to from 1957 to 1977. I have the record from August 15, 1977, when he visited the dentist late at night. Hours later, he had passed away.”

Glenn likes to ask people who view the collection what their favorite piece is. The majority select his military outfit from when he left the army in 1960. “It’s a full-dress uniform – hat, shirt, tie, jacket, metals, belts, pants, socks, and shoes. The only thing not there is the underwear. People love that one!” When he left the army, Elvis gave his uniform to the director of one of his movies, GI Blues. When the director passed away, his son sold the uniform to Glenn.

“I have a lot of his army stuff!” shares Glenn. Most interestingly, he has the army discharge records that Elvis signed. These records contain his height, weight, pulse, blood pressure, heart rate, and more. “There is always a lot of talk about his height and weight. The army has him listed as exactly 6 feet tall. Those records are probably the most accurate statistics.”

Glenn lives on a 76-acre property, and his collection is displayed as a museum in a separate structure on the property. “It’s not open to the public, but sometimes people call, and I let them come look at it.” Everything is well-organized. The outside perimeter of the main room is organized by movie, going clockwise and in chronological order. Then there are two center cases. One side is stage-worn clothes, and the other side is personal items, such as karate gear (Elvis was very interested in karate), signed divorce papers, and the suit he wore when he picked up his daughter, Lisa Marie, from the hospital. Then there are two smaller rooms. One is merchandise, along with personal financial records. This includes a 1955 signed tax return. “He made $25,000, and then in 1956, he made millions. It skyrocketed!” The next room is shoes that he wore (including blue suede shoes), jewelry, high school things, and signed contracts dating as early as 1955.

One day, Glenn plans to sell this incredible collection. “It’s a nice retirement nest egg!” he shares. He’s already had offers – including one for $5 million – but nothing yet that has turned into a real deal.

Collectors Corner

CIS

For Collectors

For Dealers

For Agents

Collector’s Corner