Tips to Help You Buy Only Authentic Elvis Memorabilia

 

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Examples of reproduction Elvis concert tickets.

As you read and look at this book I hope that my love for Elvis collecting comes through. I also hope that you sense my commitment to stopping the creation and distribution of fraudulent and fake items that threaten the long term fun and viability of this hobby. A great deal of my web site is devoted to proving tips to collector’s to help them identify fake items and avoid them. Almost daily I receive an e-mail from someone seeking my opinion about the authenticity of a wide variety of items.

It is with this in mind that I want to make you aware of a development after the publication of this book. A prominent Elvis collector, a close friend of mine, purchased handwritten lyrics similar to those pictured on 137 of this book from a Christies Auction. He became concerned with the authenticity of this item and sent it to a respected forensics lab for testing. The conclusion of the lab was that the ink used on the document was manufactured in 1981. Therefore the lyrics that he bought could not have possibly been written while Elvis was in the Army or any other place for that matter. He also consulted an archivist at Graceland who stated that in their archives there are only a handful of "writings" done by Elvis. He found it impossible to believe that Elvis ever wrote out lyrics in the quantities that have flooded the auction markets in the last few years.

Please be extremely cautious when considering the purchase of any lyrics supposedly written by Elvis, any letters written by Elvis, or any autographs with lengthy dedications. I will be happy to offer my assistance if you see anything that you are suspicious of. You may e-mail me at colonelsnow@yahoo.com

People Who Have Personally Sold Me Counterfeit Elvis Memorabilia or Otherwise Have Dealt In A Dishonest Fashion:

Arlen Ettinger and Guernsey's Auction House: A couple of years ago I made the mistake of placing some significant Elvis pieces in one of Mr. Ettinger's Guernsey's auctions. As part of my deal with Mr. Ettinger he agreed to pay my expenses to and from New York. After the auction Mr. Ettinger refused to reimburse me. He would not speak with me and instead had his wife talk to me. She said that they had no intention of living up to their agreement. If I did not like it I could sue them.

Counterfeit and Reproduction Warnings:

Be careful if someone tries to sell you an item saying that it came from Graceland's auction.

I would expect that over the coming months we will all be offered items that supposedly were bought from the Las Vegas Graceland auction. Be careful that the item really was in the auction. A special certificate of authenticity came with each item. Insist on seeing this before buying anything. Do not fall for it if the seller claims that they did not receive a certificate. Every item came with one. The certificates would be very hard to counterfeit. I hesitate to describe them here because I do not want to give anyone hints who be think of faking one.

"Aloha From Hawaii" Concert belt offered on Internet: Someone is actually trying to convince people that they have the Aloha From Hawaii belt and are wiling to sell it for $5,000. "This is the origanal and it is completely in mint condition nobody has worn it except the king himself! It is also with COA/ "certificate of autenticity" This is the only one out there and is great for the Elvis fans!" Yeah Right!

Enthusiast   Magazine Reproductions Flooded On The Market- Motorcycle magazine with Elvis on the cover. Recently I have seen dozens of these magazines on the market being sold as 1956 printings. These in fact have been printed within the last year. Some dealers have honestly portrayed them correctly as recent printings. The majority however are being sold as vintage. I have seen these $5 items sell for as much as $150.

Autographs:

Probably the most common counterfeit Elvis item that I am offered is the autograph. Elvis is difficult because there are so many variations in the way his name was signed. In the future I will be posting both authentic and fake examples. In the mean time beware of autographs signed with gold or silver paint pens. I have yet to see one of these that in my opinion is authentic.

UPDATE: I was recently contacted by someone who had been offered 40 gold paint pen autographs by one individual. I believe he is the source of most of these phony items. I am witholding the name until I can get first hand evidence.

Click here to see a fake Elvis autograph that I saw for sale on the internet

Click here to see a another fake supposedly signed in 1955

Click here to see a fake Elvis autograph

Click here to see an authentic Elvis autograph

Click here to see another authentic autograph from 1956

Click here to see an authentic signed photo from 1958

Click here to see various authentic Elvis autographs used as sample to be reproduced on merchandise

Concert Posters:

Unfortunately the vast majority of Elvis concert posters that I see offered for sale are reproductions. Beware of any poster from one of Elvis' landmark performances such as Madison Square Garden or Aloha From Hawaii. Big name shows are the counterfeiters favorite because they know that these are in great demand. Some of these are very poorly done. I have been offered a June 1976 Indianapolis poster. Elvis did not appear there in 1976. This was an attempt to knockoff a poster from Elvis' last concert which took place at that venue in 1977. The paper stock on most fake posters is a dead give-a-way. Forty year old paper should show its age. Anything that looks brand new almost certainly is.

Click here to see a fake Elvis concert poster that I saw for sale on the internet

Concert Tickets:

Recently I have seen several counterfeit tickets for Elvis' last Louisiana Hayride performance being offered for sale. I have seen asking prices on these of   as much as $1,000. These are the same reproductions that can be bought in Memphis for $10.

Always be cautious when buying any ticket or stub from a famous Elvis concert. Counterfeiters choose these events for the simple reason that they are most attractive to collectors. Beware of concerts such as Aloha From Hawaii, 1968 Comeback Special, Hayride Concerts, and the Ed Sullivan Show. There are originals of these out there, but 99% of the ones I have seen have been phoneys.

Click here to see a fake Elvis concert ticket that I saw for sale on the internet

Record Sleeves and Bonus Photos:

Buyer beware!! There are reproductions being sold of every valuable Elvis record, sleeve, and bonus photo. A list of specific fake items currently on the market follows: Elvis/Jaye P. Morgan double EP, King Creole bonus photo, Good Luck Charm compact 33, Blue Suede Shoes temporary sleeve, Chicken of the Sea sticker for Aloha from Hawaii album, Sun Record Acetates, "WoHo" picture sleeve... more to come unfortunately.

Any picture sleeve for Elvis with the Sun label is not authentic. Elvis' Sun releases did not have picture sleeves.

1956 Elvis Presley Enterprises Bookend

Be careful when buying the Elvis bookends. A mold has been made of these and hundreds of reproductions have been made. These are identical to the original with the exception of the material they are made from. The reproduction is made of much softer material than the original. On some of them it is even possible to scrape some of the surface away with your finger nail.

Letters of Authenticity Are No Guarantee

Just because an item supposedly belonging to Elvis comes with a letter of authenticity does not mean it should be blindly accepted as authentic. Letters have been written by former associates of Elvis vouching for items that they had no idea of the authenticity. Some of these items have appeared in major auctions. There are also numerous incidents of counterfeit letters of authenticity. Beware when you are presented with a letter of authenticity from an associate of Elvis who is deceased.

Reproductions of Original Items Marked as Reproductions

Elvis' Sun 45s were all reproduced in 1973. They are easily identified because "1973" is etched in the trail-off for the vinyl.
Elvis 1956 Drinking Glasses. Theses have been reproduced on a couple of occasions. Look for the copyright year on the glass.

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