By Aramie Louisville Vas
A pendant given by Elvis to Sammy Davis Jr. was one of hundreds of items auctioned off on Thursday evening in Memphis, Tenn. The pendant sold for $32,000.
Other high-ticket items included one of Presley’s handguns, which sold for $96,000, and an owl-shaped ring given by Presley to a fan after a Lake Tahoe concert in 1973, going for $32,500. A collection of Elvis’ first five singles on vinyl sold for $3,375. All items were from third-party collectors, and not owned by Graceland, according to Laura Pickett, managing director of Graceland Auctions.
Pickett told the Associated Press that of the 174 items to be sold, 14 were pulled to be “re-examined”, and may re-appear at a future auction. Pickett did not elaborate further, but it is known that the 14 items include a “Starburst” jumpsuit worn by Presley during Vegas concerts in 1973, and a guitar signed by Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins. Pickett noted that it is “pretty common” for some items to be pulled at auctions.
The auction was held as part of Elvis Week at Graceland commemorates the death of The King. Elvis died at the age of 42 on Aug. 16, 1977. This was the third auction held; the first on Presley’s birthday (Elvis was born January 8, 1935), and the second during last year’s Elvis Week. In a media statement issued earlier Thursday, Graceland Auctions stated: “The integrity of the auction and the authenticity of artifacts are of paramount importance to us.”
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