Elvis' Ring, Marilyn's Long Underwear Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Feb 10th 2011 at 11:02PM

When it comes to celebrity collectibles, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe remain two of the most bankable names. The upcoming Signature Music & Entertainment Auction at Heritage Auctions, Beverly Hills features items from both stars along with one of the famous Beatles "Butcher" cover records.

The ring shown at right is Elvis Presley's black star sapphire ring. The ring is in a nugget style often favored by the King and the black star sapphire is one of his favorite stones. The 14K gold setting is also set with small diamonds. This ring was worn by Elvis in the 1970s and later given as a gift to his tour promoter, Tom Hulett. The lot comes with two color 8" x 10" photos of Elvis wearing it during a concert performance as well as a certificate of authenticity from Mr. Hulett. It is estimated to bring $15,000.

Few undergarments sell as well as those belonging to blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe. But Heritage isn't auctioning off frilly lace here, instead they are selling set of red-and-white striped thermal underwear worn by the actress on the set of the movie "Bus Stop." It's believed the thermals were worn on set, most likely between takes while filming in Idaho. This item is expected to bring over $5,000.

Heritage Auctions is also selling a version of the controversial Beatles "Butcher" cover. The factory-sealed First State copy of The Beatles' famously banned "Butcher Cover" mono LP , Yesterday and Today, is often called the Holy Grail of vinyl. It is estimated that there are less than 25 sealed copies of this record in existence.

Garry Shrum, Consignment Director for Music & Entertainment Auctions at Heritage, said that the auction house has never seen a copy in such great condition. They sold a 'Livingston Copy' of the 'Butcher Cover' in 2006 for more than $38,000, the highest amount ever realized for a piece of wide release, non-autographed vinyl. This one could go higher but carries an estimate of $30,000.

The cover was the original cover of Yesterday and Today issued only in the United States and Canada. The original cover image, showing the band in white butcher coats holding doll parts and pieces of meat was shot by photographer Robert Whitaker. A few original covers were shipped to disc jockeys and store managers and an outcry immediately arose. The album was hastily recalled and a new cover was slapped on. In the collectibles world there are original untouched covers, covers bearing the second image and covers that have had the second image removed or partially peeled off. The rarer versions, like this one, are still in the original shrink wrap. Any potential buyer/investor would be well advised never to open it, because as time goes on the unopened albums will likely become even more valuable.

Tags: beatles butcher cover, elvis presley, heritage auctions, marilyn monroe