The spontaneous generosity of Elvis Presley was legendary and launched thousands of stories. The 10 carat diamond ring shown above was given to fan Lloyd Perry in Asheville North Carolina at concert in 1975. This one-of-a-kind piece of Elvis Presley memorabilia will be sold at auction by Affiliated Auctions in Tallahassee, Florida on December 6th, 2009. Perry says that the piece was given to him when, four songs in to his 1.5 hour show Elvis tossed his Gibson guitar in to the audience. Perry and the man seated to his right both grabbed for the the guitar. Perry let the other man have the guitar and a few songs later Elvis Presley called Perry on stage, shook his hand and then took the diamond ring shown above from his own finger and handed it to Perry. The 10ctw diamond ring, consists of 19 four-prong set diamonds set in 14K yellow gold.

Nasty looking, isn't it? No offense to the King.

Item number 66 at Chicago auction house Leslie Hindman Auctioneers last Sunday was none other than "A Large Quantity of Elvis Presley's Hair." It went for $15,000 -- and Leslie Hindman told The Chicago Tribune she had expected it to go for a "bit more." The hair is allegedly from when Elvis had his locks shorn to enter the military in 1958.

That's some old hair.

Other items at the auction included Elvis Presley clothes, dolls, scarves and ladies' handkerchiefs which may contain some Elvis perspiration. The top seller was an "EP" monogrammed white cotton shirt which went to superfan John Urso for $52,000. "It's worth every penny," he told The Chicago Tribune.

The King of Rock and Roll may be dead (maybe), but his DNA still commands a pretty penny. Imagine if he were still alive -- he could support himself and several charities on haircuts and sweating on stuff alone.

[via Tonic]

These days the celebrated French leathergoods company Longchamp is best known for its super-stylish handbags as seen in ad campaigns starring Kate Moss (above). Most people are unaware however that the company, which dates back to 1948, started off selling luxurious leather-covered pipes to Paris' bon ton. The rich heritage of the firm is celebrated in Longchamp, a gorgeous new illustrated history from Abrams by Marie-Claire Aucouturier with photographs by Philippe Carcia, published in celebration of the company's 60th anniversary.

Beginning with the deluxe pipes, which became a favorite of Elvis Presley (pictured smoking one in the book), the company built a brand as a bridge between the very social equestrian world and the world of luxury travel. Named after Paris' famed Longchamp racecourse where Napoleon III presided over the Royal Enclosure, the company adopted a horse and rider as its logo. The pipes were soon followed by cigarette cases and other leather accessories for smokers, then expansion into small leather goods in the 1950s, followed by the opening of the first Longchamp boutiques in the 1970s and '80s.

The first in a line of luxurious luggage soon followed. Longchamp thrived where many firms failed by catching on early to the importance of the Asian market. In the early 1970s, Philippe Cassegrain, Longchamp's founder, designed a line of bags called "LM," destined for the Japanese market, recently re-released for the anniversary. Its success gave Longchamp a solid reputation as a creator of women's handbags and enabled the company to expand further. In 1993 Cassegrain introduced the Le Pliage collection of foldable travel bags made of colorful vinyl with luxurious leather trim, an instant smash; two billion of them have been sold since.

Elvis Presley fans have one more day to pick up items from the Gotta Have It Collectibles auction of Elvis memorabilia. The top item, still without a bid the last time I checked, is Elvis Presley's white Wm. Knabe & Co. grand piano which he used at Graceland from 1957 to 1969 (which is when Priscilla bought him a new gold-leaf covered one). The piano was used in Memphis' Ellis Auditorium from the 1930s to 1957 and has also been played by other famous musicians including W.C. Handy, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Cab Calloway. It has a minimum bid of $500,000 and is estimated to sell for $750,000 - $1,000,000.

Presley's blue jumpsuit and cape with gold lining which he performed in at Madison Square Garden in 1972 is $100,000 and currently has oen bid. Not all of the items are so expensive. Pants Elvis wore start around $1,000 and pieces of Elvis Presley merchandise from the 1950s through the 1970s and Elvis albums start at just $10.

London luxury goods firm Dunhill is offering a new limited edition gold lighter based on a model from their archives that was owned by Elvis Presley in the 1950s.

The slim, elegant 18-karat yellow gold Apex lighter features a classic crosshatch pattern in Dunhill's famed Rollalite style. Only 50 pieces are being produced at $13,000 each.

Dunhill, which dates back to the 1890s, produced its first lighter, dubbed the Unique, in 1923. Noel Coward, Coco Chanel and Frank Sinatra, who also had his tuxedos made the firm, all owned Dunhill lighters as well.

The precious but understated lighter indicates that before he got sloppy Elvis was a man of taste. Some of his later, more vulgar accouterments are currently being auctioned off in NYC.

[via JustLuxe]

The 35th Annual Las Vegas Collector Car Auction from Kruse International at the South Point Hotel and Casino on December 19 and 20 will offer the usual vintage cars and a few celebrity vehicles such as Wayne Newton's 1982 Mercedes-Benz and 2001 Jaguar XK8 Convertible but the real excitement is reserved for two other types of vehicles. One of three jets Elvis Presley owned during his lifetime, a 1962 Lockheed Jet will be up for auction. It has never been restored and has original external painting and detailing, as well as original interior. It is the only airplane that belonged to Elvis still in private hands and is estimated to sell between $700,000 to $2 million (engines not included).

For those with more modest means there is Pamela Anderson's 2001 Playboy Airstream otherwise known as the Lovestream. This was a gift from Hugh Hefner to Pamela Anderson and she will be selling it in person at the auction. It is ready for action with Playboy bunny logo seat cushions and a pole and disco ball. Pictures are in the gallery below.

Some names add cachet to a house years after they have moved on. Elvis Presley definitely falls into that category. Now his Palm Springs home, basically his "Graceland West" is up for sale in a pocket listing (meaning I can't direct you to a listing page). The home is located in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains in Palm Springs. Elvis lived in the home for almost eight years (he purchased it in 1970) and spent his last birthday there.

The approximately 5,000 square foot home has four bedrooms. Architect Albert Frey designed the Spanish-style stucco home which includes Presley's bedroom suite with two complete bathrooms, a sunken black and red tile tub, and dressing area. The living room has a cathedral beamed ceiling and overlooks the pool. The home is being sold with Presley's original kitchen appliances, a separate indoor sauna and steam room, plus his private covered Jacuzzi.

Just last year Reno Fontana and his wife, Laura bought the home and announced plans to restore it and offer it as a West Coast destination for Elvis fans. They also created a website dedicated to the home which does show a few interior pictures of the vintage decor and Elvis movie posters and gold records on the walls.

The property is approximately two acres and is listed at $17 million. For more information about the property, or to request a showing, contact Honey Brooks at 415.435.2585 or honeybrooksrealtor (at) comcast.net.

A new limited edition guitar celebrates the one and only Elvis Presley. While Presley is most famous for singing he was also a guitar player. In 1955 he purchased a Martin D-28 acoustic guitar with a tooled-leather cover with his name inscribed in it. The original is now on display at Graceland but Guitar Center has worked with C.F. Martin & Company to create an exact copy of this guitar. The guitar is an exact reproduction of the leather cover and includes a TCB lightning bolt inlay on the heel cap. Elvis' signature is inlaid into the neck at the 12th fret, and a mother-of-pearl silhouette of the King and his Martin modeled after a famous 1956 photograph is set into the headstock. It is a limited edition of 175 sells for $9,199 and is delivered in a special oversized vintage Geib style hardshell case.

[via Memphis Flyer]

Given Elvis Presley's long association with Las Vegas it seems strange that it has taken until now for an Elvis-themed casino to hit the Strip but Elvis is finally getting his own Vegas hotel. The plans call for a $3.1 billion development with an "Elvis-inspired" luxury hotel and casino, convention space, retail space, restaurants, showroom and a separate hotel-condominium building that will be operated by a joint-venture partner. There will also be complete wedding services for those with a hankering for an Elvis-themed wedding. Construction is set to begin at the start of 2009 with completion planned for the end of 2012.

New York-based FX Real Estate and Entertainment is a newly formed company that owns nearly 18 acres of land located at the southeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue in Las Vegas known as the Park Central Property. Their plan is to turn that area into a a hotel, casino, entertainment, retail, commercial and residential development project. They have entered into license agreements with Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc., and Muhammad Ali Enterprises LLC, that allows them to use the intellectual property associated with these two icons in the development of real estate and entertainment attraction projects. The company plans to also pursue the development of, one or more hotels as part of the master plan of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. to redevelop the Graceland property and surrounding areas in Memphis, Tennessee.

[via Freep]

Elvis Presley may have forever left the building 30 years ago this month, but his memory is alive and well for fans the world over. I am one of those fans and if it were at all possible, I would buy this white Knabe & Co. Baby Grand piano, one of the original furnishings at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. Alas, it is not possible. But for those who can afford the $250,000 starting bid on E-Bay, the King's very own piano could be yours.

The piano's original home was in the Ellis Auditorium & Performance Hall in Memphis where such notables as WC Handy, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Cab Calloway played it. Elvis bought it in 1957 and had it refinished to his taste - white with gold trim. It was placed in the music room at Graceland, where it remained until Priscilla Presley presented Elvis with another piano as an anniversary gift in 1969. The piano was stored until 1976, when Vernon Presley sold it to Ted Sturges, owner of Sturges Recording Studio. There, it was used during the recording of over 50 albums by various artists including Jerry Lee Lewis.

The baby grand is currently in private ownership and includes several certificates of authenticity. Pre-qualified buyers have until August 18th to bid on this piece of American music history. Oh, to be a pre-qualified buyer.

[via ohnotheydidnt]

If you love the Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, and/or Elvis Presley then you might want to book yourself a flight to Beverly Hills before next weekend. On June 16th some of the biggest and most unique items from some of the most memorable stars of years past will be featured at Julien's Auctions at the Beverly Hilton. Among items set to go up on the block are Yoko Ono's 2002 Bentley Arnage, Marilyn Monroe's polka-dot umbrella, and the microphone Elvis Presley used to make his radio debut (complete with the infamous original recording of the phrase "Elvis has left the building").

And whether or not bidding is a possibility for you, the trip could still be worth your while if just to get a glimpse. All items will be on display for admiring fans starting June 12th through the 15th.

We've seen an Elvis house and a Johnny Cash home sell for big bucks before, now the Honky-Tonk Hall of Fame is representing three homes with a connection to Elvis and Johnny Cash. On eBay right now there are listings for both a 270 acre farm that belonged to Elvis and a home that Johnny Cash lived in from 1957 to 1960. The 270-acre Nashville farm was owned by Elvis and his father, Vernon. It has five ponds and a cabin that was built in the 1940s. The Honky-Tonk Hall of Fame is also representing the Ft. Hood, Texas home that Elvis and his family lived when Elvis joined the Army.

The Elvis farm is advertised at $3.7 million and the Cash home is listed at $975,000.

Graceland isn't for sale but Elvis Presley's home at 1034 Audubon Drive in Memphis can be yours. Elvis purchased 1034 Audubon Drive with royalties from “Heartbreak Hotel”. The four-bedroom home was the first house Elvis bought and he lived in it for 13 months. Spoon-bending psychic Uri Geller is apparently among the bidders. He wants to turn the hotel into a museum to explore Elvis Presley's interest in UFOs and other bizarre subjects.  Bidding was up over $410,000 last time I looked (leaving Geller's last bid of $351,000 in the dust).

[via Reuters]