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Elvis Presley Memorabilia: An Unauthorized Collector's Guide
Author: Sean O'Neal
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
ISBN: 0-7643-1382-7 (large paperback)
There are already several books that claim to give an insight into the varied world of Elvis memorabilia, so do we really need another addition to this particular shelf in our Elvis library? Well, you might not think so now, but if you get hold of a copy of Sean O'Neal's "Elvis Presley Memorabilia," you will probably change your mind very quickly.
O'Neal has been collecting Elvis items since he attended a concert in June 1977. In the interim he has built a collection to make almost any Elvis fan insanely jealous. Perhaps not every item shown between the covers of this book is owned by Sean, but the majority certainly is, and a fine collection it is, too! But O'Neal has not only built up a material collection, he has clearly also become a source of collecting-wisdom and some of his knowledge is passed on in the book's introduction: in just two pages he manages to write as much good advice about collecting pitfalls, valuations and plain collecting common sense as you are likely to come across anywhere else.
The body of the book is split into seven chapters, dealing with particular areas of Elvis memorabilia: Elvis in concert; EPE and novelty items; Sun and RCA records; Magazines; Movies; One-of-a-kind; Autographs, photos and other papers. Each chapter is prefaced with some brief background information, leaving plenty of room for the profuse and excellent illustrations that follow. These are all in colour and, because they have been so well photographed and are printed on very good paper, they are clear and crisp. The illustrations are briefly captioned and are accompanied by value estimates (as the author is careful to point out in his introduction, though, these estimates must be viewed with caution). All sorts of items are handled, from the relatively common magazine ("Elvis Monthly") to the unique (the acetate of "I'll Never Stand In Your Way").
Sensibly, O'Neal has limited the selections displayed to those available prior to Elvis's death; it would, of course, be quite impossible to list every item of memorabilia that has appeared since that time (in a different context, O'Neal appropriately refers to such items as "manufactured collectibles"). And although O'Neal is based in the USA and most of the items included are of American origin, quite a number are European. Furthermore, the author specifically asks that collectors help him expand further editions of the book to include memorabilia from other countries. Also missing from the book, and rightly so, is any attempt to offer a guide to collecting Elvis records (except for a few exceptional entries): as O'Neal explains, such a project would require a book in itself, so instead he concentrates here on Sun releases and promotional and marketing pieces (again, prior to Elvis's death).
Given the quality of paper and printing of "Elvis Presley Memorabilia," its price is very reasonable, presumably kept low by publishing only a paperback version and by binding only with glue. This might mean that with time and use some pages will loosen, as you will want to go through this book again and again -- not only each time you come across something at an Elvis fair or in an online auction, but simply for the pure pleasure of looking at a well-produced collection of Elvis bits-and-pieces.
Whether you are new to collecting Elvis, or already an old hand with your own collection, you will thoroughly enjoy "Elvis Presley Memorabilia." The new collector will be given an excellent introduction into the variety of items available and a good idea of the prices they can expect to be confronted with; the more advanced collector will surely find something for which they have been searching for a long time! As much as we Elvis fans love collecting, there is no way that most of us will ever be able to amass a collection to rival that contained in "Elvis Presley Memorabilia." Indeed, we will quite simply never be able to afford to buy some of the items! The book therefore forms a window into an otherwise unobtainable world and it would not surprise me at all if the book itself were to become a collectors item!
"Elvis Presley Memorabilia" is available for £24.95 in Europe from Bushwood Books Ltd., 6 Marksbury Avenue, Kew Gardens, Surrey TW9 4JF (tel 44 (0) 20 83928585; fax 44 (0) 2083929876; email Bushwood Books) -- P&P free in UK, £5.50 per surface mail elsewhere in Europe. For the rest of the world, please contact Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310 (tel (610) 593-1777; fax (610) 593-2002; email Schiffer Publishing) -- the book costs US$29.95, plus $3.95 shipping in the USA. Undoubtedly the book will also be available from larger Elvis fan clubs and hopefully also from your local book shop!
David Neale copyright April 2002
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