Guardian article: Why Elvis memorabilia is plummeting in value

Why would The Beatles last longer than Elvis? Elvis is way more unique.

 

I suspect the fact that most members of this forum are only 10 to 15 years behind the Elvis fans popping off has something to do with skepticism over falling Beatles memorabilia prices......
Justin Bieber memorabilia anyone?

 

Yep. He's like Marilyn Monroe, more famous for his image than his work.

 

Nah...it's a tiny fraction of what it was. And what it was is dying off. It happens to everyone.

 

Hardly surprising - to younger generations he is irrelevant and few people could name a single album of his. His influence as far as I can see stopped with the like of the Beatles. His singing style is very much dated too in much the way Roy Orbison's singing style is.

Come on - the like of the Beatles, Stones, Zep etc still have a massive influence on todays rock bands - they're like ground zero for rock music. What was Elvis? I don't see any interest in 50's style "rock n roll".

 

They were the first to bring that configuration into our living rooms. And man did it stick.

There is no conceivable reason for today's pop bands to use a 2 guitar/bass/keys (yes, the moptops used keys)/drums. Yet we see all these new bands with some derivative of that configuration.

Elvis was always a guy and his backing band (or backing track). He had a big jumbo Gibson that swung around while he humped air. He's much more a slice of a bygone era that nobody wants to repeat..

The Beatles had a look that musicians still emulate. The fact that they never played most of their songs live is lost on 90% of the people who love their music.

The clips of them playing I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Help, Day Tripper, Paperback Writer, All You Need Is Love, Revolution, Let It Be on the Apple Building.... This the image of the Beatles all basement bands think about when they first plug in.

 

Dated pop music is what the Beatles are about right now. Elvis has a unique voice and always will be highly respected and loved for that.

 

This was pointed out in Neil Umphred's Record Price Guide back in 1995. The decline was summed up by stating, basically, that the super rare stuff in mint condition will continue to climb, everything else is falling.

 

I guess that's why Record stores in America are closing. Elvis records do not sell anymore. Really, Elvis must have been the true King of Music.

 

Not a Jack White fan?

 

I hate that you're correct. (and oh so eloquent Funny and accurately put)

 

You don't think the fact that the Beatles catalogue is in print, on vinyl, may have something to do with that?

 

There was no transition. The Beatles were part of the topic from the beginning.

This question was posed by the OP in his initial post:

 

Jack White may be influenced by Elvis, but I see a much larger influence from the hard rock bands from the 70s in his music; especially Led Zeppelin. Last I remembered, Lazaretto didn't have any "Blue Suede Shoes"-esque tracks on it.

 

Yes, but no Beatles vinyl is worth a mint copy of Robert Ludwig's Led Zeppelin II!

 

I really don't think that's going to be the case. Records have been around for about 100 years and have outlasted all new technologies that have come along since, against most people's predictions. Sales are on the up and new generations are buying records. It's like thinking people will lose interest in books. It's just not going to happen. These things are so aesthetically pleasing that they can exist alongside the current technology any era. This has been proven. People just like vinyl records and always will.

The Beatles have a lot of established classic albums with music and artwork that has held up for decades. Elvis doesn't have this. Only his first album has a classic looking sleeve, not coincidentally this is one of his very few records that has held it's value. Musically, Elvis doesn't have a classic album. Plenty of classic songs and singles, but not an album. People will always want first editions of classics, this has been proven with books and the same will be true of records. The Beatles albums will hold onto their value when they have been looked after.

 

Bono's "Fly" persona was obviously based on Elvis.

But, yes, I agree that The Beatles are the model for the modern rock band, though their own combo was modeled after The Crickets and The Beach Boys were out doing it at the same time and other quartets and quintets were hitting the charts before the Beatles, though, obviously, with nowhere near the mass appeal.

 

I've been an Elvis fan since the late 80's. I've been to Graceland almost 10 times and my 19 month olds middle name is Presley.
I do feel that the interest and knowledge of Elvis has been slipping and I'm not sure if there's anything that can be done about it.
I'd like to see an Elvis On Tour box, a 70's undubbed box, but these type of releases will only be appreciated by a fairly small group of people.
I've always maintained that to get someone to appreciate Elvis is to let them LISTEN. His voice and charisma are unequalled in the business. I've never had an instance where I've played an Elvis tune and the room clears. My experience has been exactly the opposite. I used to work at a coffee shop and I'd play Elvis often. I'd get comments regularly and jaws would drop when I told them what we were listening to.
I suppose the bottom line is how Elvis was marketed while he was alive. I don't think Parker cared about Elvis' legacy past his own lifetime. The backlash has been pretty apparent. I'll be going to Memphis for the 40th anniversary of his death and am very interested to see how many people will show up. I'm a little worried that we haven't gotten a specific schedule of events yet. I just have this sinking feeling that the scope of his legacy is disappearing quickly.

 

I don't know, man. I mean, the dude has been dead for 40 years and he is still one of the top-earning celebrities every year.

He has had some very successful box set releases over the past few years. Really since 1992 he has kind of been a box set artist.

Most of this talk is centered around an auction for an underwhelming acetate not fetching a ridiculous amount and an abundance of old LPs not moving at used record shops. Hardly scientific.

 

Gold stereo Please Please Me brings a lot more than an RL Zep II.

 

Talkin records

 

When we're dead we won't care about Elvis or the Beatles at all. Keep that in mind.

 

Years ago I was doing a photo shoot for a woman who made dresses for little girls. In my studio I had a cardboard stand up ELVIS in his gold lamé suit.
This 5 year old girl walks onto the set and points and says "Mom look, Elvis!"

 

The ephemera only appeals to Elvis fans, which aren't really the same thing as music fanatics, who are dying off, and kitsch collectors. Record collectors and music collectors want the music, and Elvis's catalog has always been a mess. Other than a few exceptions (e.g. From Elvis in Memphis, Elvis is Back), he didn't record proper albums. Most of his releases were cobbled together and sound it. Then there's that string of soundtracks with their sometimes embarrassing content.

But how often do you really see original Nipper label copies of Elvis Presley and Elvis in stores? Has the value of those dropped? Sure, the Camden stuff is now dollar bin fare, and deservedly so, IMO. I think original pressings in collectible condition of his key releases will maintain their value, but other stuff will no longer hold any premium just because it has his picture on it.

 

For sure it will happen with the Beatles, their original fan base is now getting old and dying off. They are still worldwide big but nowhere near what they were even 10 years ago. Look at the lacksure performers of recent releases, Hollywood Bowl, 1+1, McCartney's Pure compilation. There are not enough younger fans replacing the original fans so memorabilia will eventually drop in value.