Following the 2022 release of Baz Luhrmann's biographical musical film ELVIS there are a lot of collectors cashing in on their Elvis Presley memorabilia.
Just last week the wrist watch Elvis wore during his first TV performance, and at his first contract signing, sold for £240,000 against a £100,000 estimate at specialist auction house Henry Alrdridge in the United Kingdom.
And now Rockhurst Auctions in Chicago, USA are offering Elvis's childhood home, but it comes with a catch. But a good catch.
In what could be an unprecedented auction Rockhurst are offering the entire childhood home of Elvis Presley, from 1241 Kelly Street in East Tupelo, Mississippi.
Elvis lived in the house with his parents Vernon and Gladys from 1942 to 1944, and the house was just around the corner from the house in which Elvis was born, at 306 Old Satillo Drive.
The house could be yours for just $30,000.
So, the catch?
In 2017, the house was meticulously taken down under the supervision of Elvis Presley experts Chris Davidson and Stephen Shutts.
They disassembled the house board by board and have safely stored the building pieces for eventual reassembly and rebuilding at the location of the auction winner's choice.
Also included is approximately 60 minutes of documentary footage of the house being taken down that includes interviews with Elvis' childhood friend, Guy Harris, at the site on 1241 Kelly Street.
Here at The Memorabilia Club we think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a Las Vegas casino, a company like Ripley's Believe it or Not, or a budding entrepreneur with $100k to invest, to rebuild Elvis's childhood home as a museum tourist attraction. Anywhere in the world!
Imagine a 2022 version of the London Bridge which was purchased in 1968 for $2,460,000 plus shipping costs of $240,000, and rebuilt, piece by piece, in Lake Havasu City in Arizona by American businessman Robert P. McCulloch.
The bridge is still one of Arizona's top tourist arractions, second only to the Grand Canyon, and still attracts 10,000's of visitors each year.
McCulloch had to ship 10,276 granite blocks from London, via the Panama canal, up to Los Angeles and 300 miles inland to Lake Havasu City.
Elvis's childhood home won't be half the hassle.
The disassembled elements of the home have been securely stored in a 30 foot American Hauler Night Hawk Trailer, which is also included with the purchase of the house.
And Stephen Shutts is offering his help and on-site supervision to rebuild the house... for a fee.
Still not convinced? Well consider this...
Only The Beatles have sold more records than Elvis.
- Paul McCartney's childhood home sold for £150,000 in 2015
- George Harrison's childhood home sold for £156,000 in 2014
- John Lennon's childhood home sold for a whopping £480,000 in 2013.
Admittedly all those houses were still standing and vey much habitable but all the prices were far in excess of the actual value of the house.
The auction will take place on August 14th in Memphis during the city's week-long Elvis Week 2022 event.
Find out more at Rockhurst Auctions.
Watch the video about Elvis Presley's childhood home: