Ep512: The Collectable Records of Elvis Presley

Lifelong Elvis collector Ian McQuillan discusses the rarest records of Elvis Presley - from Sun Records worth $10,000+, international rarities, even shares insider tips for spotting counterfeits, and explains why young collectors are driving a thriving market for the King's rarest vinyl. Topics Include: Ian McQuillan introduces himself as 55-year Elvis fan since age 2 Scottish parents in New Zealand exposed him to Elvis on record player "Big Hunk of Love" was his first memorable Elvis song obsession RCA distributed Elvis records globally, making them widely available worldwide Elvis market remains strong while other 50s rockabilly artists declined significantly Elvis cornered teenage markets in UK, Australia, New Zealand more than US Parkes, Australia hosts massive annual Elvis festival with 20,000+ attendees Elvis Week celebration started small, now draws 50,000+ fans to Memphis Elvis has bigger catalog depth than any other recording artist Sun Records represent collectible pinnacle - only five official 45/78 releases 78rpm records rarer due to shellac brittleness, 95% destroyed over time Sun 209 "That's All Right" commands $10,000-12,000 in mint condition Sam Phillips used multiple pressing plants, creating interesting variants and rarities Initial Sun pressings probably 20,000-30,000 copies, reaching 200,000 total eventually Early distribution concentrated in American South, spreading through Elvis touring Promotional Sun records exist with distinctive red stamps, worth significant premiums Jack White famously paid $300,000 for unreleased Elvis acetate recording RCA reissues sound much cleaner than original hissy Sun pressings Sam Phillips likely pressed extra inventory after selling Elvis to RCA Counterfeit Sun records identifiable by shiny vinyl, wrong dates, label gaps Pre-army Elvis albums (1954-1960) remain most collectible among LP collectors SPD promotional EPs from first album worth $1,200-4,000 in good condition Australian gold label first album worth $1,500-2,000, extremely hard to find Colored vinyl "Moody Blue" pressings command $2,000-3,000 from collectors 8-tracks, reels, cassettes now collectible after being worthless for decades Follow That Dream label produces high-quality Elvis reissues for serious fans New Elvis footage and recordings still surface regularly from private collections Young professionals in 20s-40s driving current strong collector market demand Elvis Week features conventions, tributes, candlelight vigil at Graceland annually Colonel Parker's merchandising legacy created massive collectible memorabilia market today Extended and high resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide