BLOG
Finds and Interests
I enjoy watching the items sold at auctions held by our WorthPoint Industry Partners and sharing some of my favorite sales while explaining why those particular sales stand out to me. I hope that this feature will help you learn about buying and selling trends in our industry. I want to empower you to buy and sell with confidence. Take a look at my thoughts on a few recent sales from our partners.
Anyone who collects celebrity memorabilia, specifically music stars, knows that anything related to Elvis will spark a great deal of interest. A recent item that caught my eye was a wristwatch sold by WorthPoint Industry Partner Goldin. It’s a gold-toned Omega watch with a leather strap, made in France.
The fact that it was a watch Elvis personally owned and wore a lot would be enough to have collectors in a frenzy, but the watch was a gift to Elvis from none other than Johnny Cash. The back of the watch is engraved and reads, “To E, from J, Jan 8, 1969.” The date is significant because it’s Elvis’s birthday. Johnny Cash and Elvis were good friends, and each respected the other’s work.
Elvis wore the watch frequently, and in 1972, he gave it away to Red West, a high school friend and bodyguard to the King of Rock and Roll. Elvis was known to give away rings, cars, and other luxury gifts to friends and employees. The provenance of this item is excellent, as it comes with documentation showing its ownership and origin. The watch is an example of the kind of vintage items that collectors wish could talk. The fact that it documents the friendship of two rock and roll legends, as well as the generosity of Elvis, is likely part of the reason it sold for more than $100,000