A FAMOUS coat worn by Elvis Presley has been valued at $60,000 by an expert on everything concerning the rock n’ roll legend.
The rare collectible was brought to Pawn Stars’ Rick Harrison and Chumlee by a seller, Erik, who’d made a sweet deal to get it.
Erik explained that the coat was on display at the Elvis Presley Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for over 30 years before its owner, Mike Moon, decided to let it go.
“Mike Moon had got it from J.D. Sumner, Elvis’s bass [player],” he told the Pawn Stars during a recent episode.
The brown fur coat could be seen with a small cape, a distinct aspect of Elvis’s iconic “superfly” coats he often wore toward the end of his career.
Erik brought in two crucial pieces of paper to verify its authenticity.
The first was a bill of sale from Sumner to Moon for the coat before it was displayed at the Elvis Presley Museum.
The other was a letter from the Museum, signed by Moon, to verify the coat was, in fact, previously worn by Elvis.
Without the documents, Erik would’ve been off to a bumpy start.
Considering the verification, Erik told the Pawn Stars he thought a fair price was $75,000 for the coat.
Still, Rick and Chumlee wanted an expert to come in and take a second look at the coat so they’d know the price wasn’t unrealistic.
VELVET VERIFICATION
They brought in Jimmy Velvet, founder of the Elvis Presley Museum and former personal friend to the man himself.
Velvet explained to Erik, Rick, and Chumlee that he’d met Elvis back during English class in high school, and the pair stayed friends ever since, with Velvet often traveling with him and spending plenty of time in Graceland, their hometown in Tennessee.
“I specialize in anything and everything, Elvis,” Velvet told the Pawn Stars.
Rick asked what Velvet thought of the coat, and immediately, he emphasized that “there’s a lot of fake stuff out there.”
“You pay a big dollar, but you gotta be careful what you buy,” he advised.
Most Lucrative Pawn Stars Deals
The Pawn Stars have seen some incredibly rare items and collectibles in and out of the store over the years. Below are a few of the most valuable finds in the show's history:
- George Washington Suit: $3 million
- O.J. Simpson’s Getaway Car: $1.3 million
- 45-Foot Dinosaur Robot: $1 million
- Jimi Hendrix Electric Guitar: $750,000 to $1 million
- Signed Beatles Contract: $500,000
- Where The Wild Things Are Artwork: $250,000
- 2,000-Year-Old Roman Coin: $150,000
- 200lbs of Silver: $111,000
- New England Patriots Super Bowl Ring (2001): $100,000
- 1932 Lincoln Roadster: $95,000
Credit: WatchMojo
COAT COLLECTION
Velvet confirmed that Elvis did have “a bunch” of the superfly coats made in several colors, one of them being in the brown Erik brought in.
He continued that the brown was one Elvis wore more than the others, especially from the airport to his residences.
The expert was thrilled to see the tag inside the coat, which confirmed it was made by IC Costumes Company, which made many of Elvis’s jumpsuits and other famous outfits.
After seeing that, Velvet confirmed it was the actual brown coat Elvis had worn.
“I know it is,” Velvet told Rick.
DEAL SECURED
Velvet valued the coat anywhere between $55,000 and $60,000, a bit lower than Erik’s asking price because of some fading in color.
Erik and Rick went back and forth for a while to make a deal, and the jacket eventually went to the Pawn Stars for $40,000.
It wouldn’t be the first clothing sold to the Pawn Stars for some serious money.
A complete suit from another rock n’ roll icon worth $40,000 was also brought to the shop.
Additionally, a leather jacket from a famous actor was also brought to the Pawn Stars and sold for $8,500.