Elvis’ soiled pants at auction, fail to sell . . . but his Bible fetches £59 000

blue pants were worn under one of his famous white jumpsuits during a 1977 concert performance.
Are you lonesome tonight? The neglected briefs went unsold, but at least their frame got a good clean from auctioneer Paul Fairweather
The brief style was specially chosen by the fashion-conscious singer as he didn’t want visible lines beneath his tight-fitting trousers.
Though they attracted bids of £5 000, no buyer was willing to meet the pants’ £7 000 reserve price at the Omega Auctions in Stockport.
The unwashed underwear was on sale alongside more than 100 lots of Elvis memorabilia, all owned by a single British collector.
While the haul raised over £100 000 in total, the star item was a Bible formerly owned by the King, which sold for a whopping £59 000.
The holy book, given to Elvis by his Uncle Vester and Aunt Clettes on his first Christmas in Graceland in 1957, was expected to raise £25 000.
It was used by the superstar until his death on August 16, 1977, and is a treasure trove of his handwritten notes, thoughts and annotations.
Poignantly, one of the many lines emphasised by the troubled singer states: “What is a man advantaged if he gain the whole world and lose himself or be cast away.”
Karen Fairweather, sales room manager at Omega Auctions, said of the Bible: “It was a really exciting atmosphere in the room, we had 300 people and there was bidding online and on the telephone across the world.
“You could hear a pin drop when it sold for that price.
“There were three rival bidders on the phone and once it got over £20 000 each bid was taking a while, because they each had a price in mind for the Bible and they were thinking about it.
“There was a round of applause when the hammer went down. It was incredible.”
The winning telephone bidder, who did not want to be identified, was an American man based in the UK.
A movie contract signed by Elvis for the 1962 film, Follow That Dream, went for £6 000, while a pair of shoes made by Black Flagg Brothers, owned and worn by Elvis, sold for £6 500.
This year marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of the King’s death, but he retains an adoring army of fans across the globe.
Ms Fairweather added: “He is one of the most iconic stars in history and was the beginning of rock and roll.
“And he was really probably the first artist to be merchandised, he is where memorabilia started.” — Daily Mail.