Elvis collector Jim Curtin currently sells his Elvis collection trying to win back his girlfriend after she warned him, "You leave the Elvis clothes or I'll leave you." The auction house picked up 600 cartons of memorabilia from his house.
Items auctioned in Beverly Hills included three Elvis concert suits, two of which sold for $125,000 (euro103,365) and $50,000 (euro41,346), said Alan Lipkin, senior vice president of Regency-Superior, which organized the online auction. The third suit was still on the auction block.
Also sold were necklaces Elvis gave to girlfriends and friends, cufflinks he received from President Richard Nixon and belt buckles he wore, Lipkin said. About 90 percent of the keepsakes were sold by early Sunday evening, with the auction continuing into the night.
Curtin's collection also included signed records, thousands of photos and two original ticket stubs to a 1956 episode of "The Ed Sullivan Show" on which Elvis appeared. The stubs sold for $19,000 (euro15,712). An autographed 78 rpm single of "You're a Heartbreaker" sold for $10,000 at auction.
Total auction sales wouldn't be tabulated until Tuesday, but organizers estimate the take could reach $2 million (euro1.65 million).
After reading this, the girlfriend mentioned above reacted as follows:
"I saw this page and just had to post and make my peace.
I don't know how this entire scenario of "selling his collection to win back his girlfriend" and "sell or else" came about!
Believe me I am more shocked to hear about this than anyone in this entire world!!
The fans that know me, even if a little, know that I love Elvis as much as the next fan .. but Jim's collection was NEVER an issue nor the reason for my leaving him.
In fact I put myself up to help him with his archives, his books, his collection, his website among hundreds of other things.
I was the one who even initiated the ideas for several of his books believing they would be well received by the fans: me included!
My issues were with Jim personally and solely at how he was as a person in our personal relationship!
There are millions of people who have experienced breakups, separations, divorces. This is NOT a first nor will it be the last.
It was not an easy decision for me, but one I had to do for the sake of me and my sanity.
During my time with Jim, I always told him that he should go to his grave with that suit Elvis gave him.
He had his moments over the years we were together where he got fed up with how publishers and business people treated him and Elvis fans, and that discouraged him immensely.
Who was there to console him and talk him out of this thinking? ME!
There were more times than I could count, that he wanted to dump the whole collection and be gone with all the "Elvis BS" as he called it.
I told him he needed to hold onto it because it was his life and life's work.
After our split I had almost no contact with him for obvious reasons. I never knew he was selling until I heard the news the other day and it shocked me. Especially the part of him selling it for the sake of getting me "his girlfriend" back.
Now correct me if I am wrong, but after three years of being apart, a girl is no longer a girlfriend and what he does he does for himself only!
He knows that life moved on for me, and that I am happily engaged to truly a wonderful man (and he doesn't have a collection or the money Jim now has).
I will not sit back anymore and continue to read these stories about how I forced his hand to sell or else I would leave him and how I am going to spend his money!
Never once had I given or presented him with an ultimatum of selling his collection in order to keep me.
He did this over THREE years after we split and of his own accord because he was sick of being POOR and in debt when everyone in the Elvis world thought he was RICH.
I was with his during his most dire of situations, sacraficing myself entirely -- and walked out without taking or asking for one dime.
All I want is to live my life in peace, the way normal people live, and to be allowed to be happy with the choices I made (neither of which I regret)."
Some Jim Curtin Aution Results (Update)
January 11, 2006 | Other Source:Associated Presscathyreno wrote on
January 10, 2006
When I hear stories like this makes me fume cause the normal joe soap like myself will never own a piece of memorbilia like jim curtins collection, she's not much of a girlfriend if she is making him sell all his elvis stuff... If he has to sell why not sell to the elvis clubs around the world so they can have auctions, raffles so maybe we might get a chance to have something of the king. Ah well we can dream T C B everyone
Elvisss wrote on
January 10, 2006
What one will do for love, after all is said and done, she'll really love him millions, really! I wonder if Jim sold everything entirely or if he kept some of the collection that he just couldn't part with?
nrbl wrote on
January 10, 2006
its unfortunate for him to have to sell his Elvis stuff, since one, when she met him i'm sure he already had it all and second she's on a power trip right and will end up leaving him anyways.
Jth wrote on
January 10, 2006
I wonder what SHE will spend HIS money on now? ...humm, my bet is on clothes and jewelry! That lucky man is rich now - I would advise him to give up on his x-girlfriend and look for other girls who are better than his previous! That dude sure is w•ipped - and has made a fool of himself now in front of the whole world. I hope that people around the world will not stereotype us Elvis fans on him and the women who stole money to buy Elvis items. But I sure would love to be rich ...then I would be the new proud owner of former Jim Curtin belongings
lray wrote on
January 10, 2006
Give the guy a break. Sometimes you need to clean house. He did it in a profitable way. He made a lot of money and others will enjoy the items now.
Jth wrote on
January 10, 2006
Right, sure... If you owned not one, not two, but three concert suits that Elvis wore and belt buckles as well (and many, many, many more items), would you sell those items, even just for the sake of "clean your house"? Didn't think so. Seriously, if this girl want's him to give up his lifelong passion and propably his main number one hobby, then there is something seriously wrong with this girl. If my girlfriend were a Beatles fan (and I dislike the Beatles (everyone has their own taste), probably as much as this guy's x-girlfriend dislikes Elvis) and owned a lot of Beatles items, I would never try to change her! That isn't true love, just plain stupidity (or something more serious than that!). I stand by every word that I previously wrote, but will not be debating as this thread could go on forever. And also because you have your opinion, and I have mine, and I have no intention of trying to change them.
Mielvis wrote on
January 10, 2006
Dump Her!!!!! I've been with many women, and when they made me feel bad I always had my Elvis stuff to cheer me up.
cathyreno wrote on
January 11, 2006
MY sentiments are with you JTH you are sooooooo right .. No one has the right to make you change for them.. Its such a pity
Crawfish wrote on
January 11, 2006
Reading this guys tale makes me feel so lucky. My husband took Elvis on board with me (not that I have a collection remotely like Jim) and he was so thrilled to take me to Memphis for the first time and see my reaction and we have now returned time and time again and he is now a convert (maybe not 100% but certainly 90%) - no weekend dinner is complete without Elvis in the background ... and he puts the CDs on!! What a shame Jim's girl couldn't accept that Elvis is part of what makes Jim tick. I am so lucky. And I most certainly agree with you Jth - I wouldn't part with one suit!
tigerpawl wrote on
January 11, 2006
Yea she will come back to him and then leave with a million dollars.
cathyreno wrote on
January 12, 2006
Ok the update is pretty clear if its been 3yrs she is not his girlfriend it looks like this whole situation is taken out of context. At the end of the day if he's going to sell he's going to sell. Jim I'll mind your collection for ya I would give anything even for a god damn scarf. Lighten up you are a lucky S O G
nrbl wrote on
January 12, 2006
yes the update is very clear, it has been 3 years, but ya know, in 3 years he might have gotten a new girlfriend? i don't remember reading that the girlfreind a name.
Sean Ryan wrote on
January 12, 2006
Jim Curtin is a liar.Fancy coming out with something like 'blaming the ex-girlfriend for reason to sell'.no, we dont want your pity just face it like it is that you are selling for the money ,no other reason.
cathyreno wrote on
January 13, 2006
he is crazy to sell his stuff for whatever reason but 'thats just they way it is' pardon the pun
Jth wrote on
January 14, 2006
Of course she could be lying - but he could be lying as well. Either way, I would never, ever, sell my Elvis stuff
oldie56~2 wrote on
January 17, 2006
The auction of Jim Curtain's Elvis Collection appears simply: "There comes a time in our lives (after 60) when we realize that we can't take it with us"! So, if we're smart, we seize the element of "timing" and "cash out" going for "liquidity". Think about it; our younger fans (under 40) might not be at this juncture in life?
Devon wrote on
January 17, 2006
Let me put it this way, there will always be more girls in this world but there is only one Elvis. Jim you should have kept Elvis and let her go now you dont have her or Elvis