Elvis Presley fans are extremely devoted and like to surround themselves with memorabilia relating to the King of Rock 'n' Roll. There has always been a lot of merchandise available, particularly since his death in 1977. Some fans give up entire rooms as a shrine to Elvis. Products include pillows, lamps, clocks, bedding, posters and so on. One of the most popular items is the Elvis doll, collected by both male and female fans.
There are many different kinds of dolls, depicting Elvis in various well known costumes and with different hairstyles over the years. Authenticity is everything and an Elvis doll will usually relate to a particular movie, record or concert. There is a big market in used merchandise and dolls are highly prized if they, and their presentation box, are in good condition.
Elvis began his career in big jackets and tight jeans, as was the custom in the late 1950's. The Teen Idol doll shows him wearing a checked jacket, black shirt and blue jeans and sporting his trademark hair with the floppy quiff. Jailhouse Rock is another tribute doll to the early years, showing Elvis wearing the red jacket he wore in the movie and holding an acoustic guitar. Another Jailhouse Rock doll shows Elvis in his prison uniform of black and white, striped top and denim jacket. He is caught in a dance pose from the prison inmate scene where everybody dances to the theme song.
When Elvis was drafted into the army, legions of female fans were heartbroken. It was during his army service in Germany when he met his future wife, Priscilla, only fourteen years old at the time. The Elvis doll is in his army uniform and with cropped hair and has a picture of the young Priscilla in the background and the aeroplane that took Elvis away to his new life.
There are later images of the King too, such as the jump suits that became so familiar in the latter years. The white jump suit with red and yellow flames and the gold jumpsuit are in the collection. The famous TV Special that Elvis did in 1968 that proved to be such a spectacular comeback is also available as an Elvis doll. He stands in the black leather outfit, which caused such a stir at the time.
Fans can even have Elvis with them in the car with the Swinging Doll, a dancing version that can be attached to the windscreen or dashboard. Traditional Russian dolls of the kind that stack inside each other have also been adapted for the Elvis image. These show Elvis in his Hawaiian suit and his Las Vegas costume. There really is an Elvis out there for everyone.
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