Elvis Presley Stamps Released Early

Elvis Presley is still the King as far as his fans are concerned, and many of them are celebrating the release of a new set of Elvis Presley “Forever” stamps from the U.S. Postal Service this week.

One lucky Elvis Presley fan even managed to score three sheets of the sought after stamps two days early. The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that David Saks called a number of post offices looking for the stamps on Monday, but he had little luck having an Elvis Presley sighting.

“They said, ‘No, sir, we are absolutely not authorized, we cannot sell them, it is forbidden. They are not to be seen until Wednesday morning,'” Saks said.

Saks, who has collected stamps his whole life, has a history with Elvis Presley stamps. In 1993, when the original Elvis Presley stamp was released, Saks traveled to Graceland to be the first in line to get his hands on them. On Monday, he ended up having to make a 70-mile drive from his home to a rural post office in Mason, Tennessee.

“I thought, just as a lark, one of the satellite stations throughout Shelby County, Tipton or Fayette might have some,” Saks said. “So I called the Macon post office… The postal clerk answered the phone, and I said, ‘I’m just calling to see if you have any of the Elvis stamps.’ And she said, ‘Well, yes, sir, I have three sheets.’ I said, ‘Will you hold them for me?’ And, man, I just threw on these junky clothes, drove 70 miles to get there. Walked in and she sold those to me, and canceled them.”

Having the stamps canceled with a date stamped prior to their scheduled date of release can increase the value. Saks said his Elvis Presley stamps could sell for as much as $15,000 to $20,000 if nobody else managed to accomplish the same feat he did.

The release of the new Elvis Presley stamp was just part of the activities planned at Graceland as part of “Elvis Week.” The New York Post reported that fans of the late performer were also able to attend an auction Thursday that featured a number of items belonging to or used by Elvis Presley.

One of the top items in the sale is a suit jacket worn by Elvis Presley during a dance number with Ann-Margaret in the film Viva Las Vegas. Prior to the auction, the jacket was expected to fetch as much as $50,000. Elvis Presley fans looking to get a little more bang for their buck could also bid on a custom engraved Walther PPK pistol once owned by Elvis Presley.

[Image via U.S. Postal Service]