14 DAY TRIAL // They say one can never put a price on an item that once used to belong to one of the most famous figures in the music industry, but the most recent auction with Elvis Presley memorabilia just did. The bird murder poem that went up for sale a little over a week ago was just now sold for the whopping sum of $20,035.20, according to TMZ.
The celebrity gossip website / paparazzi agency does not mention, though, who was willing to pay that much money for what is, in the end, a piece of paper with some scribbling on it, as TMZ calls it. However, the poem was not the item to sell for the most exorbitant amount since, as the same media outlet informs, “the jumpsuit he wore at Madison Square Garden went for $212,588.40. The King stays the King.”
With all that, the poem still managed to sell for more than the expected price. When the auction opened over at GottaHaveRocknRoll, the initial announcement said that, “Ode to a Robin,” the poem that Elvis himself wrote and was immensely proud of, would get about $4,000-5,000, since there were other items in the massive auction that seemed of more interest with fans. Yet, it looks like the King’s handwriting convinced one lucky buyer to shell out over $20,000 for it.
“Elvis Presley handwrote this poem and initialed it in blue ballpoint pen on his personal stationery titled ‘From the home of… Elvis Presley.’ The yellow stationery measures 5” x 5.25”. This is a poem that Elvis would recite often on stage and in his personal life, called ‘Ode to a Robin.’ He even used it on his home phone message machine recording. He wrote the poem down for several people and this one was given to his very good friend Charlie Hodge in the 1970’s. Comes with signed letter from Hodge on his personally stationery dated December 12, 1993. Estimate: $4,000 - $5,000.” a description of the poem on the website hosting the auction reads.
Although relatively short, the “Ode to a Robin” is full of surprises. As several media outlets have pointed out at the time the auction was opened, the poem starts on a happy note and ends in tragedy, just like the singer’s life. Its value mostly relies on the fact that it presents a side of Elvis as few got to know him, which brings this lucky buyer who nabbed it one step closer to the King as he truly was, it has been stressed.
