Collector finds wiggle room among kings of memorabilia

theage.com.au
Alyssa Braithwaite
January 7, 2009



AFTER years as one of the highest paid entertainers in the country, retired Yellow Wiggle Greg Page has revealed what he's been spending his money on: Elvis memorabilia.

Page has been outed as the fourth-biggest collector of Elvis Presley memorabilia in the world, the number one collector being Graceland, Presley's mansion.

He became a "passionate and diligent" collector after visiting the home of "the King" four years ago, and he's lending the items to the council of Parkes, in NSW, to establish a permanent Elvis museum in the town.

Visitors to Parkes' annual Elvis Festival, which starts today, will be the first to glimpse the King's Castle collection.

"It was always my goal to put it on display," Page said. "It was just a matter of working out a way to be able to do it. There's no point in me being custodian of all these items if people can't see them and enjoy them."

Among the items in the King's Castle are the first management contract signed between Elvis and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, the original blueprints for Graceland, two pairs of Elvis' trademark Aviator sunglasses, Elvis and Priscilla's marriage certificate, and one of only two gold lame suits made for Elvis by Nudie of Hollywood (Nudie Cohn).

Page's favourite item is a two-piece leather suit Elvis wore on stage in 1974, and he's trying to get his hands on one of those white rhinestone-studded jumpsuits. The collection is said to be worth more than $1 million, but Page said he could not put a value on it.

"I think from my point of view the value is in being able to tell the story of the life of Elvis and share that with people," he said.

Page donned the yellow skivvy as part of The Wiggles until late 2006 when he retired due to poor health.

Article Source: http://www.theage.com.au/national/collector-finds-wiggle-room-among-kings-of-memorabilia-20090107-7c0y.html

What?!? Did I read that right- TWO gold suits? It sounds to me like this guy has been Frank-Skinnered (ie sold a fake item) realised he has bought a forgery and is now trying to "style it out" or convince himself that there were actually 2 of these suits.
The '57 gold suit is such a monumental piece of music history that it's surely the 1 item which Graceland would never ever allow to be sold to a private collection.
I have said on here before that the late-90s Bonhams auction were claiming to be selling "THE" gold jacket but when I walked up to it and inspected it, the material looked cheap, wafer-thin and like it was made of tin-foil- nothing like the famous jacket we have seen in the photos. Than a few years later I saw the real thing at Graceland and the difference was amazing to the one I saw at Bonhams.
I wonder if it is this Bonhams suit which this poor guy has bought?
Funny how it's not in the photo, isn't it? Maybe he does'nt want people to look at it and expose it for a fake....

I LOVE the suit second from left, it is truly, TRULY the biz.!.