Stephen Shutts – The Elvis Collector

Stephen Shutts – The Elvis

Collector

Stephen Shutts was very young when he first discovered Elvis.

“I was mesmerized as a young kid and I begged my dad to take me to see him in concert,” he recalls. “So, my dad became a fan, and we went to four Elvis concerts in Ohio where I grew up. Then I went to college near Memphis because of the history and that sort of thing.”

As he learned more about Elvis, his interest became a passion that evolved into a lifelong business. Shutts became a collector of all things Elvis and began buying, selling, and curating items once owned by the King. 

“Things like jumpsuits, jewelry, and other clothing,” Shutts says. “I’ve had a TV he shot out, I’ve had several of his vehicles. I have one of his snowmobiles sitting in my living room right now. Elvis gave it to a detective in Denver after a snowmobiling trip. I had a ski boat I found in a barn in Arkansas that’s currently on display in Graceland.”

He also began collecting Elvis' autographs and became an expert on authenticating Elvis’ handwriting. 

“Elvis never turned anyone away, so he signed thousands upon thousands of autographs. But there are also a lot of forgeries out there. And because he got immense amounts of mail and couldn’t sit down and sign everything, his secretaries would also often sign for him.”

Shutts has written a book that delves deeper into Elvis autographs in several ways. The book “Yours Elvis Presley” offers guidance in authenticating an Elvis signature, while also sharing personal accounts of people who got his autograph in person.

“The book is all about the encounters and the autographs obtained by people, and the stories they recall having met him. Then there’s a study guide, a separate booklet that goes along with it, that breaks down how to analyze Elvis’ autograph if you want to collect or study his handwriting.”

Nearly 50 years after his death, an Elvis autograph remains extremely valuable. Depending on the type and circumstances surrounding it, one can sell for anywhere between $1500 and $30,000.

Shutts, who never got to meet Elvis personally, says he’s amazed by what he hears from those who did. Those experiences remain vivid even decades later. 

“I've met so many people who were gate gals, people who hung out at the gates, or people who got to meet him backstage, and I wanted to document these stories in the book. Women can remember what he smelled like, what he wore, just everything. And guys recall a lot of things, too, because they thought he was cool.”

While Shutts spends a lot of time working with Elvis Memorabilia (he has a pop-up shop offering items for sale on his Rockology Facebook page every weekend), his expertise stretches into other areas, as well.

“I also deal in a lot of historic country,” he explains. “Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and then a lot of contemporary country as far as personal items and stage clothing. I handled the Charlie Daniels estate recently as far as partial liquidation, Jerry Lee Lewis and B.J Thomas, so I do a lot of celebrity estates and collections.”

He also had a show for several years on CMT that dealt with the search for memorabilia.

He enjoys it all, but there’s something special about Elvis.

“I think because of his undeniable, incredible looks and charisma, he was clearly in his own class.”

It’s a fascination he shares with many around the world, including those he highlights in the book who actually met him. 

"It's like his presence is still here today when you talk to these people," Shutts says. "When people recall having met him, it's never sloughed off; it's like 'I met Elvis, let me tell you about him.' Sadly, it’s a dwindling class of people just because of age, but they all have a common thread of adoration and are fascinated with having met him. And a lot of times, he changed their lives in a lot of different ways."

To learn more or connect with Shutts, check out his Rockology Facebook page or website at https://www.rockologyllc.com.