BRISTOL (England) • A piece of Elvis Presley memorabilia is up for sale, and it is probably the most Elvis thing you can possibly imagine - a rhinestone studded jockstrap said to have been worn by the late King of Rock 'N' Roll.

The piece was made for Elvis by a fan and later ended up in the collection of Jimmy Velvet, a singer who opened an Elvis museum in Memphis after Elvis died at 42 in 1977.

Mr Daniel Wade, manager of Paul Fraser Collectibles which is offering it for sale in Britain for £30,000 (S$52,300), said Elvis is believed to have worn it several times in the 1970s.

"It is extravagant. It is absurd," he said. "It is absolutely Elvis."

The jockstrap is being offered in a sale of unusual celebrity memorabilia. The most expensive item - for £250,000 - is a lock of blonde hair saved by Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe's hairdresser, who cut it from her head in May 1962 on the night she sang the song Happy Birthday, Mr President to then United States President John F. Kennedy.

"It's the night that two great worlds collided in JFK and Marilyn Monroe. And of course, sadly they would both die within almost a year of that night. So it's also somewhat tragic as well as being hugely notable," said Mr Wade.

Monroe died at 36 from a drug overdose in August 1962, while Mr Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963. He was 46.

Mr Wade said the coronavirus pandemic had raised interest in celebrity memorabilia, because buyers had more time on their hands and people were seeking alternative investments at a time of turmoil in financial markets.

"We are seeing more people coming to us with a view to sort of hedging the diversification for their portfolios," he said.

REUTERS