Elvis autopsy instruments at auction

The above items are expected to fetch in the neighborhood of $6,000 at auction next month. They are some of the autopsy and embalming instruments used to prepare Elvis Presley's body for its viewing at the funeral. From Leslie Hindman Auctioneers:

In addition to the instruments, the collection will include a toe tag marked “John Doe,” which was used as an anonymous replacement on the body of Elvis Presley after the original was stolen by an eager fan during the chaos at the hospital. The mortician, who prepared the body, retained this tag and the instruments, along with the preparation room case report, the case sheet, dry cleaning tags, the hanger to the singer’s suit and tie and the coffin shipping invoice, which are marked “Elvis Presley.”

"Elvis Presley Autopsy Instruments To Be Sold At Auction"

• [Anonymous]

  NO. There WAS a John Doe who died of a massive internal hemorrhage that day…

  That’s who’s buried at Graceland. Memphis vampires TURNED the nearly-dead King into his bloddsucking alter-ego, Bubbah.

  Just ask Sookie or Erik.

• [EH]

  Wow, who has the real toe-tag?!

• [Tabascoy]

  Although everything I’ve read says “autopsy tools” as a mortician myself, I would like just to clear up that these tools are not autopsy tools, but embalming tools. I also realize you’re all saying to yourself, “Well, who gives a shit about the dead stuff, it’s all the same.”

  • [Anonymous]

    Tabascoy, as a mortician, do you think this is sort of crass? It seems unprofessional and exploitative to me, but I’m not sure I can articulate exactly why. Morticians profit from death every day, but this just seems insensitive.

    • [Tabascoy]

      Anon, I do agree in the opinion that this is crass, but also quite inappropriate in that, these items are considered biohazard. Not only were these tools used to embalm Elvis, but numerous others before him (assuming they were “discontinued” after the King). I would never personally bring such things into my home.

      As for the comment about morticians profiting from death, that is a little unfair when referring to the individual. Funeral homes came under scrutiny during the 80′s, and I’m not saying it wasn’t just, however, people just don’t realize that nowadays they have options with funeral service and traditionally remember only the bad press. We’re not all like used car salesmen of death.

      I can say that personally I do not profit from death, unless you consider my mediocre paycheck profitable in comparison to any other in whichever career. It certainly isn’t excessive, and I am right there with the people complaining that the cost of dying is outrageous, in addition to struggling to pay a mortgage, etc.

      Aside from all that, I have to say that morticians are a different sort of people. I’m not saying we’re macabre, but I would have personally considered it an honor to embalm Elvis, and perhaps the embalming tools are in this mortician’s mind a treasure as say, a cup he drank out of would have been to some teenage girl years ago. Yes, selling the tools are exploitation, but saving the tools would have been different. I do think the story is a bit odd, though.

• [Tabascoy]

  Oh, woops, didn’t read the first sentence, “autopsy and embalming tools..”

• [Anonymous]

  Given how much Marilyn Monroe’s xrays went for, I’m going to go ahead and say that these are probably going to sell for a lot more than the estimation.

• [Anonymous]

  I am appalled and sincerely hope that no-one pays even one cent for these instruments. Elvis deserves much more integrity.

  • [Corll Candy Co.]

    It is indeed appalling – but VERY American. The same rabid fans that bought his records are DEFINITELY going to pay BIG BUCKS for that handful of embalming instruments. They are the ghouls here.

    As a mortician with 35 years experience, I must wholeheartedly agree with the other embalmer’s opinion (“Tabascoy”). I would NEVER offer to the public ANYTHING that presented such a health hazard. This seller should have his state board license pulled FOREVER.

    Besides, who actually knows if the instruments were indeed used during the preparation of E’s remains? Where’s the provenance? Is it anything more than a signed affidavit from the unscrupulous seller? This could EASILY be a big-time scam.

    As for “Elvis deserving more integrity” – one glimpse of “The King” milking his name-value during those morbidly-obese, drug-saturated final years CLEARLY indicates that Elvis wasn’t concerned with integrity! He was a womanizing drug-addict with the world’s tackiest image. I won’t even comment on those dreadful movies in which he “starred.”

    Buyer beware, folks!

• [Anonymous]

  these are the embalming instruments not the autospy instruments.

• [Gemma]

  I read that as “coffin-shaped invoice”. That would have been less than classy on the part of the mortician!

• [WaylonWillie]

  So, these were used to prepare the wax dummy that was placed in the coffin, and which was kept cool via a small refrigerator (which accounted for the unusual weight of the coffin)?

• [mtdna]

  I’m sure Lisa Marie is delighted by this. Who wouldn’t want their father’s death celebrated in this wonderful way?

  • [IWood]

    [slowly raises hand]