Elvis Presley record player to be auctioned in Cornwall

By Matt Shepherd

BBC News Cornwall

A record player that Elvis Presley gave to a German woman as a wedding present is expected to fetch up to £2,000 when it is auctioned.

Ellen Marschhauser met the rock'n'roll star when she attended a party at the Hotel Grunewald in Bad Nauheim in 1959.

The record player was a gift for her wedding to Jim Jenkins, with whom she later moved to the UK.

David Lay, the proprietor of the Penzance Auction House, said the sale was creating "so much excitement".

Elvis gave the record player to Miss Marschhauser after she had helped his father, Vernon, with some translation work.

The singer had been carrying out his National Service when he met Miss Marschhauser, who died in 2010.

The record player, a 'Perpetuum Ebner Musical 5v Luxus', remained in the Jenkins' loft in Cornwall until Mr Jenkins saw a similar model in a newspaper article.

There has already been interest from Elvis fan clubs around the world. An estimate of £2,000 has been placed on the item.

Mr Lay said: "I'm nervous to suggest it's going to make some huge figure. It is an unknown quantity. Nothing like it has come on the market before.

"Normally, it's costumes, or something signed by him, so I am being cautious. It is early days.

"I have never come across anything that has created so much excitement. It's a unique experience for me. We are getting a lot of interest from Germany."

The record players, which were manufactured from the mid 1950s onwards, had three record speeds and a built-in amplifier.

Mr Jenkins said: "We used it at parties. It had a great sound. But the needle broke so I put it away in the loft, thinking I would fix it one day."

Mimi Lay, from the auction house, has carried out many hours of research into the record player's authenticity.

She said: "Elvis is such an iconic figure. He generates so much enthusiasm. There are still so many fans.

"I have no doubts about the veracity of this story. It's been lovely to meet Jim and his friends and family."

The record player will be auctioned at the Penzance Auction House on 12 December.