The Toy Box: Elvis

Elvis
Hasbro
1993

We went into a lot of detail on The King in our original post of McFarlane's Elvis line. As such, we'll stick to the basics of this particular Hasbro line.

Merchandising has been a big part of keeping Elvis relevant to an ever changing musical society, and as such, though he may be gone his likeness is no stranger to any form of item to be bought and sold.

These 1993 renditions of Elvis from Hasbro are a fantastic item for fans and doll collector's alike. The gold to the packaging really draws you in, and the likeness in the head sculpt is spot on - Not to mention the fantastic cloth work for the clothing. One look, and you can definitely pick out that this is Elvis Presley - Even if it weren't in the package.

Teen Idol

'68 Sepcial

Jailhouse Rock

Hasbro actually had future plans for the series, but sadly never got around to fulfilling that plan. Whether it was due to poor sales, or licensing coming to an end, three additional dolls that were in the works never got released. They were; Aloha from Hawaii, Gold Suit and Military. There has been one known collector to not only have but be selling these three dolls. His last asking price in January of 2015 was $10,000.00 which nobody purchased.

We asked the seller if we could use his photos for this article, but were told no.

As for the other dolls, despite being priced between $5.00 and $75.00 (yes, that's a massive range), not too many sell. Mind you, that price range is for mint in box ones.

Join us next time when we take a look at Flaming Carrot!

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Elvis
McFarlane Toys
2004-2008

One of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as "the King of Rock and Roll", or simply, "the King".

Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and at the age of 13, he moved with his family to Memphis, Tennessee. His music career began there in 1954, when he started to work with Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was an early popularizer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who was to manage the singer for more than two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", released in January 1956, was a number-one hit in the US. He became the leading figure of rock and roll after a series of network television appearances and chart-topping records. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines that coincided with the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement, made him enormously popular—and controversial.

In November 1956, he made his film debut in Love Me Tender. In 1958 he was drafted into military service: He resumed his recording career two years later, producing some of his most commercially successful work before devoting much of the 1960s to making Hollywood movies and their accompanying soundtrack albums, most of which were critically derided. In 1968, following a seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed televised comeback special, Elvis, which led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. In 1973, Presley was featured in the first globally broadcast concert via satellite, Aloha from Hawaii. Several years of prescription drug abuse severely deteriorated his health, and he died in 1977 at the age of 42.

Presley is one of the most celebrated musicians of 20th-century. Commercially successful in many genres, including pop, blues and gospel, he is the best-selling solo artist in the history of recorded music. He was nominated for 14 Grammys and won three, receiving the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36. He has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame.

In 2004, McFarlane Toys tipped their collective hats to The King with numerous figures. Over the course of four years, eight different iconic formats of Elvis were released, each one commemorating a moment in his massively popular career.