Collectors Corner: Rockin' The Smiles

Rockin' The Smiles
VIP Spotlight: Dr. Brad Jennings

Dr. Brad Jennings

What do you get when you combine a passion for music memorabilia and the skills to create beautiful smiles? Well you get a "rockin' orthodontist"! Dr. Jennings is not only a Backstage Auctions customer but also resides in Houston. So we thought we would stop by his office and check out for ourselves what this "rockin' doc" is all about and find out a little about how he got into collecting music memorabilia.

How did you get into music collecting?

Always been a rock fan.  Been playing guitar for 20+ yrs, after buying orthodontic practice I wanted to liven it up with my style and thought a rock theme would be perfect for the kids and parents.  I had some Nugent stuff given to me from Ted in high school when my parents owned a large hunting store called Dunn’s in TN, and he wanted some bow equipment for his live shows.  My dad didn’t even know who he was when he talked to him.  Like a typical teenager I was so embarrassed when he told me that.

What is the focus of your collection (genre, band, era, type of item)?

I aim for bands that I liked growing up:  GNR, Van Halen, Zeppelin.  The parents all know them and kids know them from playing Rock Band of course! 

What is your method of collecting? How do you determine the authenticity and provenance of a piece of memorabilia?

Perry Farrell's Jacket

I got burned at first, and I’m sure I’ll get burned again!  I try to compare autographed things to other pics on the internet.  A lot of bands are selling their stuff personally like Nine Inch Nails and Smashing Pumpkins which makes buying a lot safer.  I’m staying away from buying autographs now.  I’m looking for unique things like personally owned things.  I have a jacket worn by Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction and a Nine Inch Nails flight case with travel stickers on it. 

What do you like most about collecting?

Sun Records
Sam Phillips Telegram

I like collecting stuff that has a story behind it.  I loved the Gene Simmons meeting and getting his stage played Axe bass.  I have a telegraph from Sam Phillips talking about Jerry Lee Lewis that I got from Backstage Auctions.  It means a lot since I grew up in Memphis with Sun Records.

What would you consider to be your "first" piece of memorabilia?

My first memorabilia would actually be some items from Drivin’ ‘N Cryin’, a band out of Atlanta, that I loved in high school.  Unfortunately, my mom tossed all my cool stuff out about two months before I started decorating the office!

What is your most-prized item (both in dollar value and sentimental value)?

Gene Simmons' Axe Bass
Check out the personal note...cool! 

Gene Simmons’ Axe bass complete with blood!  Getting to meet Gene was great and getting an actual stage played item that I have pictures and videos of him playing is awesome.

What is your favorite musical act or artist of all time?

I’d say Jane’s Addiction.  I’ve been listening to them from the mid-80’s and never seem to get sick of hearing them.

What was your most memorable concert you have ever attended?

I saw Smashing Pumpkins when they were just coming out in a small place in Memphis.  Billy Corgan said, “Here are 3 things about us:  We’re from Chicago, we don’t take requests, and we promise to kick your ass”  It was awesome. 

What advice would you give to someone that is new to the world of collecting music memorabilia?

I’d go after things that are personal to you.  I know Beatles stuff and Elvis items are worth a lot, but I don’t have a personal tie to growing up with them.  I love my Nine Inch Nails, Kiss, and Jane’s Addiction stuff b/c I grew up with them.

What does the future hold? 

Once a rocker...always a rocker! 

I plan to get a larger office in the future thanks to us growing as a practice, but I want to plan the rock theme into the building of it.  I’d like to have a room dedicated to items like the Hall of Fame or Hard Rock does.


Well Dr. Jennings certainly has a passion for collecting and his office was really cool. We really enjoyed visiting with him, his staff and yes we were tempted to sign up for braces. How cool is to to walk into your orthodontist's office and have this view? 

Dr. Jennings "pit"

Keep "rockin' those smiles" Dr. Jennings!

If you live in the Houston, Texas area and are interested in a consult with Dr. Jennings please visit his website for the office contact information:   http://www.rockingyoursmile.com/

Collectors still feel plenty of love for Elvis memorabilia

It’s good to be The King — or at the very least, to collect him.

The prices that Elvis’ fans are happy to pay for his albums, posters and memorabilia show he’s still alive and well in the collectors’ market.

“There’s sort of an expiration date on artists, and I think artists that, let’s say, have their peaks back in the ’50s and ’60s, for them to still be collectible and highly collectible to date is really unusual,” said Jacques van Gool of Backstage Auctions.

Elvis collectibles stacks up extremely well with the likes of The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, The Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd and others, which is impressive when you consider that his roots go back a solid 10 to 15 years before those other artists made it on the scene, van Gool said.

The Beatles probably do outrank Elvis in overall collectibility, largely because The Beatles are a global phenomenon among collectors, while most Elvis collectors are here in the U.S., he said. That said, Elvis is no shrinking violet, particularly when it comes to personally owned pieces, such as one of Elvis’ cars, jumpsuits or autographed pieces.

“You’ll see some mind-blowing numbers when it comes to Elvis, the same types of numbers you’d see for the The Beatles,” van Gool said.

There hasn’t been a lot of change in the Elvis market in the last 10 to 20 years, he said, and the market for Elvis-related collectibles remains strong and steady.

“The fact that they’re still, every year, coming out with new merchandise is a very healthy sign that the market is there,” van Gool said. Toys, calendars, T-shirts, vinyl records, movie posters, books, commemorative plates, DVDs … the list of Elvis-related collectibles is almost endless.

“I know that Graceland draws a lot of people every year, and just about everyone will walk out of there buying something,” van Gool said. “I truly believe that collectors are born in the gift shop. Graceland is very important.”

If you’re wondering where to get the most bang for your Elvis buck, look toward the elite items, where demand far outstrips supply, such as Elvis’ autograph, a piece of his jewelry or clothing, or any of the first five Sun Records singles, van Gool said. Items from the 1950s command the best prices, followed by those from the 1960s and 1970s, he added. Just be careful to choose authenticated items, as everything from Elvis’ jumpsuits his signature have been replicated.

If you’re just getting started collecting Elvis memorabilia, the options for collecting can be overwhelming, as Elvis had so many different eras in his career. The rule of thumb is that items from the 1950s are the most expensive, followed by those from the 1960s and 1970s.

“With Elvis, if you want to start working your ways backwards, start with everything from 1977. When he passed away, there must’ve been 50 different magazine specials and 100 newspapers that wrote about him, and commemorative coins and commemorative everything. That can be a great point to start,” he said. From there, you might want to look at old tour programs or Vegas pieces.

Whatever route, van Gool recommends following a basic rule of thumb.

“I would rather spend $10 on something that’s 30 years old than spend $10 on something that was released yesterday,” van Gool said. “Everything that was released today comes out at a premium, and for the next 10 years, the price will drop.”

By Susan Sliwicki

http://www.goldminemag.com/collector-resources/collectors-still-feel-plenty-of-love-for-elvis-memorabilia

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