The collectible plate hit the mainstream in the early 1980s with the release of the Elvis collectible plate. While there were many people who took great pride in their collection of plates, many people were unaware that one could collect rare and unique plates. When the Elvis plate was sold via a series of classic television commercials that flooded syndicated UHF stations across the United States, many people embarked on collecting plates as a new hobby they took to with great fervor.

The King is No More

When Elvis died in 1978, many people were shocked. Elvis had been an icon and legend in the music business, but had slipped into relative obscurity as his “personal demons” overtook his life. After Elvis died, the sales of his albums immediately skyrocketed proving that there still was great interest in the King of Rock and Roll. Also, in a rather morbid way, his death also proved that there was a great market for Elvis related merchandise and items.

The Birth of the Commemorative Plate

Direct TV advertising of gimmicky items had first been popularized through an array of audacious products released by various companies. While most people assume that the TV commercials of the era only promoted silly products, there were quite a number of interesting and collectible items that were incredibly interesting. One such item was the Elvis commemorative collectible plate.

When the Elvis collectible plate hit the TV airwaves, enough distance had been placed between the years when Elvis died and the time period when the collectible plate commercials first aired. The distance was long enough so that the sale of the plate did not appear exploitative and during the years between the release of the Elvis collectible plate and Elvis’ death was great enough that the King had reached a mythic status that made him truly endeared in the minds of the public to a degree even greater than when he was alive.

While the plate is no longer in production, one can purchase it through a variety of collector’s sites online. The plate, however, is quite rare and might be out of stock when it is inquired about. So, if one can not find it right away, one might have to search a little bit. After all, there will be many people who still have their original Elvis plate and have had it since it was very first released. It is a highly prized item, after all.