Elvis’ Stamping Grounds : Should the King Reign Over the U.S. Mail? Collectors Put Their 29 Cents In

It’s not every day that this group gathered after hours in the back room of the Home Savings & Loan branch is in the limelight, but when’s the last time that Elvis was about to be immortalized in stamp?

“If you can work it in there, make sure to mention that guests are welcome at our meetings,” says Jim Davis, a 45-year philatelist from Laguna Niguel.

“Yeah, everyone except Elvis!” yells a voice from the back.

This, the Saddleback Valley Stamp Club, is a rather spirited group, certainly not shy with its opinions about something so dear to its heart. That would be philately, which is the collection and study of postage stamps, but which a goodly percentage of the membership isn’t sure how to spell or pronounce.

“Phi-lat-elist,” says Tom Pryzgoda, the club’s vice president, explaining how, when pressed, he would describe himself. “It’s like philander.”

But Tom says not to get him started on the Elvis stamps, because what with him being a philatelist and a musician (Juilliard trained), he has very strong feelings on the matter. Tom zips his lip and walks away, a model of restraint.

Except then he returns, figuring he might as well just get it off his chest.

“Well, let’s just forget about his personal life for a minute,” Tom says. “It’s his contribution to the arts--and it’s hard for me to put rock ‘n’ roll in that category--that should be considered.” And as far as the U.S. Postal Service’s great show of democracy--starting Monday, the service is accepting postcard ballots offering a choice between two Elvis stamp images--Tom says his choice is not included. That choice would be none of the above.

Still . . . a show of hands here the other night had the ‘50s Young Elvis, oiled strand of hair swooping down his forehead, tie loosened, cradling a microphone, his pelvis--once again--kept from the public eye, as the winner-- if they had to choose --between the two.

“ I would like to be young and on a stamp,” shouts an elderly voice in the crowd.

What that leaves is the so-called Old Elvis, circa 1973, a chubbier, glitzier Vegas-style Elvis, sort of an air-brushed version of the Debauched Elvis, which is kind of a touchy subject, Elvis-wise, but at least it shows that the Postal Service is loosening up.

Not that this is necessarily a good thing, as I have learned.

“I think it’s ridiculous to have an Elvis stamp,” says John James, who has been collecting stamps for 60 of his 73 years, and who happened to win the door prize, a stamp, the other night.

“I think stamps should honor great people,” John says. “I think that the post office will do whatever it can to make money. I think that is the primary purpose behind this. I don’t really approve of that.”

As it is, Elvis fans and collectors are supposed to snap up at least half of the 50 million Elvis sheet stamps, thereby allowing the service to pocket the 29 cents without providing any pretense of service and making at least a cool $20 million.

Yet among this group, the vulgar financial aspects of the Elvis stamps are a bit beside the point. There are larger questions here.

John Swanson, a computer programmer from Mission Viejo, says that although he’s not sure about how great Elvis’ contribution to society has been, or what kind of example he is to today’s young people, it is worth pointing out, for instance, that Ernest Hemingway had a stamp.

“And he shot himself. Boom!” John says with the appropriate gesture toward his temple. “Of course, I collect France in the 19th Century, so this is a little far removed for me. Although Napoleon III had a stamp, and he was a pretty bad person.”

Club treasurer Eleanor Taylor, meantime, was getting a kick out of the Elvis debate, happy to hear that the King, in this crowd, wasn’t riding too high.

“I was just sick when I heard they were giving him a stamp,” she says. “I just don’t like the idea of it, because of his character. He’s just not worth it. And you know, the post office, they’re putting out some communistic stamps too.”

This is not to say, however, that the Saddleback Valley Stamp Club is unanimous in its disdain for Elvis, the entertainer/pitiful example and cautionary tale, and Elvis, the American stamp. Twelve of the 40 members, for example, raised their hands to say that issuing an Elvis stamp was a good idea.

(For the sake of philatelic accuracy, it is worth noting that several foreign countries have long since released Elvis stamps. Here in the United States, with the exception of Presidents, a body’s got to be dead for 10 years. Hell, Tanzania’s even got a Whitney Houston stamp.)

And seventh-grader Melissa Beever, at 12 one of the considerably younger members of this crowd, says that an Elvis stamp is OK by her--”I mean he has a great voice and everything”--and absolutely fantastic by her mother and grandmother.

“Both of them are really die-hard fans,” Melissa says. “My mom has a poster with his signature, and my grandmother, she has a cup that he drank out of. She was there in Las Vegas, and went up on the stage with him and gave him this glass of water to drink from.”

Melissa reports that her grandmother has encased the glass, presumably unwashed, in a display case. And she concedes that she might do the same, for example, if Michael Jackson were to drink out of a glass that she offered him.

“Michael Jackson should have a stamp,” Melissa says.

Which, as strange as it might seem today, could happen. Just think how the Postal Service has stretched its stodgy old rules to put Elvis on a stamp.

I mean, the last I heard, the man was not even dead.