Elvis water is hot on market

Dana Haydock Freedom ENC Freedom Staff Writer

Weird just got weirder!

The Belmont man who on eBay sold water from a cup that Elvis drank from in 1977 for $455 Saturday is now auctioning a one-day appearance of the cup on what would be Elvis' 70th birthday.

Wade Jones said he got so many requests to sell the Styrofoam cup during the water auction that he saw an opportunity.

"Only about five people have seen the cup so it will be a big event if it came out," Jones said. Elvis would have turned 70 on Jan. 8, and Jones figured people would hold events marking the date.

Jones is asking for a minimum bid of $300 plus two roundtrip airline tickets to the destination, local transportation and hotel lodging, security for the cup and an adequate display area that includes a locked display case. The auction lasts through 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

The person who bought the water also inquired about the cup, he said. "They asked me what would I take for it," he said. "Everything has a price." So far, the one-day cup appearance has not garnered any bids. "I figured hey, someone might have a restaurant or big event," Jones said, adding that he wouldn't mind a weekend out of town answering questions about the cup.

"If the Virgin Mary grilled cheese was going to be at Carolina Place Mall wouldn't you go see it?" he asked. "This one is the long shot." Jones' reference to the Virgin Mary goes back to the auction of a cheese sandwich that a seller said looked like the biblical mother of Jesus.

(Odd Spot/News, Source: The Free Press, 30 Dec 2004)