President Jimmy Carter not only lusted in his heart — he seemingly lusted in a letter.
The 39th president’s heartfelt missive to a “friend,” along with Elvis Presley’s private jet and Madonna’s pink ballet slippers, were among celebrity “treasures” auctioned Saturday in La La Land.
GWS valued Elvis’ 1962 red Lockheed JetStar between $2 million and $3.5 million.
But they didn’t get a King’s ransom. There were few bidders and the jet went for $430,000 to an undisclosed buyer.
The auction house estimated the Carter love letter was worth between $500,000 and $750,000. But it will go back into its dusty box unloved — and without a single bid.
The sale of the Madonna slippers, which GWS valued between $8,000 and $9,500, pirouetted to the floor at only $225.
Carter’s ‘Jinx’
The correspondence was billed as a “long-lost love letter” to Betty “Jinx” Poindexter Drake, a Georgia socialite, who worked on Carter’s presidential campaigns.
In it, Carter pines: “I never was at my best with you in a crowd, & I’ve also felt frustrated that we haven’t had any chance to continue our old intimacy the past few times we’ve seen each other. Just wait until the next time! Best wishes for a wonderful 1984. I hope to see you often. Love, Jimmy.”
The mushy missive was discovered in a box of books sold at a flea market.
Drake was close friends with the now 92-year-old Carter and former first lady, Rosalynn. She reportedly committed suicide the day after Christmas 1995, after discovering she had breast cancer.
The note, written on Carter’s personal letterhead, is dated Jan. 7, 1984, three years after he left the White House.
A Carter spokeswoman at the time denied the letter was lustful, saying Drake “was an intimate friend of both President and Mrs. Carter for many years . . . The letter is a typical Carter note to a longtime friend.”
Fit for a king
Elvis has left the bidding.
The King was obsessed with the color red. So his plane was painted scarlet, and decorated with red shag carpets and red crushed-velvet seats. The jazzy 1962 JetStar has been sitting on a Tarmac in Roswell, NM, for decades.
The plush plane’s interior hasn’t been touched since Presley owned it and the winning bidder gets original paperwork signed by The King, which details his signature design specs.
The winning bidder will not be flying into the sunset singing “Viva Las Vegas.” The jet has no engines and the cockpit needs to be restored.
Material shoes
The proud owner of the ballet slippers can follow in Madonna’s footsteps.
Madge the fitness and dance fanatic no doubt wore these handmade pink ballet slippers during a grueling routine gearing up for one of her world tours.
The inside of the slippers — in “excellent condition” — is stamped “Handcrafted by Ballet Makers USA.” The slippers were acquired from Christie’s London in 1994, and come with a certificate of authenticity.