 | | | 1953 First Edition PLAYBOY MAGAZINE sells for over $5000
An original first edition (Volume 1, #1) of Playboy published December 1953, featuring Marilyn Monroe on the cover, sold for US $5,017.17 (about £3,042) via a 10-day eBay auction that ended on 30th November 2009. The item was entered at $9.99 and attracted 50 bids.
The 42 page copy - which came from an American estate - was in good condition, with only what was described as minor wear to the corners, a couple of light finger print smudges on front cover and a couple of dents at the top of the back cover. Good spine and original staples. Centerfold intact and in great shape. Overall given "a strong 8 out of 1-10" by the seller and "not mint but about as good as it gets".
It's perhaps a prime example of what makes a magazine collectible and worth a considerable amount of money, potentially, to the right buyer. Being a first issue of such a well-known magazine would have attracted a high price anyway, but add to that the featured "Sweetheart of the Month" being Marilyn Monroe and it takes on a significant extra dimension as a collectible.
Additionally, this copy had a red star printed on the cover close to the P of Playboy. Very few of these were printed, making them even rarer than a normal first edition. It put this copy into the stratosphere of collectible magazines.
Beyond the wonderful cover of Marilyn Monroe, here's what your $5000 would have bought you (taken from the seller's original advertisement):
PICTORIALS: What makes Marilyn; Open Letter from California is 3 pages of an unnamed model swimming nude.
FEATURES: First appearance by Mr. Playboy, Rabbit Bachelor on page 2, Miss Gold-Digger of 1953 by Bob Norman, Strip Quiz, Tales from the Decameron (new translation of Boccaccio) by Norman Holland, Playboy's Party Jokes, VIP on Sex (Cartoons by Virgil Franklin Partch II), Introducing Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Dorsey Brothers (Tommy and Jimmy) by Arthur Silver, Matanzas Love Affair by Bob Roderick, A Horseman in the Sky by Ambrose Bierce, The Return of the All-Purpose Back (featuring Red Grange) by George Jennings, and, Desk Designs for the Modern Office (!).
Clearly this isn't typical of what you might expect to get for a vintage issue of Playboy or any other magazine you may uncover yourself (though Playboy is certainly one of the more collectible brands). Here you have the combination of factors - a vintage magazine in very good condition, a much sought after brand (Playboy), a first edition, an iconic character on the cover and featured (Monroe), an added rarity factor (the 'red star' issue) and currently probably the best method of attracting buyers (online via eBay) to get the price up.
As for the price, some will say it's crazy, others will kick themselves that they missed the auction as they might have paid double! Like most collectibles, what someone is willing to pay seldom bears a relationship with any tangible value the item once had! |
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