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Title: Butterfields The Playboy Auction  

Auction held in: Los Angeles

Sale Date:  6/23/02

No. of Lots: 508

No. of Pages: 206

Condition:  Excellent

Butterfields Auctioneers, the West Coast's leading fine art auctioneer, and international entertainment and marketing company Playboy Enterprises, Inc. today announced a major auction on June 23rd of an exclusive selection of original Playboy- commissioned art from the 1950s, '60s and '70s. Many of these original works, including paintings, illustrations and photography, first appeared in the pages of Playboy, the world's best selling magazine for men. With the auction in Los Angeles, however, Playboy collectors will be able to diversify into original illustrations and photographs by artists, many of whom have become household names, including Andy Warhol, Alberto Vargas, Roger Brown, Ed Paschke, Leroy Neiman and Edward Gorey. Watercolor illustrations of idealized beauties, created by pin-up artist Vargas for Playboy magazine each month for two decades, are expected to sell for $30,000 to $50,000 each. For an article on "What's a Warhol?" in the September 1969 issue, the artist created seven photocopies of prints that he colored with felt-tip pens. The estimated price: $10,000 to $15,000. Photographs, some never before seen, of such celebrities as the Beatles, Muhammad Ali, Frank Sinatra and Bob Dylan, as well as stills from the James Bond movie series, are expected to fetch up to $2,500. "This will expand the market," said Robert Bane, who heads Robert Bane LTD, a Los Angeles company that publishes erotic fine art in limited editions, some in partnership with Playboy. While one would expect Playboy enthusiasts to be predominantly men, Bane noted that the collector base is evenly split between men and women, at least for his offerings, which include artwork by Olivia, a 50-something former Playmate. "Simply put, it's sexy, provocative, always tasteful. Specific men and women enjoy that," he said. Already, Playboy consistently ranks in the top search terms each month on eBay, according to Lawrence R. Lux, president of Playboy Online. The auction site usually lists 6,000 to 7,000 Playboy-related items on any given day. Some items in the June 23 auction are expected to attract crossover interest and therefore give prices an added boost. Layout boards featuring "Sex Stars" such as Madonna, Elle Macpherson and Julia Roberts, with handwritten comments by Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, should appeal to ephemera collectors as well, at general estimates of $200 to $600 apiece. Fashionistas will drool over a circa 1967 Playboy Bunny costume. No hostesses at Playboy Clubs were allowed to take their patented uniforms home, so an ensemble -- with ears, tail, rosette, enamel cufflinks, body suit, collar and bow tie -- is very hard to find. The estimated price: $7,000 to $9,000. If all you want are the cufflinks, the estimated price is $50 to $120 a pair. Marilyn Monroe playing cards: $20 to $25. Playboy magazines, however, are likely to remain the most popular items, since a steady stream of new issues at a newsstand price of $6.99 helps to build up a base of testosterone-driven collectors who may decide to pick up back issues. San Diego dealer Doug Tracy has sold copies of the inaugural issue for as much as $15,000, according to Playboy.com. The more typical going price is $2,500 to $3,500, though one listed on eBay this week drew a top bid of only $1,775, short of the reserve price. A copy of the second issue, however, was bought by Mark Fanjoy for $1,200. The original retail price was 50 cents. "The value and rarity of the item increases my interest," Fanjoy said. "However, I do not trade memorabilia for profit or 'sport.' Once I have it, I keep it. Forever. To have a rare piece of a subject matter which I like provides me a sense of ownership of its history and sense of pride." Values depend on the condition, but even "mint" copies are not perfect since the magazines are bought, after all, to be enjoyed. The market is a far cry from the 1980s, when copies of the inaugural issue were relatively easy to find for $500. "Now it's just boomed," said Robert McAlister, who runs Funkyattic.com. Other issues from the first two years can be worth hundreds of dollars, but subsequent issues, of which a lot more copies were printed, are far less valuable. Those from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, even in pristine condition, are worth less than $50 or even $10. A complete collection spanning several years would be more valuable than scattered issues.

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