Playboy Magazine December 1952 First Edition

After many, many, many years of looking I finally found a nice copy of the very first issue of Playboy for sale here in Canada.  I just couldn't pass it up.

Melinda's Marilyn Monroe Playboy 1953

Melinda Mason's Playboy Number One

I have provided some high quality scans of the inside.  Just click on the following thumbnails.

Playboy Marilyn Monroe 1953 inside     Playboy Marilyn Monroe 1953 inside     Playboy Marilyn Monroe 1953 inside

 

UPDATE: In 2007, Playboy began selling replica copies of the first issue.  There were 20,000 copies made and they retailed for $25 each.  The copy does not state anywhere on it that it is a reprint.  I have compared the new reprints to my original and it is identical except for the following:

  • The reprint has 3 staples while the original had just 2

  • The reprint has a black rectangle in the upper right corner while the original had a square



UPDATE: In 2014, Playboy once again sold replica copies. These were easily available in stores where Playboy magazine was sold. They retailed for only $9.99. Unfortunately, they have a square on the cover the same as the original. The only difference is they do still have 3 staples instead of 2.



While it is nice to have a copy I am not afraid to touch and let people look through - it is also a little disappointing.  I thought I had something pretty special in my collection but now lots of other people will have it too.  Not to mention the poor people that are probably going to get ripped off.  Without something very obvious on the front cover that says it is a reprint I think people may get fooled into thinking it is original.

 

Marilyn's USA Playboy Covers

December 1953

 

September 1955

 

May 1979 (MM impersonator)

 

January 1997

 

January 1999 (collage)

 

December 2005 *

 

December 2012

 

 

*Note: Although the 2005 issue had a stunningly beautiful cover it contained the most awful trash that has ever been published about Marilyn.  It presented June DiMaggio as fact which she is not.  This woman claims to have baked Marilyn a pizza on the day she died and attended her funeral with her Uncle Joe.  Outrageous lies. Even worse was the "alleged" tapes that Marilyn recorded for Dr. Ralph Greesnson.  John Miner came out of the woodwork to claim that he had heard the tapes and could recall verbatim what was said in them.  Total sensational trash designed to sell.  It is a shame that Hefner supported the articles.  I thought he had more respect for Marilyn than that.

 

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