In monastic order to pull together attention for his brand - new issue , a men ’s lifestyle cartridge holder he titledPlayboy , Hugh Hefner take the brazen whole step offeaturingactressMarilyn Monroein the nude statue for the debut issue in December 1953 . Monroe did n’t pose for the magazine , though : Hefner corrupt her bare range from a previous modeling session that read place in 1949 , before Monroe ’s career had taken off . Hefner pay $ 500 for the exposure . He betray out his photographic print foot race of 70,000 copies . The rest is history .
Also on tap at the auction : a customs - madePlayboy Monopolyboard game ( which is estimated to trade for between $ 6000 and $ 8000 ) ; a leather Los Angeles Lakers jacket with thePlayboyinsignia ( deserving $ 3000 to $ 5000 ) ; an Underwood Standard portable typewriter Hefner used in college ( assess at $ 300 to $ 500 ) ; his trademark smoking crownwork ( which should go for $ 3000 to $ 5000 ) ; and Hefner ’s entire personal collection ofPlayboy , all bound in leather volumes , which experts appraise somewhere between $ 20,000 and $ 40,000 . Proceeds from the auction bridge will be directed to the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation , which substantiate polite liberties and First Amendment rights .
While Hefner ’s written matter of that first issue is expected to render considerable interestingness , it continues to provoke considerable controversy , as using Monroe ’s photos was view as exploitative . She did appear , at least publicly , to have a sense of humor about unknowingly launching Hefner ’s empire . “ Her famous comment was , ‘ I had nothing on but the radio set , ’ ” Hefner toldNPRin 1999 . “ And that classic reaction in that very repressive time — because one must remember … how really conservative the ' 50s were — for a major maven to … treat it in such a free-and-easy way with humour was a revelation , and a very welcome one . ”
If you ’re in the Los Angeles area , you ’ll be able-bodied to surf the appeal in person from November 26 through November 30 .
