BURBANK, September 1, 2020–Dreams to Reality Foundation®, a humanitarian aid charity based in Burbank, California, has sold the rarest Playboy volume 1 number 2 issue in the world. The announcement was made by Ben Akrish, a foundation department head for the eBay® fundraising division of the organization.
Published in January 1954, the magazine was discovered in an unmarked box that was generously given to the organization for consignment. The rarity of the magazine was quickly recognized by a worker within the foundation’s eBay® sales division and was brought to the attention of the board.
The board of directors voted to send the magazine to Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) for grading and encapsulation protection. The grade was returned as a 9.4. CGC® maintains a census of all graded items and the magazine stands as the highest graded January 1954 Playboy in the world.
Dreams to Reality Foundation® listed and sold the magazine on the eBay for Charity platform, achieving a record price of $4,995. The proceeds will be used for humanitarian efforts, to feed displaced individuals and to provide them with living essentials.
“We are honored that our consignment client would entrust us with a unicorn such as this. Early Playboy magazines are incredibly rare and sought-after collectibles, and we are most fortunate that we have been the caretakers of this opportunity to offer a one-of-a-kind acquisition to an eager eBay collector. eBay for Charity is an incredible tool for nonprofits that offers a fundraising platform with global reach,” said Ben Akrish, who is one of the department heads for the foundation.
The January 1954 Playboy was acquired by a collector and eBay buyer in Oklahoma.