PLAYBOY COLLECTORS CARD FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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How were Playboy cards released?

Beginning in 1993 Playboy centerfold cards were released in monthly editions which covered the years 1954 to 1993. Private Collections released January, Sports Time released February through September, Paradigm released October through December. Monthly sets ended with December and were followed by an Update set for 1994-1996 in 2002. Stellar then attempted to merge newstand editions and Updates by combining the 1997 centerfold cards in Playmate Review. This proved unpopular and for several reasons, there were no centerfold card releases for over a decade. In 2014, after a twelve year gap, Stellar has begun releasing Update sets for Playmates after 1996. Update 2 1997-1999 was released in March, Upate 3 in July. Tthe 1997 year was re-issued in Update 2.

On the back of any card, you will find a copyright line which will tell when the card was released. In between and after monthly editions, other sets for Pamela Anderson, Jenny McCarthy, SuperModels Lingerie, and Chromium Covers were released. Starting in 2000 Stellar Collectibles also released newsstand edition related card sets.

Star Pics and Morganna sets were released by other companies, well before the common Playboy Collectors cards but are of interest to some collectors so information on them is included on the website.

Does (insert Playmate here) have a trading card?

To find a particular playmate's cards, you have to know what month and year she appeared in the magazine. As Update sets are released, more recent Playmates will have cards available. Certain Cyber Club Girls may be in Special editions, but there is no easy way to find out whether they are in a set unless you have access to a checklist. As time permits, I may respond to polite inquiries of whether a particular person is in a particular set. But please don't ask me to find all sets a particular girl may be in.

Confused about the terms used?

Try this link: This is an response to a newsgroup question I wrote years ago defining some common card collecting terms, like binder set, common set, and chase cards.

How much is my card/collection/potential auction item worth?

You may have heard this before, but its worth what someone will pay for it. Playboy Trading cards have held their value much more than other adult trading cards since the boom in the mid 1990s, but that does not mean your autograph card will be enough to retire on. Card value or worth changes depending on where you are selling it, the economy, whether the buyer knows much about the card, and of course, what you have. As far as any given card is concerned, it is still easy to find common cards or sets at below release value, but certain chase cards were scarce at release or are now becoming scarce, they command a (relatively) high price. Stellars recent releases are not in foil packs, there are few extra common cards to trade in these releases. This means that set prices should be higher than for older monthly editions. You will not find many comments on card quality or pricing on this site, although sometimes I can't help it. If you are interested in one idiots opinion about an adult card price, send a scan of it and ask me, I can be as wrong as anyone else.

Where can I find a card/sell my collection?

In the Links to Prices and Dealers section at the left you will find some dealers, I am one of them. In the Playboy card market it seems that there have always been more sellers than buyers, even though the number of adult card dealers has been declining slowly or remained steady since about 1999. Demand for all adult cards has waned, Playboy cards are no exception. The re-release of Update cards has not pulled vast numbers of collectors back into the market, athough the cards have been selling reasonably well.

Is a card listed on eBay really rare?

With very, very few exceptions, no. Pam Anderson autographs are valuable, they are not rare, Sports Time issued at least 3000 of them. The Kelly Monaco Lingerie 2000 autograph is rare -- less than 200 exist, it is both valuable and rare. Collectors club Autograph card sets were issued in edition sizes of 60 to 100, they are rare, but most collectors who bought them keep them, so their value is problematic. My advice to a new buyer or unfamiliar seller is to watch auction prices before you buy or sell. Over a few weeks or months most cards turn up for auction. If you have a card that does not it truly is rare.

I had (insert Playmate here) sign a card for me at a show, what is is worth?

Usually less than she may have charged you to sign it. Show autographs routinely bring less than a certified autograph card from the Playboy card manufacturer, particularly if there is any question that the card is authentic. There is a market for show autographs, you just won't make much of a profit selling them, I recommend you buy them for your own collection, not as a way to get rich.

Where's the Hot Shots site?

For those who remember it, I have not posted the Hot Shots site again, as it received very little traffic and does not appear to be worth the effort to post it again. Same deal with Hustler cards, there is just not much interest.