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Playboy Collectors Cards
Japanese Playboy (February) Edition
Released Late, 1998
By: Paradigm, Inc.
Production
: [500] casesPromo poster: Unknown
120 Regular Cards
#1-#120
Feb 1954 to Feb 1993
6 March Preview Cards
#1PR-#6PR
3 Checklists
#1CK-#3CK
Gold Foil Inserts
Jenny McCarthy PMOY #1PY-#6PY
Bo Derek #1BD-#3BD
LaToya Jackson #1LJ-#3LJ
Morganna #1M-#3M
There is no information on the insertion ratio
of chase cards in the Japanese edition.
February Autograph Cards
Revised Information:Reputable dealers who have
opened case lots of Japanese Playboy state that
insertion ratios for autographs are 1 to a case
(1 in 360 packs). Pam and Jenny autographs
would be highly unlikely in this edition, as
Sports Time's stock on Pam and Jenny went into
the Best of Pam and Best of Jenny editions.
Paradigm may have used any available autograph
for insertion in foil packs of Japanese Playboy.
For Example, Phil Libraro says he received a
Carrie Wescott autograph in a Japanese Playboy
foil pack.
Notes: New Information: In mid 2002 a close out
dealer purchased and released 700 boxes of
Japanese Playboy (probably old Paradigm stock).
Unfortunately it was marketed as February boxes
which is incorrect.
BUYER ALERT: Buyers should be aware that
Japanese Playboy has been called February, but
the card color numbers are red rather than blue,
there is little chance for an autograph and less
chance of a valuable autograph, and finally some
of the cards are airbrushed. Buyer Beware!
Original Notes: Japanese Playboy was a marketing
attempt by Paradigm to create an edition for the
Japanese market. The cards were never intended for
release in the United States, although several
dealers have imported product back into the US,
unofficially. The Japanese edition parallels
the United States February edition, however the
numbering of the cards on the back is done in red
for the Japanese edition, as opposed to blue in
the US edition. Some preview and chase cards
appear to have been taken from the US edition
or at least printed with the same color scheme,
possibly in error. (Checklist cards 1CK and 3CK
have only been seen with blue numbers to date.)
Some of the images have been airbrushed to conform
to the Japanese prohibition of display of the
genitals. Japanese pack wrappers and boxes are
similar to US edition, text on the back is
partially in Japanese.
While not common in the US, certain larger
distributors can supply Japanese Playboy. Based
on comments from one of these distributors (Blue
Waves) it does not look like the edition will be
repeated, since the Japanese buyer prefers the
more explicit United States edition, and has no
real difficulty obtaining the US edition in Japan.