Published by Los Angeles, CA: Playgirl Magazine, 1987
Seller: ModernRare, CHICAGO, IL, U.S.A.
First Edition
Soft cover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 50 pages. Published in 1987. Rare Playgirl Magazine collectible item. A fine copy of Playgirl Magazine's 1987 "Men Across America" Special Portfolio Issue. The only Special Issue titled and issued as such by Playgirl. Retrospective collection of male nudes. The first and only edition. Published in a small and limited print run as a softcover original only that sold out upon publication. There is no ISBN. The Special Portfolio Issue is now rare. Presents Playgirl Magazine's "Men Across America" 1987 Special Portfolio Issue. Page after page of male nudes, presented geographically. The models, who all appeared in the original issues of Playgirl Magazine during its first two decades (1973-1987), represent, individually and collectively, some of the handsomest and sexiest men Playgirl Magazine ever discovered and photographed. One of the singular appeals of PG's Specials is that apart from reproducing images from its previous Issues, the Portfolio also showed previously unpublished nudes ("outtakes"), which were often deemed too daring and "in-your-face" for the magazine's still-evolving mainstream audience. It is a well-established fact that a significant number, if not a majority, of Playgirl's readers and collectors are men, gay as well as, by open admission, straight, who were looking to compare and size themselves up versus the models, and in the hope of landing on PG's coveted Centerfold, too. While the "physique" magazines of yore scored their fair share of good-looking and well-endowed models, they remained esoteric and could not attract many of the otherwise willing specimens of American male beauty because the latter feared being branded as gay. That fear was effectively extinguished for good by Playgirl Magazine with its "For Women Only" branding - while being fully aware that men constitute a large, unacknowledged audience. Whatever one's feelings about this strategy, it worked brilliantly, and hastened the acceptance of the male nude as no "physique" magazine - before AND after PG - ever could. Today, Playgirl is seriously collected throughout the world, as nostalgia for a more innocent, happier time Before The Internet, and for the incomparably beautiful men who graced its pages. Many of them will not be equalled much less surpassed. An absolute "must-have" title for Playgirl Magazine and male erotic photography collectors. This title is an erotic photography classic. As far as we know, this is the only copy of the Special Portfolio Issue available online and despite its imperfection (one upper slit on the otherwise intact spine, but it's there) is still in especially fine condition: Every single internal page is clean, crisp, and bright. It is priced accordingly. Please note: Copies available online have very serious flaws because they were pored over repeatedly. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare copy thus. Lavishly illustrated with color plates. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER PLAYGIRL MAGAZINE TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). no.
Published by Los Angeles, CA: Playgirl Magazine, 2010
Seller: ModernRare, CHICAGO, IL, U.S.A.
First Edition
Soft cover. Condition: As New. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 96 pages. Published in 2010. Rare Ben Andrews/Playgirl Magazine collectible item. A pristine, shrinkwrapped copy of the Playgirl Magazine Calendar Special 2010 Issue. Features the now-legendary college student Ben Andrews and 49 other student/models on the cover and full-frontal nude photographs in the inside pages. The Issue sold out upon publication and is now rare. Playgirl Magazine ceased publication and became an online magazine only in late-2008. The Levi Johnston Winter 2010 Issue marked its very first "single issue" publication since it stopped printing its Monthly as well as Special Issues. It has since been followed by this Special "Calendar" Issue and the "Ronnie Kroell" Summer Issue (there was no Spring Issue), indicating that the magazine will be published on a very sporadic, "opportunistic" basis. As such, it consists almost entirely of full-frontal nude photographs from cover to cover, with very little accompanying text and no magazine feature articles. Ben Andrews is widely regarded as the successor to Johnny Harden/"Gene Carrier" in terms of his sheer, Super-Size-Me physical endowment. There have been many well-endowed young men who have posed nude or performed in pornographic films. What sets Harden and now Andrews apart is that they are also boyishly, sweetly, even innocently handsome. Like Harden, Andrews has a Male Doll (of himself) and dildo (of his penis) patented, manufactured, and commercially sold using his name. An absolute "must-have" title for Ben Andrews and male erotic photography collectors. This is now collectible. This is one of very few copies still available online, is still in the publisher's original shrinkwrap, and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. A rare copy thus. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO WARREN CUCCURULLO AND RONNIE KROELL TITLES IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN B0039H9Z2A. no.
Published by Los Angeles, CA: Playgirl Magazine, 1983
Seller: ModernRare, CHICAGO, IL, U.S.A.
First Edition
Soft cover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 100 pages. Published in 1983. Rare Playgirl Magazine collectible item. A fine copy of Playgirl Magazine's "Men of 1983" Special Portfolio Issue. This is the only such Special Issue ever issued by Playgirl. Retrospective collection of male nudes. The first and only edition. Published in a small and limited print run as a softcover original only that sold out upon publication. There is no ISBN. The Special Portfolio Issue is now rare. Presents Playgirl Magazine's "Men of 1983" Special Portfolio Issue. One of its most beautifully produced Special Issues ever. The models, who all appeared in the original issues of Playgirl Magazine in 1983, represent, individually and collectively, some of the handsomest and sexiest men Playgirl Magazine ever discovered and photographed. Features Antonio Contrelle on the Cover and inside pages, along with many other models. One of the singular appeals of PG's Specials is that apart from reproducing images from its previous Issues, the Portfolio also showed previously unpublished nudes ("outtakes"), which were often deemed too daring and "in-your-face" for the magazine's still-evolving mainstream audience. It is a well-established fact that a significant number, if not a majority, of Playgirl's readers and collectors are men, gay as well as, by open admission, straight, who were looking to compare and size themselves up versus the models, and in the hope of landing on PG's coveted Centerfold, too. While the "physique" magazines of yore scored their fair share of good-looking and well-endowed models, they remained esoteric and could not attract many of the otherwise willing specimens of American male beauty because the latter feared being branded as gay. That fear was effectively extinguished for good by Playgirl Magazine with its "For Women Only" branding - while being fully aware that men constitute a large, unacknowledged audience. Whatever one's feelings about this strategy, it worked brilliantly, and hastened the acceptance of the male nude as no "physique" magazine - before AND after PG - ever could. Today, Playgirl is seriously collected throughout the world, as nostalgia for a more innocent, happier time Before The Internet, and for the incomparably beautiful men who graced its pages. Many of them will not be equalled much less surpassed. An absolute "must-have" title for Playgirl Magazine and male erotic photography collectors. This title is an erotic photography classic. As far as we know, this is the only copy of the Special Portfolio Issue available online and is in fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. A rare copy thus. Lavishly illustrated with color plates. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER PLAYGIRL MAGAZINE TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). no.
Published by Los Angeles, CA: Viva Magazine/Penthouse Publishing
Seller: ModernRare, CHICAGO, IL, U.S.A.
First Edition
Soft cover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 114 pages. Published in 1974. Rare VIVA Magazine, Shep Messing, and Jim French collectible item. A fine copy of VIVA Magazine's December 1974 Issue. The Landmark Second Issue. The first and only edition. Published in a small and limited print run as a softcover original only that sold out upon publication. There is no ISBN. The Magazine Issue is now rare. Presents VIVA Magazine's Second Issue. The single most - perhaps, the only - collectible Issue of the short-lived magazine. That's because it features Shep Messing, the ruggedly handsome and sexy American football actor, in terrific full-frontal nudes, including a semi-erect shot. This was a rare coup for VIVA Magazine because Shep Messing was also coveted and sought after by Playgirl. But VIVA got to him first by paying him more, a lot more, reportedly $5000, which was an incredible sum and record for a male nude model at the time and as a matter of fact, even by today's standards. There was a very good reason for that: Shep Messing is probably known to and remembered mostly by older, mostly male football fans today. But in his time, he was it, one of the most celebrated and highest-paid athletes, who pioneered the celebrity endorsement of All-American brands. Appearing in VIVA was a radical and daring departure from his super-clean mainstream image that Messing cultivated but must have felt constrained by: That it was not who he really was. So it is surely ironic that he will probably be remembered for his equally pioneering VIVA exposure that most, if not all, athletes today would shy away from and shun. VIVA Magazine billed itself as "The International Magazine For Women", as if Vogue and Harper's Bazaar did not exist, in its abortive attempt to compete against Playgirl Magazine. As this Issue alone will show, it was actually superior to Playgirl in terms of design, production values, and editorial content, channeling its Penthouse Magazine legacy credentials. Perhaps it was too "classy" for its intended audience, women and gay men, who wanted their male nudes grittier instead of the glossy, Penthouse-inspired look that VIVA promoted. The Issue also has a magnificent "Beautiful Bodies" multi-page photospread by Jim French, which includes, coincidentally, a lovely nude image of Tony Stephano - he is NOT identified -, the Foxylady Magazine breakthrough model, among other beauties. An absolute "must-have" title for VIVA Magazine, Shep Messing, and Jim French collectors. This title is a classic erotic art photography Issue. This is one of very few copies still available online and despite its age, is in fine condition overall: Clean, crisp, and bright. It is the single most beautiful copy we have ever seen. Please note: Copies available online are in very poor condition. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare copy thus. Lavishly illustrated with color plates. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO FOXYLADY AND PLAYGIRL MAGAZINE ISSUES IN OUR CATALOG).
Published by Chicago, IL: Foxylady Magazine
Seller: ModernRare, CHICAGO, IL, U.S.A.
First Edition
Soft cover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 112 pages. Published in 1975. Rare Foxylady Magazine and Tony Stephano collectible item. A fine copy of Foxylady Magazine's February 1975 Issue. The Landmark Second Issue. The first and only edition. Published in a small and limited print run as a softcover original only that sold out upon publication. There is no ISBN. The Magazine Issue is now rare. Presents Foxylady Magazine's Second Issue. The single most - perhaps, the only - collectible Issue of the short-lived magazine, which lasted for about one year, in 1975. That's because it features Tony Stephano, the irresistibly handsome and sexy Hollywood actor, on the Cover and in terrific full-frontal nudes. This was a rare coup for Foxylady Magazine because Tony Stephano was also coveted and sought after by Playgirl, against which it tried to compete by also branding itself as "Entertainment For Women". Just as VIVA Magazine also attempted, and just as in vain. But just this once, Foxylady outfoxed Playgirl, by paying Stephano more, in what was reportedly a record sum for a male nude model at the time and as a matter of fact, even by today's standards. Tony Stephano was already an established actor when he agreed to pose for Foxylady Magazine, and therefore commanded a hefty premium price that Playgirl could not possibly match (given its $1000 flat fee at the time, according to one of its models, Sam Jones/"Andrew Cooper III" of "Flash Gordon" fame). The Issue also features a young, handsome, and extremely well-endowed model named "Andrei", from Chicago, the magazine's HQ. An absolute "must-have" title for Foxylady Magazine and Tony Stephano collectors. This title is a classic erotic art photography Issue. As far as we know, this is the only copy of the Magazine Issue available online and is in fine condition overall: Every single internal page is clean, crisp, and bright. It is the single most beautiful copy we have ever seen. Please note: Copies that occasionally turn up online are in very poor condition (because they were pored over repeatedly). This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare copy thus. Lavishly illustrated with color plates. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO VIVA AND PLAYGIRL MAGAZINE ISSUES IN OUR CATALOG).
Published by Los Angeles, CA: Playgirl Magazine
Seller: ModernRare, CHICAGO, IL, U.S.A.
First Edition
Soft cover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 100 pages. Published in 1983. Rare Playgirl Magazine collectible item. A fine copy of Playgirl Magazine's 1983 "Sexy Men" Special Portfolio Issue. This is the fourth - and one of the rarest - of Playgirl's "Sexy Men" Annual Issues. Retrospective collection of male nudes. The first and only edition. Published in a small and limited print run as a softcover original only that sold out upon publication. There is no ISBN. The Special Portfolio Issue is now rare. Presents Playgirl Magazine's "Sexy Men" 1983 Special Portfolio Issue. Page after sexy page of male nudes. The models, who all appeared in the original issues of Playgirl Magazine during its first decade, represent, individually and collectively, some of the handsomest and sexiest men Playgirl Magazine ever discovered and photographed. Features Jim Davis on the Cover and inside pages, along with many other models, who are each showcased in alphabetical order, that's right from A (as in John Alexander) to Y (as in Steve Yeager). One of the singular appeals of PG's Specials is that apart from reproducing images from its previous Issues, the Portfolio also showed previously unpublished nudes ("outtakes"), which were often deemed too daring and "in-your-face" for the magazine's still-evolving mainstream audience. It is a well-established fact that a significant number, if not a majority, of Playgirl's readers and collectors are men, gay as well as, by open admission, straight, who were looking to compare and size themselves up versus the models, and in the hope of landing on PG's coveted Centerfold, too. While the "physique" magazines of yore scored their fair share of good-looking and well-endowed models, they remained esoteric and could not attract many of the otherwise willing specimens of American male beauty because the latter feared being branded as gay. That fear was effectively extinguished for good by Playgirl Magazine with its "For Women Only" branding - while being fully aware that men constitute a large, unacknowledged audience. Whatever one's feelings about this strategy, it worked brilliantly, and hastened the acceptance of the male nude as no "physique" magazine - before AND after PG - ever could. Today, Playgirl is seriously collected throughout the world, as nostalgia for a more innocent, happier time Before The Internet, and for the incomparably beautiful men who graced its pages. Many of them will not be equalled much less surpassed. An absolute "must-have" title for Playgirl Magazine and male erotic photography collectors. This title is an erotic photography classic. As far as we know, this is the only copy of the Special Portfolio Issue available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. A rare copy thus. Lavishly illustrated with color plates. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER PLAYGIRL MAGAZINE TITLES IN OUR CATALOG).
Published by New York City, NY: Vman Publishing, 2017
Seller: ModernRare, CHICAGO, IL, U.S.A.
First Edition
Hardcover. Condition: As New. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. Unpaginated. Published in 2017. Scarce Bruce Weber, VMan Magazine, and Bench/Body Underwear collectible item. A pristine/shrinkwrapped copy of the first and only Calendar issued by VMan Magazine. Commissioned by the Bench/Body Underwear brand and produced by Stephen Gan. The first and only edition. Published in a small and limited one-time-only print run as a boxed set only. Without DJ, as issued. There is no ISBN. The Calendar is now scarce. Presents Bruce Weber's "VMan Calendar 2018". Loose plates of top fashion models dressed only in Bench/Body Underwear, if that, in BW's characteristically erotic style. Enclosed in a beautifully designed box for protection and for posterity. The Calendar has a special place in Bruce Weber's body of work as such, and as always with BW casting, the choice of models is exemplary. These specimens of masculine beauty in our time must be seen to be believed. An absolute "must-have" collectible, not just memorabilia, item for Bruce Weber collectors. This title is a contemporary erotic art photography classic. This is one of few copies of the 2018 VMan Calendar still available online, is still in the publisher's original shrinkwrap, and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: The few remaining copies available online command hundreds of dollars because the Calendar is scarce in any condition. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A scarce copy thus. Lavishly illustrated with loose plates. Bruce Weber's "O Rio de Janeiro", perhaps the sexiest photography book ever published, was selected as one of the "Seminal Photography Books of The 20th Century" in the "Book of 101 Books". One of the finest photographers of our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER BRUCE WEBER TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). no.
Language: English
Published by New York City, NY: Harry N. Abrams, 2026, 2025
ISBN 10: 1419784951 ISBN 13: 9781419784958
Seller: ModernRare, CHICAGO, IL, U.S.A.
First Edition Signed
Hardcover. Condition: As New. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. Signed. 260 pages. Published in 2026. Massive Retrospective Volume on subject. One of the most beautiful books on the photographic art and achievement of Steven Klein. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. A stupendous production by Harry N. Abrams: Oversize-volume format. The book is humongous in both weight (seven pounds) and size (12 X 15 inches). Much bigger than Vogue itself. White, double-sided pictorial hard boards with black titles on the cover and spine, as issued. Photographs by Steven Klein. Printed on pristine-white, thick coated stock paper in Italy to the highest standards. The production values are outstanding in every respect. Without DJ, as issued. Presents "Klein/Vogue". The most innovative, inventive, and imaginative photographs ever published by Vogue Magazine, the otherwise safe and predictable fashion/lifestyle magazine with an identifiable "house" style. "Traces the evolution of Klein's visual language over nearly two decades, showcasing work defined by dark sensuality, psychological intensity, and cinematic staging. Klein's fashion photography is instantly recognizable for its bold fusion of glamor, eroticism, and psychological drama. His images push beyond traditional fashion spreads, often resembling film stills in their scale and tension. The book is ultimately anchored by Klein and his models. Each one commands the frame as a central figure in a carefully constructed visual narrative where power, control, and desire unfold. What sets Klein apart is his refusal to idealize. He creates work that seduces and unnerves, inviting viewers into immersive, often transgressive, visual experiences that challenge the conventions of beauty and luxury" (Publisher's blurb). Martin Parr, never a fan of fashion and even satirized it, regarded Steven Klein's fashion photography as transcendent, a cut above everyone else's, the work of the most CREATIVE - therefore by default, the best - fashion photographer of our time. "Klein/Vogue" is definitive proof of Parr's assessment: Steven Klein's achievement is as a great photographer, not just a great fashion photographer, worthy to rank with Avedon and Irving Penn yet radically different from these great predecessors by taking their pioneering work several steps further into the future. An absolute "must-have" title for Steven Klein collectors. This copy is very boldly and beautifully signed, placed, and dated (in the year of publication) in black pen-marker by the artist: "Steven Klein NYC 2026". It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. This title is an instant photography book collectible. Destined to be a core classic. As far as we know, this is the only such signed, publication-year dated, and placed copy of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. A rare signed copy thus. Lavishly illustrated with color plates of Beautiful Women dressed in high Vogue fashion. Magnificent multi-panel Centerfold of Karl Lagerfeld with a nude male model, dressed only, by way of contrast, in a clingy black bikini. One of the most brilliant photographers of our time. A fine collectible copy. ISBN 1419784951. Signed by Author.
Published by Los Angeles, CA: Playgirl Magazine, 1983
Seller: ModernRare, CHICAGO, IL, U.S.A.
First Edition
Soft cover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 75 pages. Published in 1983. Rare Playgirl Magazine collectible item. A fine copy of Playgirl Magazine's October 1983 Special Portfolio Issue. The very first such "Men of Summer" Special Issue. Its success was followed on a sporadic basis by "Men of Summer" Portfolios throughout Playgirl's history. Retrospective collection of male nudes. The first and only edition. Published in a small and limited print run as a softcover original only that sold out upon publication. There is no ISBN. The Special Portfolio Issue is now rare. Presents Playgirl Magazine's "Men of Summer" 1983 Special Portfolio Issue. One of the two best and most collectible PG Special Issues in its history. Page after page of male nudes, in the great outdoors, basking in the glorious sun. The models, who all appeared in the original issues of Playgirl Magazine during its very first full decade, represent, individually and collectively, some of the handsomest and sexiest men Playgirl Magazine ever discovered and photographed. Laid within is a dazzling Giant Poster, which must be assembled from the separate, folded pages. The Poster showcases Joseph Pearson, one of Playgirl's handsomest and sexiest models ever. He's an absolute stunner, among the Top Ten Playgirl models of all time, right up there with the very Best of Playgirl. One of the singular appeals of PG's Specials is that apart from reproducing images from its previous Issues, the Portfolio also showed previously unpublished nudes, "bonuses" for the magazine's fully evolved, loyal audience, just before men began taking "selfies" and the exhibitionists among them started posting them online. It is a well-established fact that a significant number, if not a majority, of Playgirl's readers and collectors are men, gay as well as, by open admission, straight, who were looking to compare and size themselves up versus the models, and in the hope of landing on PG's coveted Centerfold too. While the "physique" magazines of yore scored their fair share of good-looking and well-endowed models, they remained esoteric and could not attract many of the otherwise willing specimens of American male beauty because the latter feared being branded as gay. That fear was effectively extinguished for good by Playgirl Magazine with its "For Women Only" branding - while being fully aware that men constitute a large, unacknowledged audience. Whatever one's feelings about this strategy, it worked brilliantly, and hastened the acceptance of the male nude as no "physique" magazine - before AND after PG - ever could. Today, Playgirl is seriously collected throughout the world, as nostalgia for a more innocent, happier time Before The Internet, and for the incomparably beautiful men who graced its pages. Many of them will not be equalled much less surpassed. An absolute "must-have" title for Playgirl Magazine and male erotic photography collectors. This title is an erotic photography classic. As far as we know, this is the only copy of the Special Portfolio Issue available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. A rare copy thus. Lavishly illustrated with color plates. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER PLAYGIRL MAGAZINE TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). no.
Published by Los Angeles, CA: Playgirl Magazine, 1981
Seller: ModernRare, CHICAGO, IL, U.S.A.
First Edition
Soft cover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 100 pages. Published in 1981. Rare Playgirl Magazine collectible item. A fine copy of Playgirl Magazine's 1981 "Sexy Men" Special Portfolio Issue. This is the second - and one of the rarest - of Playgirl's "Sexy Men" Annual Issues. Retrospective collection of male nudes. The first and only edition. Published in a small and limited print run as a softcover original only that sold out upon publication. There is no ISBN. The Special Portfolio Issue is now rare. Presents Playgirl Magazine's "Sexy Men" 1981 Special Portfolio Issue. Page after sexy page of male nudes. The models, who all appeared in the original issues of Playgirl Magazine during its first decade, represent, individually and collectively, some of the handsomest and sexiest men Playgirl Magazine ever discovered and photographed. Features, for the very first time, Joseph ("Joe") Spondike, "Playgirl's Man of The Eighties", on the Cover and inside pages along, with many other models. One of the singular appeals of PG's Specials is that apart from reproducing images from its previous Issues, the Portfolio also showed previously unpublished nudes ("outtakes"), which were often deemed too daring and "in-your-face" for the magazine's still-evolving mainstream audience. It is a well-established fact that a significant number, if not a majority, of Playgirl's readers and collectors are men, gay as well as, by open admission, straight, who were looking to compare and size themselves up versus the models, and in the hope of landing on PG's coveted Centerfold, too. While the "physique" magazines of yore scored their fair share of good-looking and well-endowed models, they remained esoteric and could not attract many of the otherwise willing specimens of American male beauty because the latter feared being branded as gay. That fear was effectively extinguished for good by Playgirl Magazine with its "For Women Only" branding - while being fully aware that men constitute a large, unacknowledged audience. Whatever one's feelings about this strategy, it worked brilliantly, and hastened the acceptance of the male nude as no "physique" magazine - before AND after PG - ever could. Today, Playgirl is seriously collected throughout the world, as nostalgia for a more innocent, happier time Before The Internet, and for the incomparably beautiful men who graced its pages. Many of them will not be equalled much less surpassed. An absolute "must-have" title for Playgirl Magazine and male erotic photography collectors. This title is an erotic photography classic. As far as we know, this is the only copy of the Special Portfolio Issue available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. A rare copy thus. Lavishly illustrated with color plates. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER PLAYGIRL MAGAZINE TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). no.
Published by Los Angeles, CA: Playgirl Magazine, 1982
Seller: ModernRare, CHICAGO, IL, U.S.A.
First Edition
Soft cover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 100 pages. Published in 1982. Rare Playgirl Magazine collectible item. A fine copy of Playgirl Magazine's 1982 "Sexy Men" Special Portfolio Issue. This is the third - and one of the rarest - of Playgirl's "Sexy Men" Annual Issues. Retrospective collection of male nudes. The first and only edition. Published in a small and limited print run as a softcover original only that sold out upon publication. There is no ISBN. The Special Portfolio Issue is now rare. Presents Playgirl Magazine's "Sexy Men" 1982 Special Portfolio Issue. Page after sexy page of male nudes. The models, who all appeared in the original issues of Playgirl Magazine during its first decade, represent, individually and collectively, some of the handsomest and sexiest men Playgirl Magazine ever discovered and photographed. Features, for the second consecutive time, Joseph ("Joe") Spondike, "Playgirl's Man of The Eighties", on the Cover and inside pages, along with many other models. One of the singular appeals of PG's Specials is that apart from reproducing images from its previous Issues, the Portfolio also showed previously unpublished nudes ("outtakes"), which were often deemed too daring and "in-your-face" for the magazine's still-evolving mainstream audience. It is a well-established fact that a significant number, if not a majority, of Playgirl's readers and collectors are men, gay as well as, by open admission, straight, who were looking to compare and size themselves up versus the models, and in the hope of landing on PG's coveted Centerfold, too. While the "physique" magazines of yore scored their fair share of good-looking and well-endowed models, they remained esoteric and could not attract many of the otherwise willing specimens of American male beauty because the latter feared being branded as gay. That fear was effectively extinguished for good by Playgirl Magazine with its "For Women Only" branding - while being fully aware that men constitute a large, unacknowledged audience. Whatever one's feelings about this strategy, it worked brilliantly, and hastened the acceptance of the male nude as no "physique" magazine - before AND after PG - ever could. Today, Playgirl is seriously collected throughout the world, as nostalgia for a more innocent, happier time Before The Internet, and for the incomparably beautiful men who graced its pages. Many of them will not be equalled much less surpassed. An absolute "must-have" title for Playgirl Magazine and male erotic photography collectors. This title is an erotic photography classic. As far as we know, this is the only copy of the Special Portfolio Issue available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. A rare copy thus. Lavishly illustrated with color plates. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER PLAYGIRL MAGAZINE TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). no.