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This listing is for a 1959 vintage Playboy Club "C 1" FOUNDER'S key & custom display that was featured on Pawn Stars TV Show. 

The History channel put this segment on YouTube & currently has close to 7 million views, so you could say it's internationally famous. (My clients in Australia & Europe said they saw it there)

Even though it's appraised value is over $100,000.00, I'm opening my Bonanza Booth with a 25% off sale + will consider reasonable offers.

HISTORICAL VALUE:

There were only 8 "C 1" keys made. "C 1" key holders included Hugh Hefner, Keith Hefner, Victor Lownes & Arnie Morton.

I have a written appraisal for $100,000.00 FOR THE KEY ALONE, but this includes lots of extras, including the custom designed OOAK lighted display case that displays both sides of the key simultaneously + a remote control for the lights + a removable mirrored Playboy sign + many other documents, photographs, historical articles & provenance of it's authenticity & rarity - which can be stored in rear pockets, displayed on either side of the key, & interchanged whenever you want a change of "scenery" . I'm also including 2 DVDs of the movies that this key's owner was in.

The rarity of this key is documented in the book "The Bunny Years" by Kathryn Leigh Scott as being 1 of the original 8 Playboy Club keys made for the Playboy Club founders circa 1959-1960. 

Playboy Club co-founder, the late Victor Lownes, emailed me verifying it's authenticity as one of the original 8 "C 1" keys. That email from Victor to me (printed from my computer) is included in this listing.

This key was professionally appraised at $100,000.00 by one of the worlds most renowned Playboy memorabilia experts & collectors; certified appraiser, Jeffry Martini. 

Jeffry was the co-founder & owner of Acme Connections Inc. Jeffry was possibly the foremost expert on Playboy memorabilia. He was a friend of Hugh Hefner's & a collector for many decades. His written appraisal is included.

Jeffry had said that as far as he knew at that time, one of the original C1 keys has NEVER been available for public purchase. He also said that 2 events would INCREASE the value of this key:

1. The key being featured & aired on Pawn Stars (which has happened - a few times + is one of the episodes History Channel has uploaded & features on YouTube)

2. The death of Hugh Hefner - which happened on September 27, 2017.

This key was featured on Pawn Stars TV Show in 2014. The show's producers included this FOUNDER key in the same segment with a set of Playboy Club MEMBER keys - which this key is NOT - which shows you what they know. They're not in the same league.

As of this writing, the History Channel still has that segment on YouTube with OVER A MILLION views.

If you've seen that segment, or intend to see it, please keep in mind that "reality" TV shows are anything but... Everything is staged & plotted to boost ratings. The cast & crew had all the info about the key - including the written appraisal - before they cast me to be on the show. Rick's lowball offer was intended to create tension - as was the "price game" graphics that they added in post.

 For what its worth, the producers decided to put this C1 FOUNDERS key in the same segment with my set of MEMBER keys from each Playboy Club (they are NOT in the same category. It would be comparable to bundling a few Volkswagons with Rick's Rolls Royce because they're all "cars".  

And Rick lowballed me on the set of keys, insisting that they were not worth the DISCOUNTED price I offered him.

A day or so after that episode aired, a seasoned Playboy collector in Texas who has a "mini Playboy Club museum" on his property (that the town's Mayor has visited!), paid the full appraised value for that set ($5000) .

That same episode, Rick bought a bunny tail plaque from me above appraised value - probably because they knew that they scandalous story was worth more to them in ratings.  That's show biz!

The front of the key looks like a member key, but the unique engraving on the back "C 1" identifies it as a FOUNDER key. Kathryn Leigh Scott documents this in her book, "The Bunny Years". xPlayboy Bunnies like me learned about C1 keys during our rigorous initial training.

In the 1960's & 1970's, Playboy Club rules stated that NO ONE could date the Playboy Bunnies EXCEPT the C1 key holders, which included Hugh Hefner, Keith Hefner, Victor Lownes, Arnie Morton & 4 other legendary men of the 1950's & 1960's.

Had this - or any C1 key - been available for sale to the public back when Playboy Clubs were burgeoning - assuming Hef didn't find out about it and stop it in advance - former Playboy Club keyholders I know have speculated that a Playboy VIP might have paid a million dollars for it because the owner would have access to openly pursue & date Bunnies & Playmates. The misconception was (and may still be) that the powerful men of Playboy (C1 keyholders) had the "power" to make Bunnies & Playmates submit to activities against their will. That was never my experience. I'm acquainted with hundreds of x Bunnies & Playmates - even Jet Bunnies & Mansion Bunnies, & they've all told me that's not true.