Owner Interview: Playboy Bunny Group
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INTERVIEWER: Tell me about your experience at the Chicago Antiques Roadshow today.
GUEST:
Oh my God. Well, my husband and I were just chatting, the people here are so amazingly friendly. I mean every single person, from the door people, to the people associated with the production so, I wish it happened every week. I would be here. It's fabulous.
INTERVIEWER: And tell me about your experience speaking with Laura Woolley today about your items.
GUEST:
Well, Laura gave me great news on my costume. It's worth like $11,000 for the package of stuff. I'm just thrilled. I mean it's priceless to me and I don't intend on selling it but to know that it has a monetary value it makes me very happy, yeah.
INTERVIEWER: So tell me a little bit about the history of the item.
GUEST:
I came from, as a bunny in St. Louis in 1974, I moved to Chicago and became a bunny at the Chicago Playboy Club which is the original Playboy Club. In 1976 I won a contest, it was voted on by keyholders, as Chicago Playboy Bunny of the Year. So, because of that they have an international pageant that they filmed in LA at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and it was televised at ABC, so I won first runner up in the international pageant. Should have been first place but that's another story. I get this cool program book and every star in the planet was at this Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for this contest and I don't even remember getting all these autographs, O.J. Simpson, Milton Berle, James Brown, Dick Barton, Ringo Starr and Hugh Hefner all signed it so, it's a treasure trove of memories and they were all good ones. And Hefner and I, we're still friends, we still go to the parties in LA, my husband and I. I'm glad I kept all my things.
INTERVIEWER: Are there any items here that stand out to you most as some of your favorites, or are they all pretty even?
GUEST:
I really love this program book 'cause it's got pictures of all the girls who participated from all the clubs across the country and world actually because at that time it was global. I mean they had clubs in London and everywhere else. And so I really love the program book because I remember every one of these girls that participated.
INTERVIEWER: So did you know people globally?
GUEST:
We all knew each other, of each other and we know the winners in all the clubs, and, a lot of the girls transferred back and forth because that was an option for them to do but I stuck with the best club, Chicago.
INTERVIEWER: What was it like wearing the costume?
GUEST:
Well, the costumes are all made to fit every girl's figure and so even though it looks like might be uncomfortable, actually they fit you like a glove and so, I mean they have bone it to keep the costume neat and tidy but they were really, really comfortable. I only wish I can fit into it still. That's my only regret.
Appraisal Details
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.
