I mentioned briefly before that Hugh Hefner and his wife Kimberley sold her house next to the Playboy mansion in Holmby Hills, California but I neglected to mention the fact that is sold for $10 million below the list price of $27.995 million. The LA Times Hot Property column reported that the home, which hit the market in March, sold for $18 million. The 7,300-square-foot English Manor-style house was built in 1929 and has five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. The home is behind private gates on 2.3 flat acres that back up to the Los Angeles Country Club and the grounds include a swimming pool.

The Hefners bought the home in 1996 for Kimberley Hefner to live in with their two sons. It was then listed then at $17.25 million so if Hefner bought anywhere close to list price back then he isn't making too much on this deal. But the aging magazine tycoon's lavish lifestyle has been straining the budget of the Playboy empire and so the sale might have been a matter of some urgency.

[Thanks, Charles! via Listed]

If you're heading to the ESPY Awards pre-party at the Playboy Mansion tomorrow night, be ready to clip and light a Camacho. The cigar company has been selected as the official cigar of the event. So, while you're hobnobbing with the wealthy and beautiful – athletes and other celebrities will be there – pick up a Camacho Select, Triple Maduro (a great, full-bodied smoke), Diploma or 10th Anniversary.

"Camacho Cigars is proud to be a part of the pre-ESPY festivities," said Dylan Austin, marketing director of Camacho Cigars. "The Playboy Mansion is an iconic location that every man dreams of visiting at least once in his life. This only adds to our excitement in being involved in this illustrious event."

The night will include dancing, entertainment, a few poker games and just about everything else you'd expect from a party at the Playboy Mansion. If there's a better way to smoke a Camacho, my imagination can't come up with it.

In September, Taschen will publish Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's illustrated biography in six volumes, combined with a chronological selection of highlights from the seminal men's magazine's first 25 years (1953 to 1979). Limited to 1,500 numbered and signed copies, the six-volume set comes packaged in a luxurious plexiglass box and costs $1,300. Beginning with Hef's youth and his boyhood comic collection and ending with the height of Playboy's success, the anthology is billed as "the most probing and intimate portrait of Hefner ever made."

Hefner's extensive participation and the inclusion of a wealth of memorabilia from his personal scrapbooks set this anthology apart from other Playboy books. The six volumes contain over 700 pages of autobiographical text about Hef's youth, army days, first attempts as a cartoonist, early career, girlfriends, and Playboy's launch, illustrated by original Hefner artwork and cartoons, correspondence, and a huge selection of archival photos, many previously unpublished.

A pair of ultra-luxurious Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman limousines from 1969 and 1971 that belonged to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner are being offered for sale by a collector in New Zealand. Hef ordered the 21-ft. long limos with the rare 6-door configuration, of which only 140 were built, new from the Mercedes factory in Stuttgart. The 600 Pullman, last of the hand-built Mercedes models, was the transport of choice for VIPs including the Pope, Coco Chanel, John Lennon, Jack Nicholson, Aristotle Onassis, and Elvis Presley, among others.

Both cars are painted black and feature forward facing seats at the center doors, a hydraulically operated reclining seat at the rear, curtains in the rear compartment, tinted glass, a soundproof glass center division with an intercom system for communicating with the chauffeur, and tons of chrome and wood paneling. The 1969 model is finished in black leather and features a refrigerated bar cabinet, while the 1971 has red leather and a built-in television. Both mint condition cars are priced at about $165,000.

[via JamesList]

Can Richard Branson be the new Hugh Hefner? Rumors are flying that the VIrgin Media tycoon is interested in the Playboy empire. The company has been allegedly shopped around for $300 million even though the market value is perceived to less than $100 million. Part of the reason for wide difference in figures is because the company wants to make sure that any deal will help Playboy's 83-year-old founder maintain his lavish lifestyle. Although one of Hugh Hefner's homes is on the market for nearly $28 million there is still main Playboy mansion and its tremendous upkeep to consider. He remains the editor of Playboy magazine and has said he wants to pass down his interest in the company to his teenage sons Marston and Cooper.

While Hefner's lifestyle has burdened the company his public recognition has also been a major part of keeping interest in Playboy Enterprises. The good thing about Branson in charge versus some faceless equity company is that you would have another charismatic man at the helm. Branson also excels at using his lifestyle and his appearances to further his businesses and he also has a wide variety of businesses which could partner with Playboy.

UPDATE: Looks like the Playboy/Virgin empire will forever exist only in our minds.

I'm not surprised that Playboy Golf selected Camacho to be the official cigar for The Playboy Golf VIP Players Party. Camacho's a strong brand, has great name recognition ... and its sticks do tend to smoke well.

The event will take place on Friday, March 27, 2009, and athletes, executives, bunnies and other celebrities will be invited to smoke the Camacho Select Lonsdale. Cigars will be cut and lit at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, CA. As if the great smokes aren't enough, the night's festivities will include dancing, entertainment and the body painting for which Playboy has become (in)famous.

Dylan Austin, marketing director of Camacho Cigars, says, "Playboy is one of the most iconic brands for gentleman worldwide, and we at Camacho Cigars are honored to be selected as the official cigar for The Playboy Golf VIP Players Party."

Golfers will be pleased to find an extra treat – a few Camacho cigars in the gift bags.

It's not the Playboy mansion but if you've ever wanted to live next door to the girls next door this is your chance. Hugh Hefner and wife Kimberley (yep, he's still technically married but they have been separated for ten years) have listed the home next door to the mansion. This is where Kimberley has raised their two children who are now in their late teens.

The seven-bedroom home is on a two-acre walled property that is also adjacent to the Los Angeles Country Club. The estate was built in 1929 and has expansive lawns and a pool. The listing doesn't offer a single interior picture (it's rather a stalker's view of the home) but the listing says there is a two-story entry, paneled study, family room and a master bedroom suite with a marble bath and a separate dressing room.

The Real Estalker reports that the Hefners bought the home in 1996 for around $6.7 million from the estate of TV Guide heiress turned philanthropist Lita Annenberg. The question of why the Hefners are selling is up for debate. The party line per the LA Times Hot Property column is that the young Hefner boys are going off to college and the house is too big. But with all the stories of trouble in the Playboy empire and rumors of a potential sale it's likely Hefner has been told to lighten his financial load. The question is whether or not at $27.995 million there is anyone willing to snap up the ivy-covered mansion.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Playboy had such success with an art auction last fall ($230,000 total for 17 pieces of art and illustration) that they are doing it again. The "Playboy - I Read It For The Art" auction will feature another 17 original drawings and illustrations from the magazine's archives. The auction will take place at Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas, Texas on March 12. Online bidding is also available. The auction features the a few glamorous Alberto Vargas pin-ups, a "Little Annie Fanny" comic strip by Harvey Kurtzman and Jack Davis, a pair of Patrick Nagel pieces and several from LeRoy Neiman. His "Surfing, Poche Beach, Man at His Leisure" shown above is acrylic on paper and has a minimum bid of $6,500.

The strategy of having a few small auctions versus one big blockbuster blow-out of the Playboy archives is an interesting one. As Blogging Stocks mentioned last month, Playboy Enterprises reported a loss of $145.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2008 and chairman Jerome Kern told investors on a conference call that the company is "willing to listen" to listen to sale or merger possibilities. These smaller auctions give the public a taste of what the magazine has in its coffers and raise a little money while still keeping the bulk of the archives, which may prove to be a key asset, safe.

Right on time for holiday giving, Playboy has come out with a line of wines. The wines are available by bottle or by a yearly subscription for $1,567 and include a limited run of up to 550 bottles per series; vineyards include Gargiulo Money Road Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Supery's famed Dollarhide Cabernet Sauvignon, Schug Estate Heritage Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, RODA Cirsiron and Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno. And of course, since it's Playboy, each wine is labeled with a vintage Playboy cover which represents the flavor and taste profile of each wine.

The wines are available online but will also be sold at wine retailers in the United States. The wines will retail individually at $90 to $380 a bottle. Check out the first offerings in the gallery below.

[via Avenue Vine]

Playboy is auctioning off some of their historic archive of art commissioned for the magazine on October 15. The auction, called "Playboy: The Art of Beauty" will take place at Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas, and online. There will be 17 pieces up for sale including drawings and photographs which focus on a celebration of beautiful women. The pieces by 11 artists include two by Alberto Vargas, one fro.er. The pieces date from 1956 to 1985 and are priced more modestly than some other art you might find at fall sales, the highest being an estimate of up to $60,000 for a Vargas blonde. You can check out the entire auction at the Heritage Auction site (nsfw).

UPDATE: The auction brought in $230,000.

Letters of Marque, the luxe, vintage-inspired lingerie line launched by beautiful actress-turned-designer Stacey Dash last year, will finally be available for purchase online beginning July 4. Dash, a onetime Playboy model who's currently appearing on NBC's reality series Celebrity Circus, based her sexy debut collection on an exquisitely-crafted 150-year-old piece of Victorian lace lingerie which she'd worn herself for over a decade on, ahem, special occasions. "To me, the most important place to feel luxurious is in your home being intimate with the one you love," Dash tells Luxist. Her pieces are woven with the same rare French and English Leavers lace that was used in the piece that inspired them. The line's name has a historical antecedent as well; Dash discovered that one of her ancestors was a Dutch privateer with a letter of marque officially authorizing him to capture booty. Check out www.lettersofmarque.com on or after the 4th to snag some for yourself.

Not many coffee table books come with their own briefcase but this one is no ordinary book. It is 720 pages that includes every centerfold from every issue of Playboy. The book includes over 600 Playmates offering a unique look at how standards of female attractiveness have varied over the decades. The black leather briefcase is lined in red velvet and has combination locks. It sells for $315.

[via Acquire]

Some art you buy for its beauty, some art you buy for investment and some you buy for a certain sense of nostalgia. This one, the first illustration from the first Playboy magazine, definitely falls into the third category. The first Playboy cartoon in 1953 by Ben Denison, marks the start of a tradition that has gone on to include artists such as Eldon Dedini, Jules Feiffer, Shel Silverstein and Gahan Wilson, It is being auctioned off by Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas on December 12. The gouache on illustration board measures approximately 11" x 8-1/2" and is estimated to sell for $12,000 - $18,000.

China's Las Vegas, Macao has taken another step toward luring tourists to the playtime destination. The Playboy Mansion Macao will be a 40,000 square-foot entertainment destination that will include a Hugh M. Hefner Villa for overnight stays. The Macao Mansion will be a part of the Macao Studio City complex and will pay homage to Hef's legendary Holmby Hills home. There is even a contemporary interpretation of the Playboy pool and the infamous grotto. And yes, there will be bunnies. It seems that the Playboy clubs, which were phased out back in the early 1990s are back in a new form with both this location and the Playboy Club at the Palms. The Mansion should open in late 2009. As, the Guardian notes, Playboy magazine itself is banned in China so this might be more of a draw for the international crowd.

They were all the range in the 1960s, now the Playboy Club is back and will be open for business as of this Friday, October 6. The Playboy Club is located at the top of The Palms new Fantasy Tower in Las Vegas and is connected via glass enclosed escalators to the new restaurant Nove Italiano, and Moon nightclub. The new version of the Playboy Club still has Playboy Bunnies only now they wear a costume created by Roberto Cavalli. The club features gaming, food and beverages and 60 plasma screens show Playboy videos. In addition to the club there is also the 9,000-square-foot Hugh Hefner Sky Villa. The suite has floor-to-ceiling glass walls with views of the Las Vegas Strip, a collection of Playboy artwork selected by Hugh M. Hefner, an indoor waterfall and reflection pool, personal glass elevator, private outdoor cantilevered Jacuzzi, a gym with sauna, full bar, media room, glass end walls and Playboy Rabbit Head logo, and a replica of the classic rotating circular bed that has been a mainstay in Mr. Hefner's bedroom for decades. The amazing suite cost $10 million to build and rents for $40,000 per night.