Mayfair Magazine January 1987 Vol 22 No 1 Mel Appleby Petra Amanda SKU 1469

Original vintage Mayfair – Entertainment For Men, Volume 22 No. 1, January 1987, with a prominent cover feature on Mel Appleby, best known as one half of the pop duo Mel & Kim.

This is a particularly interesting late-1980s Mayfair issue for collectors because Mel Appleby is not simply mentioned inside — she is the main cover model and featured pictorial, with the cover advertising her as the chart-topping star of Mel & Kim. The photographed contents page places her dedicated feature on page 59 and credits the photography to Donald Milne. Contemporary issue references also identify Mel Appleby as this issue's covergirl.

The magazine states 132 pages every month on the front and carries its original £1.50 UK cover price.

Models / Pictorial Features

The photographed contents page gives a very useful breakdown of the model features included in this issue:

• Amanda – page 11
• Elaine – page 20
• Freddie – page 38
• Mel Appleby – page 59
• Petra – page 78
• Daphne – page 87
• Geraldine – page 107
• Rosemary – page 119

For the title I have deliberately concentrated on the strongest identifiable model names rather than filling it with unrelated celebrity or feature names.

Mel Appleby Cover Feature

The principal collectible attraction is the extensive Mel Appleby feature.

The front cover promotes:

“Chart-topping Mel Appleby of pop-group Mel & Kim”

and advertises the pictorial as among her most revealing photographs at the time.

The contents page's Cover Story section identifies Mel as the month's cover girl and connects her directly with the success of Mel & Kim, whose single Showing Out is referenced in the magazine copy.

The cover has a very distinctive 1980s studio fashion aesthetic, with Mel photographed against a clean white background in a dramatic black outfit and long black gloves. It makes for an immediately recognisable period cover and should have crossover appeal to collectors of 1980s pop memorabilia, Mel & Kim material and vintage men's magazines.

Other Magazine Content

This issue contains substantially more than the model pictorials and gives a good snapshot of the type of editorial material Mayfair was publishing in the late 1980s.

The photographed contents page lists features including:

• Gunship feature – historical/military aviation subject matter
• Viking feature
• Motoring – page 50
• “Chuting Stars” – page 70, centred on parachuting/free-fall
• a regular Quest feature
• Yvette Surgery
• Carrie
• humour sections
• fiction
• reader letters
• book society
• back-number service
• subscription information

The contents photography also shows a classic vintage motor car and a parachuting/free-fall image, reinforcing the magazine's mixture of glamour photography and broader lifestyle/adventure material.

Special Offers

The contents page additionally mentions:

• Mayfair Lingerie
• New Personal Directory
• Fashion Watches

These period advertisements and reader offers are part of the appeal of an original 1987 copy and help retain the authentic character of the magazine.

Condition

This is a pre-owned original vintage magazine and the photographs show a copy that has been stored and handled, but which still presents quite well for its age.

Visible condition points include:

• front cover retains strong, bright colour
• main Mel Appleby cover image remains clear
• light general surface rubbing / handling marks
• some light creasing and waviness around the outer edges
• minor corner wear
• small amount of rubbing to the spine and outer edges
• slight curl/bend to the magazine from storage
• bottom and side edges show some normal age-related handling
• internal contents page appears clean and clearly readable
• pages shown remain well attached
• normal age-related paper toning is visible internally
• no obvious handwritten notes or heavy staining are visible in the photographed areas
• rear cover shows light edge and corner wear but remains intact
• no major detached sections are visible in the supplied photographs

Overall, I would describe this as a good vintage collector/reading copy with normal age and storage wear, rather than mint or near-mint.

Please study all supplied photographs carefully, as they show the actual magazine being offered and form an important part of the condition description.

Postage & Packaging

This vintage magazine will be packed carefully to help protect it during transit. Depending on the finished parcel size and weight, it will be protected using a sturdy cardboard box and/or suitable bubble wrap, with extra attention paid to the front and rear covers, spine, corners and outer edges to reduce the risk of bending, crushing or impact damage.

SKU 1469