Many of us have had that experience. You know, venturing into a brick and mortar sex shop looking to buy some sex toys or porn? Well unfortunately for most of us, it wasn’t one of those “good” experiences. The clerk is usually seedy looking or otherwise just giving off a creepy vibe. The look of the décor usually suggests the place hasn’t been renovated since it was built back in the 60’s and lets not even start on the other patrons! Seriously, what is it with these places? How come you only ever seem to encounter these people in seedy sex shops or strip clubs? Anyway, it is safe to say that these kinds of experiences don’t exactly portray a positive image for sex toys and their users. They do nothing but help to reinforce the oft perceived notion that sex toys are only used by sluts, freaks and perverts.
Not to mention this is something only those of us who could actually muster up the nerve to go into a shop like that in the first place have been able to experience. The vast majority of the sexually repressed or curious would never have had the courage to walk into an openly labeled sex shop.
It should come as no surprise then that since the rise of the internet and specifically online retail stores, the popularity and demand for sex toys has gone through the roof! A fact that just reinforces my long held belief that for too many years the often obvious and at least sometimes perceived seedy and sleazy nature of the “sex scene”, held products like sex toys back from truly reaching the mainstream. Ok, so they may not be totally mainstream yet, but they are certainly heading that way. Products such as the male masturbation toy Fleshlight, and styles of toys like the Rabbit Vibrator are well known and often referenced in mainstream media. Hit television show Sex And The City, for example, even featured one of its main characters using a “Rabbit”.
Perhaps more importantly though, by moving the buying process online, people are now able to browse, select and order their sex toys all within the private confides of their home. There is no seedy clerk to worry about, no prying eyes of other shoppers, and certainly no nerve required to enter the store. What’s more, customers credit cards are typically billed discreetly (no reference of “sex toys” on your credit card bill) and shipped in plain box packaging right to your door.
Long story short, this is how it should be. A truly private and discreet shopping experience for what is to most people a truly private and discreet activity.
