I enjoy walking round sohos adult shops still, but doe anyone else? is online shopping the only way forward?
Nope. I can't manage to leave the house without the kids. Would never get near an adult shop with them, so than god for LH
yh i agree, as much as i like to, theres never the time, still think seeing and feeling is always great but who knows what the future holds .
I'd love to, but the nearest ones are (I would presume) in Carlisle, which is a fair drive for me just to go to a sex shop*.
(*I'd probably visit a few book stores too, but, yeah... it's not worth the effort).
Sex shops, while never particularly populary, certainly aren't popular these days for most of UK, from my understanding. The web is where it's at!
There's actually some new ones opening up over the next few months in the UK.
I love visiting sex shops and talking to the people... and grabbing a cup of tea as I look and talk about sex toy ^o^
Coco de Mer is a sex shop run by Lovehoney, and it's worth going into, as you will see products which aren't so mass produced.... it's rather magical.
There's one shop in London which has an amazing book collection.... I would even be happy to live in there guarding the books (yes I'm insane).
I personally would love to own a sex shop too. I'd perform workshops in it, talk to people, write st00f for it, pick the products, and set out the store in my unique way (ohhh dreams). Sadly there aren't many around me, so I'm even limited when it comes to just working in one. Although I should be doing workshops in some and in other locations later in the year.... so actually plan to go in to them early and poke around.
Saying that I also love finding random shops which sell sex toys too.... and then second hand bookshops are a goldmind for antique sex guides and erotic novels.
Ok.... I'm going to leave this thread now.... before, before I become stuck in a day dream.
There's only a small one near me, i used to go in for a browse occasionally but tend not to go in now because its often so quiet they keep coming up asking if you want any help trying to get you to buy. I like chatting but just got annoying.
If im away anywhere I'll always go in for a look, love looking round them :)
The Nymphomaniac wrote:
There's actually some new ones opening up over the next few months in the UK.
I love visiting sex shops and talking to the people... and grabbing a cup of tea as I look and talk about sex toy ^o^
Coco de Mer is a sex shop run by Lovehoney, and it's worth going into, as you will see products which aren't so mass produced.... it's rather magical.
There's one shop in London which has an amazing book collection.... I would even be happy to live in there guarding the books (yes I'm insane).
I personally would love to own a sex shop too. I'd perform workshops in it, talk to people, write st00f for it, pick the products, and set out the store in my unique way (ohhh dreams). Sadly there aren't many around me, so I'm even limited when it comes to just working in one. Although I should be doing workshops in some and in other locations later in the year.... so actually plan to go in to them early and poke around.
Saying that I also love finding random shops which sell sex toys too.... and then second hand bookshops are a goldmind for antique sex guides and erotic novels.
Ok.... I'm going to leave this thread now.... before, before I become stuck in a day dream.
Thats exactly why i asked ! Me too, id love to open a shop, i really do need to visit coco de ymer, im on there site at least twice a week but id love to visit. do you think people like going online because they can hide behind their computers, lets face it we are a country of prudes ! hehe
yes,but theyall seem to stock same prodcts
we us thie site to buy our toys on
Adult shopping in person is like any other for me — best avoided. It can be really bad — the closest to my home has the highest markups this side of Andromeda, is flooded with light worse than a hospital, and sports an extremely rude cow inside. Others don't really carry what I'm after, and there is only one in the entire country which does. Overexpensive, but the folks are quite nice. Sometimes, it's the only way to get a toy.
I have four toymaker companies I prefer, and toys from two of those are often hard to get, TSX in particular, due to their on-demand policy. Customers not based in the US can't choose colors or custom design amendments however, which means that one has to rely on what the stockists choose to order. That means no extra frills (which I don't care for), and that also means only three colors are available: black, red, or puke. The latter is really popular in online offerings for some unfathomable reason, which limits me even more. I'd also rather have black than red. Sometimes getting a TSX toy in black borders on the impossible.
So even if I have to pay nearly double, I go down to that local friendly outfit, and grab a copy if I can. They only restock twice a year or so, however. It's not as bad as it could have been — I got plenty of advice from some of the pros who work there, and I was also allowed to use my caliper to measure things, having been burned by ridiculous toy mismeasurements online. Were it not for them, I still wouldn't have owned an Octoplug in a sensible color for example, to this day.
Finally, if I run out of my Pjur, I'd rather go downtown than wait X days for a delivery. I then simply waltz into one of those and grab a container or two. In and out, 50 seconds tops ;)
Why would I? Lovehoney ain't on the high street. And I'll never go to Ann summers again after finding Lovehoney.
I used to go to Ann Summers before I discovered Lovehoney.. Now I don't bother. Lovehoney has a better variety and has much better prices! I only used to get embarressed shopping in sex shops anyway..
My local one has shut down for me the web is so much easier.
There is a shop local to me by another big company who also run Internet shopping. I do go window shopping there but the prices are really expensive. Obviously due to extra cost of running a shop. The real benefit it gives me is actually being able to see/feel item before I then go home to find on website the item or similar. Then it's just a matter of who is offering it at the best price who can get it to me when I want it.
I find the whole experience of going into an actual adult shop too embarrassing.
I had a bad experience in the biggest one in Manchester (at the time), which had swing doors (saloon style) and main door open to the world, so everyone could see who was in there. It also had the archetypical "dirty flasher mac" man (yes, he was wearing the Benny Hill mac) inside, who was eyeing up all the other customers and what they were buying. That made me feel most uncomfortable.
Whilst it is true that there is nothing like looking at the actual products; Lovehoney and similar sites have been a Godsend, plus you can always order an item, look at it as if you were in the shop, and return it if it isn't quite what you want.
No. I discovered Lovehoney when a local shop in the city near me shut down. Their prices were much more reasonable than AS,
Now I've discovered Lovehoney I wouldn't go anywhere else, what's not to love!!
I agree it is very embarrassing going into a sex shop.
I've never been into one of your typical 'seedy' looking Adult Shops (you know, the ones with completely boarded up windows and it's called something like 'Private Lines' etc.
I have however, been into Ann Summers many a time, and Prowler in Soho - I love to browse and get ideas but most times i'll end up buying online - not for convenience, it's more the fact it is cheaper to purchase online.
I don't know why people feel so embarassed... everyone in there is in there for the same reason as you, and everyone has sex! The trouble is, everyone has such a stereotypical view on what an 'adult shop' is like, and whilst there are a few that probably perpetuate the stereotype, most are really pleasant! In fact, I love looking round the shops in Soho, it's almost like boutique shopping, but for Dildo's and handcuffs!
I have only been to adult shops a couple of times before and I don't like it. I'm pretty crap at deciding what I want to buy and can't bear to stand around too long as I feel really self-conscious. Much better online where you can take your time and check out reviews etc, not to mention best prices.
Yeah im the same, although I'm not embarrassed to go into a sex shop (although it can't be a seedy looking one!), once I'm in I do feel a bit embarrassed looking at things for ages, reading the packaging, asking questions. My boyfriend loves it though, I sent him to the shop for some bondage tape (needed it immediately! Haha) and he came back with a bullet for me and hog ties as well!
I feel a bit shy too when an attendant asks me if they can help, what I'm looking for etc, its easier to type your dirty little secrets than say them out loud! For me anyway :)
MissChar wrote:
Yeah im the same, although I'm not embarrassed to go into a sex shop (although it can't be a seedy looking one!), once I'm in I do feel a bit embarrassed looking at things for ages, reading the packaging, asking questions. My boyfriend loves it though, I sent him to the shop for some bondage tape (needed it immediately! Haha) and he came back with a bullet for me and hog ties as well!
I feel a bit shy too when an attendant asks me if they can help, what I'm looking for etc, its easier to type your dirty little secrets than say them out loud! For me anyway :)
agree with everything you say. One of my pet hates is getting asked if i need help when im in an adult shop. Dont get me wrong i like helpful staff and i do like it when staff able able to advise me. However only when i ask them. Really creeps me out when im looking at a dildo or something and someone asks me if i need help (i feel like i should answer,'yes im wondering if this would be a good fit', which is just too much sharing). That said mind you i think it depends what your buying really. When i got my chastity belt and a few peices of latex pvc clothing recently, i was really glad of the sales assistant advice and it was nice to be able to look at the items in detail.
Dont worry though LH the majority of my stuff is purchased from here :) Only just found out about your sister company Coco de Mer (Thank you, The Nymphomaniac for bringing it to my attention) just had a look at their website and there is some amazing stuff. Im def going to be calling in thier with the oh at some point. Might also be ordering a few bits. All looks so good!