Sex Toys before Lovehoney

What are your memories of sex toys before Lovehoney came along?

Most of mine revolve around shops in Soho and Lock Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels. Last time I watched it I remember thinking that I couldn't imagine the Lovehoney bosses battering someone to death with victor. Lovehoney's returns also doesn't involve sending back a cheque from "Arse Ticklers Faggots Fanclub" in the hope that nobody would want to cash it.

Pretty much the same. I used some of the competitors, but now I don't use anywhere other than LH.

Loving your bit about Lock Stock. One of my favourite films of all time. It would be so funny for the top LH boss to be like Hatchet Harry!

Soho for me too. Well not for me as there wasn't much for men in the late 70s/early 80s, though I do remember seeing ads (in porn mags) for something called 'The Penisator', which was possibly just a vibrating cock ring. I went to Soho with my girlfriend to buy her a vibrator. It was all very Eastern Bloc: one size, one colour - a sort of Elastoplast pink. Probably made by Trabant. It did the job, though.

I can see this thread turning into the Four Yorkshiremen.

'Course, we only had one dildo between all twenty-six of us'.

'Rubber dildo?'.

'Yeah'.

'Luxury! We 'ad to mek do wi' rolled-up newspaper wi' cricket ball on the end'.

And so on.....

My experience includes an eager ex buying me a pocket rocket (which actually said pocket rocket on it!) then another encouraging me to buy a bright pink lady finger while lingerie shopping. They did the job, I guess! The pocket rocket was destroyed in a fit of jealous rage (not by me) and the lady finger may still be lurking!

Then I had my first online experience of browsing a selection of rabbits, looking up 'comparison' web pages on them all (while deleting browser history ofc), finally choosing one and waited, terrified, for it to arrive. Which it did, via a courier who knew exactly what I was buying lol! I was so embarrassed about the whole thing...still have the rabbit and only sentiment is stopping me from packing it off to amnesty...

If only the past me could see me now...luxury sex toys tucked away everywhere (and not just vibrators)and public conversations about them...world of difference since LH boosted my sex toy confidence! :D

My ex bought me mine when he was going away on buisness. He said that he'd got me a surprise and it would be coming with RM that day. I awaited eagerly for the postman, I had no idea what was coming.

Well.... It turned out to be a jelly dildo, about 10 inches insertable and 8 inches circumference. Nope!

We had a good laugh about it though, as whilst he was away he woud message me asking if I've tried his surprise yet, to which I would tell him that it was far too big. He would insist that I didn't need to take all the length. Only when he came home did he realise what I meant by too big. Bless, he didn't realise they came in different sizes.

Vanilla sex, no toys, dress up sometimes, once a week if I was lucky! Then I bought my OH a kindle about the same we found LH, she started reading more and more kinky books and LH gave us a way of buying the toys and gear to try out our new, no holes barred (quite literally!) fantasies! Thanks LH for making our lives better and so much fun. X

Sensuous58 wrote:

I can see this thread turning into the Four Yorkshiremen.

'Course, we only had one dildo between all twenty-six of us'.

'Rubber dildo?'.

'Yeah'.

'Luxury! We 'ad to mek do wi' rolled-up newspaper wi' cricket ball on the end'.

And so on.....

Hahahaha!

My first experience was going into a well-known high street shop and just spending ages trying to decide what to go for, eventually settling on a rabbit. I have no idea what caused me to go in there in the first place (most probably lack of orgasms despite quite a lot of sex- aah the joys of youth), and I wasn't that embarrased, although I do remember running home and dropping off my new purchase so it wouldn't magically start vibrating during the lecture I had to attend!

I did love that bunny though, I wasn't seen for the next three days....

I never go anywhere other than LH now, there's so much more choice and I have learnt so much from the reviews and the forum, not to mention the amazing opportunity to test things. My eyes have been opened and it's boosted my confidence no end!

I think the Rabbit was the real breakthrough. Everyone was talking about it, so sex toys generally became something you needn't be embarrassed about.

Although I'm still a bit embarrassed about how I first heard about the Rabbit. I was chatting up a colleague at an office party, and after she'd turned me down like a bedspread she went on a bit, in a humorous way: 'No thanks, I wouldn't be interested. Why would I be anyway, when I've got my rampant rabbit? Always hard, keeps going all night, never fails, there when I need him, doesn't nag me to do things I don't want to do' etc etc etc. And I was standing there thinking, God Almighty, has she got some giant chinchilla waiting for her at home, munching Vitamin E capsules and leafing through The Joy Of Sex? She must have registered my gormless look so she enlightened me.

I was lucky enough to start buying toys mainly from LH. I did go to a couple of sex shops with the OH but they were expensive and a bit strange and we never bought anything. I got a couple of cheap collars/wrist cuffs and lingerie from a highstreet retailer, but they were never really anything special.

Being of the internet generation, I stumbled across LH pretty quickly. I tried one online and one highstreet retailer first, both of which were severely lacking, and then.... here I am!

A few rubbish toys bought from a sex shop lol

fairehlights wrote:

Being of the internet generation, I stumbled across LH pretty quickly. I tried one online and one highstreet retailer first, both of which were severely lacking, and then.... here I am!

Same here!

I first started trying out toys from a high street shop that maybe rhymes with man strummers. I felt really embarrassed going in in case I saw someone I knew and also because the assistants would come up and talk to you (I know it's their job but I just wanted them to pretend I wasn't there!).

I tried a few different battery operated vibrators and really didn't like them as they were noisy, expensive and didn't do a thing for me. As far as I remember I got a long, thin gspot prober thing, a gspot/clit jelly vibe, a durex vibe, and a couple of plain vibes. I didn't even consider buying a rabbit because they looked huge and terrifying. I didn't bother buying anything else for a few years until I googled 'best online sex toy company UK' and found Lovehoney! I've never used anywhere else since discovering LH, mainly because of the community, customer service and returns policy.

My first sex toy came from a shop in germany, i remember sex toy shops being like supermarkets over there. Then I purchased from a competitor and then I found LH

My first toy was from Lovehoney, I've never bought from anywhere else. :)

My very first vibrator was an 18th birthday present from my best friend. Now that's real friendship!

When that wonderful first vibrator died, I started buying toys from a well known high street shop, because I thought it was the only option available. Shopping there was always an uncomfortable experience - the dark interior and muted light always felt seedy, the choice of product was limited and expensive, and the face-to-face purchase experience made me too shy to buy anything other than a straight forward vibrator. Their sales staff always tried to hard sell hygiene wipes and batteries at the till, sometimes coming very close to suggesting I was dirty if I didn't buy the wipes. Ugh. Horrible shopping experience.

I can't remember how I discovered Lovehoney, but ever since, I've bought all of my toys from them. A lovely, light, clean website design, a huge selection, toys for every budget... awesome!

Sex shop in town, now closed love shopping here toys are wonderful now USB charging silicon love my new happy rabbit.

Even though i'd seen toys in mail order catalogues a certain highstreet store (never had the courage to buy anything in there) and shops in Amsterdam's red light district my first toys came from an online competitor the first one i bought a ladyfinger was basically a mini version of 70's/80's version of the toy. then i started shopping here and now wouldn't shop anywhere else if i don't have to

Just a basic vibe from a highsteet store, had it for years and rarely used it. Now I have so many from here, that I could open my own store!

A black board marker and a water wiggler.

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