What makes a sex shop truly great? What elevates an sex toy shop from your everyday supply depot to a shop you can’t wait to get into? All the regular retail essentials need to be there: good prices, quality, selection, customer service. But the stores that make it into the Hall of Fame all have something more; they have passion for their work. And their work, God bless them, is to give all of us more interesting sex lives. The list is ordered by age of company, not ranked by quality.
Good Vibrations
The originator of the “clean well-lit” sex shop, Good Vibrations is both the oldest and the largest sex shop in the Hall of Fame. Now with four retail locations (three in California and one in Boston) and extensive on line and paper catalogues, Good Vibes is a great place to go for product exclusives and firsts, their website is also a wealth of friendly, no attitude, and accessible sex information.
The Stockroom
Founded online in the 80s, before the web existed, I first learned about The Stockroom from friends who were blind and raved about its honest and detailed text descriptions of products. I checked it out and was hooked. With more of a focus on BDSM, but a nice overall selection, The Stockroom combines a utilitarian approach to site layout with a deviant attention to detail in product lines. Rare in the Hall of Fame, this site also features lots of sexy photos of folks who love sex toys.Babeland
Babeland (formerly known as Toys in Babeland) first opened a store in Seattle, and now has stores in New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles. From their radical roots, their current stores and website have the feeling of a fresh fruit market, piled high with colorful goodies you want to take home and try out immediately. It’s particularly exciting to see the company grow so much and stick to its promise of friendly, fun, smart and straightforward sex information.
Blowfish
Sadly for real life shoppers, Blowfish only exists online. But happily for all of us with access to a computer, Blowfish exists online! The closest you’ll come to the feel of browsing in a store where every new shelf makes you salivate with excitement (at least I think it’s excitement that does that) Blowfish manages to be one of a kind in a world saturated with more of the same. Run by a group of dedicated and very nice people, Blowfish’s passion for their work comes through on every page.
Come As You Are
The world's only co-operatively owned and operated sex toy company, Come As You Are is an overachieving second generation alternative sex shop (full disclosure: in addition to my role as sexuality guide, I’m also a member of this co-op). They feature the same great service, selection, and information as its fellow Hall of Famers, but with they’re own slightly iconoclastic attitude. The democratic worker-owners bring a special cheeky passion to their work that makes you want to come back for more. They are also known for their commitment to accessibility.
My Pleasure
Another Internet only business, My Pleasure is a wonderful site that features some of the best sexual health information from any sex shop website, courtesy of Dr. Linda Mona and other sexual health educators, along with a great selection, good prices, and clear policies that offer a no nonsense shopping experience. I am also a great appreciator of My Pleasure for their sexual health commitment through their support of organizations like AASECT.
