So today has actually been pretty calm. All week the shop has been buzzing with people, so it's a nice feeling that today isn't so crazy. Sales are still high though, which is always the important factor to slow days. It's good that it's slow, but it's great that the few sales that I have done are big ones.
So far the most popular item is porn. Specifically, female ejaculation porn. I have already sold half a dozen videos about female ejaculation, from instructional, to "Squirt Girls". And this is all to different customers, who all seem to want the same item.
Cock rings is the second most popular item of the day.
Lots of lube as well. You can tell that people are getting ready for warm nights at home. That, and they tell me that they are buying presents for their partners.
One couple bought over $400 worth of product. They left with huge smiles. I love sexually healthy couples.
Anyways, happy holidays to you. Keep warm, masturbate often.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Avi Answers
Just fyi, I just join formspring.com, which is a questions/answer site. So you may be seeing updates from people asking me questions about a variety of topics.
Last night I got a customer emailing me because I recommended the wrong porn to him for his wife. In his message he said that I had told him that I hadn't seen it, but he still bought it. He then talked about mistrusting me now due to that. Honestly, I don't remember this customer, but I feel bad that I let him down. But in fairness to me, I had told him I hadn't seen it, and I also am not a wizard when it comes to magically recommending porn. Everyone has a different preference, and saying "I want Fem Domme porn" doesn't really specify things for me. Well, let's try again.
Honestly, the best Fem Domme porn I've seen is on Divinebiches.com
Last night I got a customer emailing me because I recommended the wrong porn to him for his wife. In his message he said that I had told him that I hadn't seen it, but he still bought it. He then talked about mistrusting me now due to that. Honestly, I don't remember this customer, but I feel bad that I let him down. But in fairness to me, I had told him I hadn't seen it, and I also am not a wizard when it comes to magically recommending porn. Everyone has a different preference, and saying "I want Fem Domme porn" doesn't really specify things for me. Well, let's try again.
Honestly, the best Fem Domme porn I've seen is on Divinebiches.com
I know it says "Ask me anything", but what would REALLY be out of bounds (outside of clear abuse)?
Nothing, as a sex educator and kink lifestylist, I'm pretty open to answering anything. It's kind of my job. If it's stupid or ignorant, I might just get annoyed.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Children and the Sex Shop
While walking to work today I passed the downtown civic center where The Nutcracker is playing. There were children everywhere. I chuckled to myself as I walked across the street to open the store. I'm pretty sure that sometime during the show I'm going to get a parent who sneaked away in order to buy some sex stuff.
Anyways. Children. Our store is 18+ (duh) but there are some times when we do let children in the store. Not in a creepy way or to sell them anything, but there are certain situations where kids are allowed in, or at least, times where I have interacted with them in terms of the shop.
The most common situation which I have come across is when a couple, or a pair of friends, shop together and they take turns coming into the store. One will wait outside with the children, and the other will scope around. Then they switch off. If it is a couple, usually the second person who comes in buys things.
Another option is the parent bringing their child in with them. Here I have a very specific rule. If they are not old enough to recognize where they are, are not going to grab things, then it's okay. Usually this means less than a year old, where the parent brings a stroller or carries them in their arms. If the child can run around, they are probably too old to be in here. It also makes the other customers uncomfortable to have a toddler around when they are shopping for sex. Or so I assume. Parents use their own judgement, I've never actually told anyone yet to leave due to them bringing their kids in.
The only awkward situation I get into with kids is when they wander in. The location of our store is the prime area where festivals happen, and where there are festivals, there is lots of kids running around away from supervision. Sometimes children wander into our store, on accident or on purpose. I then have to politely shoo them out. I need to make sure not to be mean, but have them leave the store as quickly as possible. I make sure to be polite and not touch them. Sometimes parents come in after them, horrified, but I make sure to be sweet and unalarmed. After all, no one likes a freaked out parent.
At Halloween one year I stood outside with candy for the downtown trick or treating. It may sound weird on paper that a sex shop worker stood outside her work with a basket of candy to give to children, but it wasn't. Parents actually really liked it, especially that I stood outside for four hours just to give out candy.
Anyways. Children. Our store is 18+ (duh) but there are some times when we do let children in the store. Not in a creepy way or to sell them anything, but there are certain situations where kids are allowed in, or at least, times where I have interacted with them in terms of the shop.
The most common situation which I have come across is when a couple, or a pair of friends, shop together and they take turns coming into the store. One will wait outside with the children, and the other will scope around. Then they switch off. If it is a couple, usually the second person who comes in buys things.
Another option is the parent bringing their child in with them. Here I have a very specific rule. If they are not old enough to recognize where they are, are not going to grab things, then it's okay. Usually this means less than a year old, where the parent brings a stroller or carries them in their arms. If the child can run around, they are probably too old to be in here. It also makes the other customers uncomfortable to have a toddler around when they are shopping for sex. Or so I assume. Parents use their own judgement, I've never actually told anyone yet to leave due to them bringing their kids in.
The only awkward situation I get into with kids is when they wander in. The location of our store is the prime area where festivals happen, and where there are festivals, there is lots of kids running around away from supervision. Sometimes children wander into our store, on accident or on purpose. I then have to politely shoo them out. I need to make sure not to be mean, but have them leave the store as quickly as possible. I make sure to be polite and not touch them. Sometimes parents come in after them, horrified, but I make sure to be sweet and unalarmed. After all, no one likes a freaked out parent.
At Halloween one year I stood outside with candy for the downtown trick or treating. It may sound weird on paper that a sex shop worker stood outside her work with a basket of candy to give to children, but it wasn't. Parents actually really liked it, especially that I stood outside for four hours just to give out candy.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Bitch of a Customer
Okay, so my day hasn't started off so well. Maybe I'm in a bad mood because my only job assignment for the day is to hand clean the plants, which takes forever and covers my in dirt and dead bugs.
Anyways, my only customer of the day so far was a bitch to deal with. So she walks in straight to the counter, asking about penis enhancement toys. After I lead her over to the sleeves she picks up a masturbation sleeve and asks if it would work. She gets a little pissy at me when I explain that I am not sure, since I have only sold it for male masturbation purposes. Anyways, she takes one. Next we head over to the dildos (apparently I am her personal shopper) where she examines one that she saw on our website. For this particular dildo we don't have a demo model out since we only have one in stock, and she starts whining that she wants to know what it feels like (even though a dildo made out of the same material was on display). She keeps bugging me until I open the package so she can feel it. After a while of comparing it and complaining about it's thickness, she says she would like to buy it. Then she informs me that she wants to buy it, but doesn't want one that has been open.
I take a breath. Not only did she already know that it was a closed package as well as our last one, she nagged me until I opened it for her. And now she demands a closed one. I explain to her that this was the first time it was opened, and that it is made out of non-porous high grade silicone that can be easily washed with soap and water. She starts complaining that she doesn't want to buy anything that has peoples dirty hands all over it. I then explain again that she is the only one who has touched it. She reluctantly decides to buy it.
When I ring her up, she asks me for a discount. I tell her that I can't just give her a random discount (more politely than that). She takes out her customer rewards card and says that she should get a discount. I scan her card, which tells me that her NEXT purchase after this one will have a $20 discount. When I tell her this, she gets pissy, saying that maybe she won't buy anything until she can get her discount. By this point I am annoyed. Fuck it, I gave her a small discount to stop her complaining. I think it was like $5. After she made her purchase and I had wrapped everything up for her, she tells me to take everything out and put it in an unmarked bag. Then after I put everything in the bag, she tells me to take everything out of the packages because she doesn't want her husband to see the packages. Then after I hand her all her toys, she smells them and say they smell funny. I explain to her that there are no harmful chemicals in them, and that she is smelling the silicone, which after cleaning with soap and water will be less strong.
She leaves and I go back to my cleaning
Anyways, my only customer of the day so far was a bitch to deal with. So she walks in straight to the counter, asking about penis enhancement toys. After I lead her over to the sleeves she picks up a masturbation sleeve and asks if it would work. She gets a little pissy at me when I explain that I am not sure, since I have only sold it for male masturbation purposes. Anyways, she takes one. Next we head over to the dildos (apparently I am her personal shopper) where she examines one that she saw on our website. For this particular dildo we don't have a demo model out since we only have one in stock, and she starts whining that she wants to know what it feels like (even though a dildo made out of the same material was on display). She keeps bugging me until I open the package so she can feel it. After a while of comparing it and complaining about it's thickness, she says she would like to buy it. Then she informs me that she wants to buy it, but doesn't want one that has been open.
I take a breath. Not only did she already know that it was a closed package as well as our last one, she nagged me until I opened it for her. And now she demands a closed one. I explain to her that this was the first time it was opened, and that it is made out of non-porous high grade silicone that can be easily washed with soap and water. She starts complaining that she doesn't want to buy anything that has peoples dirty hands all over it. I then explain again that she is the only one who has touched it. She reluctantly decides to buy it.
When I ring her up, she asks me for a discount. I tell her that I can't just give her a random discount (more politely than that). She takes out her customer rewards card and says that she should get a discount. I scan her card, which tells me that her NEXT purchase after this one will have a $20 discount. When I tell her this, she gets pissy, saying that maybe she won't buy anything until she can get her discount. By this point I am annoyed. Fuck it, I gave her a small discount to stop her complaining. I think it was like $5. After she made her purchase and I had wrapped everything up for her, she tells me to take everything out and put it in an unmarked bag. Then after I put everything in the bag, she tells me to take everything out of the packages because she doesn't want her husband to see the packages. Then after I hand her all her toys, she smells them and say they smell funny. I explain to her that there are no harmful chemicals in them, and that she is smelling the silicone, which after cleaning with soap and water will be less strong.
She leaves and I go back to my cleaning
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Fleshlight
We have some controversial sex toys. And by that, I mean people tend to look at them and have long conversations with their shopping buddies all about the toy. Usually about what the heck that item is, and how the hell you use it. Confusion over what a sex toy is is pretty normal here. The use of sex toys is not always obvious, and many times needs explanation. The first time I saw a Crystal Wand, I blurted out "what the fuck?" which at the time made the presenter that was showing it off glare at me.
It's when people start making fun of someone who would purchase an item is when I get annoyed. Confusion is fine, everyone is confused by sex. Especially sex toys. It's a complicated area of sex, not everything will make sense to everyone. But just because there is a sex toy that you wouldn't personally bring into the bedroom, doesn't mean that you need to make fun of it, or anyone who would use it.
The biggest example I can think of is The Fleshlight.
The Fleshlight is a male masturbation sleeve. Basically, you stick your dick in it, and fuck it. Well, that's the most blunt way I can describe it. The Fleshlight comes in a variety of shapes and textures, but we only carry The Pink Lady line. As seen in the picture above, it looks like a vagina, and has bumps on the inside to create texture. So people pick this item up the most (actually there's a couple playing with it right now)and laugh and stick their fingers in it (clean up time for me after they leave). That's fine, not everyone is used to seeing a rubber vulva. But I get a little irked when people start commenting on what kind of person would use it. Usually they go "ew, what kind of looser wants this?" Which, is a sucky thing to say. Just because it isn't your thing, doesn't mean you need to degrade people who use it. Not to gender this, but is it usually females, of a younger generation, making these comments. If with a friend, it is common for them to joke about buying it for their single male friend. Sometimes they will turn to me laughing ask if people actually buy them. They are shocked when I explain that they are one of our most popular items, that guys love the masturbation sleeves in general.
And then usually a little after they leave a guy walks in and buys one coincidentally.
Like right now
It's when people start making fun of someone who would purchase an item is when I get annoyed. Confusion is fine, everyone is confused by sex. Especially sex toys. It's a complicated area of sex, not everything will make sense to everyone. But just because there is a sex toy that you wouldn't personally bring into the bedroom, doesn't mean that you need to make fun of it, or anyone who would use it.
The biggest example I can think of is The Fleshlight.
The Fleshlight is a male masturbation sleeve. Basically, you stick your dick in it, and fuck it. Well, that's the most blunt way I can describe it. The Fleshlight comes in a variety of shapes and textures, but we only carry The Pink Lady line. As seen in the picture above, it looks like a vagina, and has bumps on the inside to create texture. So people pick this item up the most (actually there's a couple playing with it right now)and laugh and stick their fingers in it (clean up time for me after they leave). That's fine, not everyone is used to seeing a rubber vulva. But I get a little irked when people start commenting on what kind of person would use it. Usually they go "ew, what kind of looser wants this?" Which, is a sucky thing to say. Just because it isn't your thing, doesn't mean you need to degrade people who use it. Not to gender this, but is it usually females, of a younger generation, making these comments. If with a friend, it is common for them to joke about buying it for their single male friend. Sometimes they will turn to me laughing ask if people actually buy them. They are shocked when I explain that they are one of our most popular items, that guys love the masturbation sleeves in general.
And then usually a little after they leave a guy walks in and buys one coincidentally.
Like right now
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