opinion

So, what's a nice girl like you doing in a business like this?

Oh the wonderful world of sex toys!  I have been in this crazy business formally since 1993 but as a consumer since 1987, when I met the Smut Hound - someone that opened my world to all things sex. 

Having been in a relatively boring, non-child-producing marriage for 7 1/2 years, I was ready for some action.  I met the Smut Hound after dating a Swede for a year who was my first introduction to the "Hey!  Sex toys are fun!" world by buying me my first vibrator. 

I wasn't quite sure what to do with it and then, as so many women do on a frisky night, I dropped the 2 C batteries in the aqua plastic cylinder (there certainly weren't as many options for toys back in 1986), twisted the base on the hard shaft, spun the variable speed control, and the rest is history!!!  No turning back after that!

So the Smut Hound and I got together after the Swede moved away and it took me no time to embrace ALL THINGS SEX.  He opened the doors for porno, sextoys, public sex, crazy fucking, pornstars, Polaroids and everything else.  I found my home.

Until I went to buy my toys at the porno store in the world famous Combat Zone of Boston.  I'd go in and thoroughly entertain myself by checking out the variety of all the stuff on the walls - the packages, the names of the products (especially the porno videos!), what they looked like, what they did.  I would often accompany a nervous girlfriend when she wanted to buy a vibrator and I would describe the products to her as they were hanging in the boxes on the walls.  She would loudly whisper "Let's just get one and LEAVE!"  I'd bark back "Wait!  You're getting something for yourself!" and often she would just point to one and that was that.  I proudly walked up to the raised counter where the cigar smoking clerk was perched and he'd always ask "Ya gonna use this together?"  I'd always reply with a flat "Noooo" as I raised my middle finger in silent protest.  Just let me pay for my goddamn toy.

I decided I had enough of that and had the light bulb moment hit me while attending a G Spot workshop in New York City with the goddess known as Deborah Sundahl, a G Spot teacher since the early 90's and founder of the fantastic (and missed) hot REAL lesbian publication On Our Backs.  She mentioned the only place that would host her for a G Spot chat was the gay men's bookstore in Boston; not the two feminist bookstores - god forbid a woman talk about SEX in a feminist bookstore!  I clearly said "We could use a women's sextoy store in Boston!  I could do that.  I COULD DO THAT!"  History starts again.

I opened Grand Opening! a year later in 1993 after leaving my high ranking administrative position at Harvard University (where many of those sextoy buying girlfriends worked).  I loved owning Grand Opening! for over 12 years and decided my true passion was with teaching and learning and promoting all good things about sex - especially sex toys which is why I'm here.

So, join me on this endless journey all about sex toys... reviewing them, trying them out, sharing insights and hysterical information about this great sextoy industry, learning about things you can do with them and the related products like lubes, oils, related products and plenty of other things.  You'll learn lots of tidbits, be entertained, learn a joke or two, and best of all, become the sextoy person you'll ever want to be.  C'mon, let's go!

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

trends

Multipurpose Products Take Center Stage as Pleasure Brands Face Headwinds in Europe

As 2025 unfolds, the European pleasure industry finds itself balancing between resilience and recalibration. After riding high on customer demand during the pandemic, the sector is now adjusting to more cautious customer behavior, global geopolitical tensions and shifting retail strategies.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
profile

WIA Profile: Sara Gaffoor

Though it may seem surprising to outsiders, industry veterans are well acquainted with the self-esteem, personal growth and rewarding career achievements that can come with a job in the sex toy space.

Women in Adult ·
profile

Zhe Founder Karyn Elizabeth Creates Gender-Affirming Lingerie Fashion

For years, the mainstream lingerie market has been shaped by narrow beauty standards and cisnormativity, with little room for gender diversity. Most lingerie is designed to fit cisgender female bodies, while trans people are often forced to go DIY with uncomfortable solutions like pantyhose, duct tape and ill-fitting shapewear.

Naima Karp ·
profile

Neon Coyotes Sets the Tone for Trendiness With Bespoke Leather Kink Wear

If your kink wear can’t readily make the leap from a dark BDSM dungeon to a sunny, mimosa-fueled brunch, you haven’t yet been initiated into the cult of the Neon Coyotes — fresh, leather kink wear brand transforming restraints into runway-ready art.

Colleen Godin ·
opinion

Why It's Time for Adult Retail to Embrace AI

In the late 1980s, I was working in the rental car business. My first company didn’t have a single computer. Everything — contracts, inventory, employee records — was done by hand. If you wanted a report, you dug through paper files and crunched numbers on a calculator. It was tedious, but it was all we knew.

Zondre Watson ·
opinion

What Retailers Gain by Partnering With Family-Run Brands

In an age increasingly dominated by corporate consolidation and faceless supply chains, choosing to work with a family-owned and operated business can offer retailers a depth of value that goes far beyond pricing and product margins.

Briana Watkins ·
opinion

How the 'Back Massager' Vibrator Became the World's Most Versatile Sex Toy

Wand vibrators are once again having a pop culture moment. Recently, Harry Styles expanded his lifestyle brand, Pleasing, by introducing a “Pleasing Yourself” double-sided wand vibrator developed in collaboration with sex educator Zoë Ligon.

Naima Karp ·
opinion

Strategic Retail Buying in a Shifting Pleasure Economy

Retail buying has never been a static job, but recent volatility in pricing, caused by shifting tariffs, global import costs and freight variations, has demanded a new level of agility for adult industry buyers and managers. As business expenses rise, so does the pressure to optimize the return on every product.

Rin Musick ·
profile

WIA Profile: Cynthia Wielgosz Elliott

The past year has been a challenging one for the team at premier lubricant manufacturer Sliquid. Late in 2024, company co-founder Dean Elliott passed away after battling cancer, though he managed to flash his wide, signature grin until the very end.

Women in Adult ·
opinion

Michigan's Intimate Ideas Offers Playful Retail Setting for Wide Range of Shoppers

Jerry Manis, the regional manager of Intimate Ideas’ Michigan stores, never planned on working in adult retail — but he says it’s turned out to be a surprisingly rewarding gig.

Quinton Bellamie ·
Show More