opinion

'Tis the (Adult) Toy Season

Okay, I gotta admit something. I'm sure by this point of reading my blog, you've figured out that I really like toys. A LOT. As in adult toys but I do admit that I have quite a few assorted non-adult toys lying around my house because they give me happiness to see them and I occasionally play with them, too.

Now we're upon the Christmas season where toys are bestowed upon youngsters with wild abandon - screw that January MasterCard bill! Parents flock to Toys R Us as if the apocalypse is going to break loose on December 25 and their kid has to have every toy on their wish list. But why do those kids have to have all the fun?

When I meet someone, especially someone who has dating, or, more appropriately, fucking on their mind, they jokingly say to me "I bet you have crates of sex toys" and I respond with a completely straight face "yes, I do." I DO have at least a dozen big Rubbermaid containers of adult toys stacked in my garage, so full they oftentimes threaten to pop off the lids. There's sex toys that are common, sex toys that are hard to find, sex toys that have been discontinued long ago, sex toys in their box, sex toys out of their box, sex toys that are my favorites that I keep saying I have to take out of the crates in the garage and deposit them into my bedroom chest of drawers so I can have them at the ready but using them in my garage is just so much more fun and nasty.

I just love toys, that's all I can say.

So why is it that when we get a toy as a kid, our faces light up, we jump up and down, we squeal in delight and think there's absolutely nothing else better in the world in that moment? When we get an adult toy in a store, many times people sheepishly walk in, make their purchase (praying to God that it's in an opaque bag that no one can see what they bought), and slink away in their car, feeling shameful and perhaps guilty that they bought something to use themselves or spring on their lover that night. Maybe the neighbors will think "Hey, what's 'a matter? Ya ain't getting any?" or that they need lubricant because they're not turned on enough. Maybe they feel guilty because they're buying something their girlfriend was too nervous to get or didn't want their name and address associated with buying something on the web. Maybe they just don't want to admit they like buying sex toys and would feel much more relieved if Toys R Us had an adult section, which actually would be a pretty good idea!

One of my fondest Christmas mornings was sharing it with a lover who decided to surprise me with an adult version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Unbeknownst to me, he had 12 unwrapped, battery-filled sex toys under the bed, and with each passing refrain of "On the Twelve Days of Christmas, my true love gave to me...." and voila! Another sex toy appeared! I anxiously tried each one as it was unveiled and I'm glad that I didn't keep stuffing them into myself as the refrains keep repeating themselves. It was one of the best grown up Christmases I ever had!

I say let's take back the fun and pride in buying a toy that will make us feel good! If you work in an adult store, try sharing the enthusiasm like a kid on a candy high, letting the customer know that getting an adult toy they really want to have for themselves or wrap up and put under a tree is as good as it gets.

And don't forget to play! With your toys, with role playing, with sex. Play with your toys like kids do only this time, it'll a lot more fun and Mom doesn't need to pick up after you.

Happy holidaze and toy shopping!

And now, the Joke of the Blog?

Q. What's the difference between deer nuts and beer nuts?

A. Beer nuts are about $1.49 and deer nuts are under a buck.

Q. What were you before you were Mama's little baby?

A. Daddy's little squirt.

On the twelve days of Christmas... see ya on the next blog!

Copyright © 2026 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

profile

BranditScan's Aerie Saunders on Fostering Creator Knowledge, Confidence and Community

Aerie Saunders is firmly in her season. When she sits down with XBIZ, a fall-scented WoodWick candle burns in the background, pumpkins decorate her desk and the first signs of spooky season are already on display. Not that Saunders waits until autumn to embrace the macabre.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

Why Adaptive Pleasure Belongs Across Every Adult Retail Category

For too long, accessibility in adult retail has been treated as a side conversation. When it appears at all, it is often tucked away in a hard-to-find website category, framed as a special accommodation or treated as a medical add-on rather than a legitimate pleasure category. That approach misses the point.

Hail Groo ·
trends

Why Retailers Need a Clearer Conversation About Margins

With rising manufacturing costs and living expenses, manufacturers’ suggested retail price (MSRP) no longer aligns with the actual costs of operating a business. This situation calls for a discussion about the current industry pricing landscape, potential adjustments, and how companies can make an impact.

Mersy Love ·
profile

WIA: Perfect Fit Brand's Cee Cee Peters on Building a Lasting Career

For much of her decades-long career in the adult products industry, Cee Cee Peters let her work speak louder than her name. While she built relationships with retailers, became a top salesperson, and watched the business evolve from a movie-dominated marketplace into today’s sexual wellness industry, Peters deliberately kept a relatively low public profile. Raising children during the rise of the internet made that decision especially important to her.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
trends

A Look Inside CC Wellness' Production Process

Stepping through the front doors of CC Wellness’ 215,000-square-foot headquarters, you first encounter the lubricant manufacturer’s comprehensive process in the company’s wall of plaques, which celebrate more than 25 formulas that have received FDA 510(k) clearances for medical devices.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
trends

A Look at the Growing Market for Pleasure-Enhancing Consumables

For decades, the sexual enhancement aisle consisted mainly of pills promising stamina, with bottles and blister packs leaning heavily into themes of masculinity, urgency and performance. The sales pitch was rarely subtle: Take this, and something bigger, harder, longer or more intense would follow.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
opinion

5 Ways Pleasure Brands Can Maintain Social Media Visibility Beyond the Algorithm

The most difficult part of managing social media for pleasure brands is my archnemesis: the algorithm. I am sure most people who work in sexual wellness would agree. We are constantly navigating reduced reach, content removal and, in some cases, account bans. That can make connecting with customers feel impossible, but it is not.

Taylor Maness ·
profile

Verifymy's Emma Robert-Tissot on Putting People at the Heart of Online Safety

Warm, friendly and always happy to help, Emma Robert-Tissot has a gift for making even the most complex corners of online safety feel approachable.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

How Sexual Wellness Brands Can Use Emotional Marketing to Build Loyalty

Adult businesses have never had access to every marketing tool available to mainstream brands. Platform rules, advertising restrictions and content policies can limit the options for sex toy manufacturers and retailers. Add a difficult economy and more cautious consumers, and relying on tactics that worked a few years ago may no longer be enough.

Kate Kozlova ·
profile

WIA: Kristin Zuri-Godskind Draws on Deep Expertise to Elevate Sportsheets

After 18 years in the pleasure products industry, Kristin Zuri-Godskind has experienced the business from nearly every angle. Her career has taken her through retail, merchandising, management, distribution, sales, product education and manufacturing, giving her a perspective shaped as much by the sales floor as by the relationships she has built along the way.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
Show More