Sex Toys for Beginners Part 1: Virtual Sexuality

Probably the #1 reason people don't buy sex toys is that they're too shy to go into the store that sells them. What if someone they know sees them? What if the salesperson tries to talk to them about sex and it gets really awkward? What if they can't figure out what all those gadgets are for?

It can be a bit intimidating. So my first tip for buying sex toys is to start online. Why not? You can spend as long as you want browsing, researching the toys you're interested in, reading reviews - and all without having to talk to a real live person (you can even use Chrome's incognito browser if you share a computer). The best part? Your toys will arrive in your mailbox without ever having to set foot in an adult store.

Of course, you'll want to make sure you find a reliable, trustworthy online store to shop from. Not only do you want to make sure you're not going to get ripped off (who wants to explain to their credit card company that they need to stop payment to Sex on the Net for a butt plug and anal-ease?), but you want to make sure you're getting high-quality items made from safe materials.

My favourite stores - both in person and online - are:

The Art of Loving
The Love Nest
Womyns'Ware

But if they don't ship to your part of the world or if they don't have what you're looking for, my advice is to do some research into sex stores in your area and find their websites. I visited the storefronts before the websites for both of these and got a feel for them and knew I could trust them. You can scope out a store and get a good feel for whether it's an upscale establishment without even going inside (hint: if it has blacked-out windows and ads for 25 cent peep shows, it might not be the woman-friendly type of place you're looking for).

Once you figure out where to buy from, do your research on what you're going to buy. Visit the websites of the companies that make the toy(s) you're considering buying, and make sure you trust their policies and materials. You can even order directly from toy manufacturers if you know exactly what you're looking for. (I know and trust the three stores listed above, so you can always find what you want on their site, and look for the same brand on a site that ships to your location if you're nervous.)

But most of all, take the time to read reviews and blogs (like this one) so that you have an idea what's out there and what might appeal to you. This way you're less likely to end up disappointed! As you may have noticed from the title of this post, I'll be doing a series of sex toy posts that have more specific toy recommendations to get started with, and a few useful tips to go along with them, so be sure to check back, and happy shopping!