One of the first questions you'll be asked on entering our stores is something along the lines of, "How can I help you today?" And while some people jump on the chance for help, others are left completely stumped and manage a lot of ummms and errrs before saying, "I don't really know". This is always great fun for me, as a shop assistant, because it gives me the chance to figure out the perfect toy (or toys!) for this person's needs.
However, if you like the idea of figuring this out before you come into our store, or if you're looking to buy something online, then I thought I would do some blog posts to help with the process of buying a toy. This first one will get you questioning what exact purpose you want from your purchase.
Who is this for?
First of all, we're going to need to know who you're buying the toy for. Is it a gift? Are you treating yourself? Or maybe something you'd like to use with a partner.
If it's for you, then you probably already have some ideas of what you like and what you may have tried in the past- what has worked well for you and what you'd rather avoid in the future.
If you're buying this for someone else (be they a friend, sexual partner, or both!) you might want to get an idea of what they like. The easiest way is obviously to talk to them, but if you wanted to surprise them then there are other ways to figure out what might be best. Have they mentioned any favourite toys before? Or maybe you've already used some together and got a sense of what seems to work best. Even if you don't use toys together, pay attention to which parts of their body they most enjoy being stimulated.
In terms of planning on using toys together, you're going to want to figure out in what kind of setting you'd like to use it. So what kind of sex you plan on having with it, if there will be any role-play involved, and where you're going to use it (there's no point buying a mains powered wand if you're going away for a weekend to somewhere with limited plug sockets!). Hopefully by answering these questions you can start narrowing down your ideas.
Where is it going to go?
After who, the easiest way to make a decision is by answering where. If you have any idea of where you want to stimulate, then either use the menus on our website, search for that specific body part, or ask us in store to point you in the right direction.
Some examples to get you started are:
Remember that there aren't too many rules around how you use sex toys. Just know that anal toys should always have some kind of a base to make sure the sphincter doesn't pull them too far inside, and make sure materials (next blog post!) are body-safe before using them internally. As long as you're being sensible, feel free to be creative with your toys! Combine them, try them out on different body parts, in different positions, and for whatever role-plays you can come up with. As long as everyone involved is safe and having fun, then there aren't many wrong ways to do this.
Next time I'm going to go over the different material and moulds you can choose from, see you then!
