Reference: Woman-Positive Sex Stores

[c4bl3fl4m3.livejournal.com]

Time for another Reference guide! (yes, this means I'm extremely bored.) This time, I'm going to be listing all of the woman positive sex stores I know of. If I forget your favorite one, PLEASE, by all means, leave me a comment with info on it, and I'll be more than happy to include it. Especially needed is woman-positive sex stores in places that aren't the East or West coast of USA, Canada, UK, and ANY OTHER COUNTRY! BTW, all of these stores allow for ordering online in case you can't get to the store.

NOTE!: I've never been to most of these stores. I got the links from On Our Backs, a by queer women, for queer women, of queer women porno magazine that I love, and from Kingdom, the International Drag King magazine. Most of these companies are women owned (or even lesbian owned), women operated, or at least has a mission statement of woman friendlyness or celebrating sexuality. If you have a problem with any of these companies or if you think they're not appropriate for this listing, let me know, and I'll take them off the list.

Some of the ones in certain locations are not exactly "woman positive", but they're tasteful, not sleazy. In places where there ARE women positive sex stores, I wouldn't include these links. However, since it seems to be difficult to find women positive sex stores in these locations, I'm including these links, but putting a * in front of their name if I get the feeling that they're not precisely woman-positive (or queer-friendly or whatever). If you've been to these stores and think they qualify, let me know, and I'll remove the *.


USA
======
Toys In Babeland, New York City (2 locations) and Seattle, http://www.babeland.com
Good Vibrations, San Francisco and Berkeley, http://www.goodvibes.com/
Grand Opening!, Boston and Los Angeles, http://www.grandopening.com/
Early to Bed, Chicago, http://www.early2bed.com/
Eve's Garden, New York City, http://www.evesgarden.com/
Miko Exoticwear, Providence RI, http://www.mikoexoticwear.com/
* Fascinations, Phoenix (3 locations), Tempe AZ (2 locations), Tuscon AZ (2 locations), Boulder CO, Lakewood CO, Glendale CO, and Aurora CO, http://www.fascinations.net/
Melrose Urban Female, CA, but is only online, http://www.melroseurbanfemale.com/
My Pleasure, CA, but is only online, http://www.mypleasure.com/
Ruby Pearl, Iowa City, doesn't have a website, but info can be found at these URLs: http://www.dailyiowan.com/news/2003/01/29/Arts/Iowa-Citys.Other.Pearl-354122.shtml and http://www.downtowniowacity.com/product_info.php?cPath=3_50&products_id=243
A Woman's Touch, Madison WI, http://www.a-womans-touch.com/
Smitten Kitten, Minneapolis, http://www.smittenkittenonline.com/
A Woman's Prerogative Bookstore, Ferndale MI, http://www.awpbooks.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp (Apparently they sell dildos too, but I couldn't get to them online. They probably just sell them in the storefront.)
The Book Garden, Denver, (their website http://www.thebookgardendenver.com/ is currently down, but you can get info on them at http://www.uncommon-ground.org/local.htm ...scroll down a little more than half way) (they sell both books and toys)
* Fairvilla Megastore, Orlando, Cape Canaveral, Key West, http://www.fairvillamegastore.com/
Passional, Philadelphia, http://www.passional.us
Girl's Night In, Pittsburgh, http://www.girls-night-in.com
* Pleasure Place, Washington DC (2 locations - Dupont Circle & Georgetown), http://pleasureplace.com/
* Night Dreams, Tyson's Corner VA and Bethesda MD, http://www.nightdreams.com/
* Out on a Whim, Dothan, Alabama, http://www.outonawhim.com/ (the sex toys aren't available on the website... only at the store)

Canada
=======
Good for Her, Toronto, http://www.goodforher.com/
Come as You Are, Toronto / Venez Tels Quels, Montréal, http://www.comeasyouare.com
Venus Envy, Halifax NS and Ottawa, http://www.venusenvy.ca/
Womyn's Wear, Vancouver BC, http://www.womynsware.com/

UK
===
Sh!, London, http://www.sh-womenstore.com/
Tickled, Brighton, http://www.tickledonline.com/
Babes n Horney, London, http://www.babes-n-horny.com/ (had some of the coolest looking dildos and buttplugs I've EVER seen... clean lines and very colorful!)


Other - Wholesale/Distributor/Toy Parties (think Tupperware parties, but BETTER!)
=========================
Tantus, Inc. makes good quality silicone toys in the USA: http://www.tantussilicone.com
Happy Valley makes toys in Canada: http://www.venusenvy.ca/Distribution/happyvalley.asp
Venus Envy is a distributor for Tantus and Happy Valley: http://www.venusenvy.ca/Distribution/index.asp
Kinky Cobbler makes the Epicurean Rose, as well as other hand-crafted silicone products in Canada: http://www.kinkycobbler.com
Miko Exoticwear also does wholesale: http://www.mikoexoticwear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=mw
Passion Parties, USA, http://www.passionparties.com/
* Ann Summers (parties & online shop), UK, http://www.annsummers.com/
The Honeysuckle Shop (online shop and parties), Chicago area, http://www.honeysuckleshop.com/

Other - stores with erotica, sex tips books, but no toys
===========================
Book Woman, Austin, TX, http://ebookwoman.booksense.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp

Note #2: If you'd like me to put some links to fetish toys and/or leather companies, let me know.

Comments

[ourika.livejournal.com]

This isn't a store, but there's also Passion Parties. They're like Tupperware parties but toys :-) http://www.passionparties.com You can only place an order through an Independent Consultant (you can't order online). But if you go to the website, you can get contact Passion Parties and ask that a consultant in your area contact you. You can either host a party at your house or ask if you could get a catalog so you can place an order through her. There are consultants nationwide. When you make your purchase through the Independent Consultant, you're supporting a woman who's started her own business endeavor – one who's comfortable and happy discussing sex and toys and romance. The parties are great because your consultant will help give you new ideas on how to use the product, play games, etc. Good stuff (plus hostesses usually get a bonus discount).

But since this isn't a store, if you'd rather not include this in your list, feel free to delete it!

[c4bl3fl4m3.livejournal.com]

Either I'll put it under "other", or I won't put it in the actual reference, but I'll leave the comment.

Thanks! :-)

Hmm... this sounds like something that's right up my alley. :-D

[ourika.livejournal.com]

It's a pity you're not in Arizona. I'd be happy to come to your house and do a party!

[neferkiti.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how "woman-positive" it is, but Fascinations (http://www.fascinations.net/default.asp) is the place to go in the Phoenix area; they have some Colorado stores, too. They're not exactly a feminist haven, but they've got a good selection of toys, always have female staff members on hand (with lots of good advice) and it's the best place I know of in Phoenix. :-/

[flashmasterh.livejournal.com]

Melrose urban female is also a really good store. They are new I think, but they are owned and operatred by women. Its located in california. http://www.melroseurbanfemale.com. Also my pleasure is good. I'm not sure where they are located though, but the url is http://www.mypleasure.com/ I hope this helps.

[simpledarksquid.livejournal.com]

ruby's pearl in iowa city, iowa is fantastic and has a wide range of women positive items along with sex toys.
i can't find a site for them, but here's a link to a newspaper article about the store:
http://www.dailyiowan.com/news/2003/01/29/Arts/Iowa-Citys.Other.Pearl-354122.shtml

[sarahliz.livejournal.com]

A Woman's Touch in Madison, WI. http://www.a-womans-touch.com/ (http://www.a-womans-touch.com/)

[aster13.livejournal.com]

Do you want ones in the UK?
What about www.sh-womenstore.com
www.tickledonline.com
www.babes-n-horny.com

[frightened.livejournal.com]

I second that. I visited Tickled when I was in Brighton and Hove for LGBT Pride a couple of years ago - came away with nothing more risque than a t-shirt saying "Not even if I was straight!", but it seemed pretty cool. Either lesbian or very lesbian-friendly.

[misslynn.livejournal.com]

there's a chain called Priscilla's which is not specifically for women but is pretty female-friendly; they have stores all around the midwest but i don't know of/can't find a website for it. if this isn't helpful, my apologies :)

[frightened.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how woman-positive it is, objectively speaking, but in Britain there's the Ann Summers chain, http://www.annsummers.co.uk/. They have women-only Ann Summers parties, and there's at least two of their shops in Birmingham's shopping malls (it's a national chain). Mostly lingerie, though they have a selection of sex toys. The party I went to seemed very heterosexual and in favour of conventional femininity, and I didn't feel very inspired to buy anything, but it was a good laugh, anyway. And it's woman-friendly compared to the stereotypical sex shop...

[frightened.livejournal.com]

Come to think of it, it may well be international - I have no idea.

[homemade-sign.livejournal.com]

Womyn's Ware (http://www.womynsware.com/), in Vancouver, Canada

[peregrin8.livejournal.com]

www.honeysuckleshop.com

[pervynerd.livejournal.com]

I own a store in Pittsburgh, PA called Girls' Night In (www.girls-night-in.com) if you'd like to add it to your list...

[c4bl3fl4m3.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Fairvilla, Cape Caneveral

[(Anonymous)]

I would just like to second your suggestion to visit Fairvilla in Florida. I've been to the Fairvilla in Cape Canaveral and its really a wonderful place. Its a beautiful store with a fantastic staff - they did a great job making us feel welcome and comfertable. We discovered Phallix glass dildos there and I'm now OFFICIALLY crazy for these stunning glass toys!

[popejoan.livejournal.com]

Book Woman, Austin, Texas. No toys, since they are a book store, but they do have a ton of erotica, adult comics, sex guides, etc.

[irishlullaby.livejournal.com]

There's a specialty shop in Dothan Alabama, called OUT ON A WHIM (http://www.outonawhim.com) that has an adult shop inside it... Unfortunately, they don't show any of their adult toys on their site... just the other items that can be found in their other rooms.