How do other people feel about going to their local porn shop to rent videos or DVDs? I personally find it a nuisance most of the time because the staff where I go is so rude and they constantly curse. I don't care that they sell gang-bang videos and butt plugs and hardcore mags -- it should still be professional. Or am I asking too much?
I also still get embarassed or feel a little guilty if I think someone sees me walking into the store. I know I shouldn't, but it still does nag at me a little, so that's a drag.
I've considered trying an online rental service but I'm not sure if that would work for me. Usually when I feel like renting a porn, it's an impulse decision, and I can't wait the 3 or 5 days or whatever it takes to rent a porn through the mail.
I was wondering what the experience is like for other people.
haha.You should see the post i had on "Characters in Porn shops"over at Rame.There is also a page that has observations from the clerks point of view,pretty funny.
I go to a Mom_n_Pop vid store,and another giant sex super store on a weekly basis.The Mom'n'Pop people are ok,they don't make a fuss,why should they,over half the store is porn.The other place is much like you describe probably.All types of GenX/Y punk tattooed kids,many of whom smell like they haven't showered in 3 days.I am generally surprised when any of them show the slightest manners or professionalism.It's a fun loose atomosphere I understand,but I always loathe going to places where people obviously hate their jobs,or working.
I do get embarrassed sometimes,but eh.Who cares.My life.
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DenverDon Benevolent
Firmly Embedded in Depravity 5914 Posts 7/02
Posted - Nov 11 2002 : 5:08AM
My local store is very pleasant to go into. The staff are attentive and knowledgeable about all of the products they carry, which is VHS, DVD, toys, lingerie, and about anything else you might need.
Yes we have some stores like you are talking about, but my local one is 180 degress in the opposite direction. I enjoy it.
Most of the sex shops in Detroit are on 8 Mile Rd (the same one from the new Eminem movie). It is a very seedy, very large east-west artery for the city. There are plenty of streetwalkers, drug peddlers, etc. It is also the boundary between the city and the suburbs, so all of the shops are on the Detroit side of the boundary.
These places are gross, dirty, smelly affairs with some of the surliest workers (read that as missing lots of teeth) that I've ever encountered. And with the price points they've set, they could update to look like the Taj Mahal! But, I guess since they make money this way, they figure who cares.
All I can say is "God bless the internet!"
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DenverDon Benevolent
Firmly Embedded in Depravity 5914 Posts 7/02
Posted - Nov 11 2002 : 11:32AM
LOL aybesea,
We have a street almost like you describe, and that is where what I will call the 'old porn shops' are located. Seedy, seedy, seedy, and I wouldn't want to go in those.
Fortunately, we have some up-market stores that have opened up and are scattered in different and nicer areas. There are two not too far from where I live, and the closest and proabably the nicest is only about 6 blocks from where I live. Very pleasant, but I know what you are referring to.
I regularly check the videostores near by to buy some used or new DVDs. The most of the clerks there react a little bit strange. So sometimes I feel a little bit to be out of one's element (my translating programme propose this phrase, is it correct?).
About 100 km away I know a store where they sell just new porn DVDs for very low prices (a lot of Videorama for under 10 Euro for example). Their clerks are very kind and helpful because they are used to their products and clients. I really like to go there and shop as in every other store.
The best place I ever rented was a shop in San Diego. I loved that place. This was before the DVD heyday, and it wasn't the nicest place on earth, but they didn't treat me like I was just there to steal things or jack off in the aisles, and they had a great attitude about porn. There was ANOTHER place in San Diego, though... that I hated. :)
I don't live there anymore though, and I don't have local porn shops where I live now. :) The internet is my friend.
Fortunately Dallas has porn shops for every income bracket. The ones I go to are fine. As I'm a regular renter, treat the clerks like human beings, and don't mess up the merchandise they're all (relatively) glad to see me.
I feel pretty lucky after reading some of your responses. I live in the Chicagoland area, and there's actually a lot of places to choose from, all within a 30 mile radius, and none of them are seedy at all. One place tops em all. It's just a 20 minute drive from my home and well worth it. It's in an upperclass neighborhood/suburb and it's on a backstreet with a bunch of warehouses, so needless to say, noone's gonna see you enter the parking lot or walk inside. And it's owned by a very friendly Indian family. The inside is huge, well lit up and classy with everything from the newest DVDs to VHS, and you can either rent or buy. And when you check out, you don't have to say a word, just show the guy your card with the 6 digit number. Easy and fun as hell!
Patience is a virtue, but who wants to be virtuous? 4283 Posts 4/00
Posted - Nov 11 2002 : 3:30PM
My favorite 2 cities that I've been to for porn shops are Seattle and San Diego. Tampa Bay, Florida is pretty good too.
It's always been a goal of mine to open up an adult superstore chain, kinda similar to the Hustler adult stores. But much more knowledgable about the XXX section of the store. And also have an area that sells high-class erotic art and graphic novels and XXX comic books.
My favorite adult store ever is called Amore in Seattle near Sea-Tac airport. It's exactly like my dream store. They even have a section with nice lingerie and nice sexy shoes.
If you ever do open up an adult superstore chain, keep me in mind if you need someone more knowledgable about the XXX section of the store down the she-male aisle. lol
I just learned from my brother last night, that my other brother, who I haven't seen in like 15 years, manages an adult book/novelty store. But I'm not quite sure where or if this is totally true. I haven't talked to him since he left when I was about 6 years old, and I don't know how to contact him, but the brother who I have seen a lot of recently, told him that I do reviews on a website.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over and over again, but expecting a different result. - Albert Einstein
The porn store I was referring to in my original post is in a pretty good neighborhood too, so I'm doubly perplexed why it seems so seedy once you go in. I live in the San Fernando Valley -- the capital of porn -- so you'd think there'd be more retail stores here that were a little nicer.
The nicest store I know of in the Los Angeles area is The Pleasure Chest (actually in West Hollywood, I think). Oh, and Hustler Hollywood is pretty upscale. But I don't know about their movie rental selections, and it's not worth the trek over the hill into the city anyway.
I haven't been to any adult stores in Seattle or San Diego, but probably the best store I've ever been to is Good Vibrations, which has locations in San Francisco and Berkeley. The staff is really enlightened, and it's a clean, comfortable environment. You see as many single women in there as single men.
Tricia, I'm totally with you on the dream of opening an adult store of my own. I always wanted to have a place in the Valley that would be sort of like Good Vibrations -- actually gear it towards women, because they usually don't have a place to go. The men will come anyway. Wanted to make my own line of porn movies too, geared more toward women as well, but that's another story.
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Druber Deactivated User
187 Posts 9/02
Posted - Nov 11 2002 : 6:39PM
Me, too, I felt very embarrassed during my first visits. But now it does not make much difference wheter I go into a sex shop or into a grocery store. I just want to buy my product. In the grocery store the clerks are usually better informed about the stuff they sell. Sometimes I really wonder: if I was working in a sex shop or sex video outlet I would know the stuff I sell. Many sex shop clerks in Europe seem to know more about the gay stuff they sell, but thats no help to me at all.
The store that I go to most often is owned by an adult video distributor. About half of the time (in the evening) at least one of the people who is behind the counter is someone who works primarily in the distribution end of the business (buying from manufacturers and selling to other stores).
These guys are very knowledgable regarding their product (not only what is in stock, but what is coming out and when). They are also very friendly and helpful.
They know that I buy a lot of DVD's on the net because of the price. They have asked me to let them meet or beat the net price on DVD's before I order them. So far, for everything that they carry, they have always been able to meet the on-line price.
Wow Bill,you've got a pretty good place to shop there.I'm actually surprised when I hear the clerks I deal with recommend or give positive remarks on the product,not that I'm asking them.
The big store I usually go there because they have the new releases.They've got the arcade,peepshows,clothing,toys,cakes!etc.I read they were thinking of expanding with a coffeshop but that hasn't happened yet.
Another one level sexsuperstore I frequent doesn't have as much traffic,and is in a business area so it's not as embarassing to go to.I have to visit 3 stores to cover my addiction!This store has a better selection of Euro stuff(no GGG damn!)and obscure,but not old titles.The only problem is the aisles are so close together you have to get on your knees to check out the bottom rack.
And both places also have smokeshops,is this a trend or something to do with zoning issues?
I have managed asmall adult book/video store for the last xxteen years, and have some reasons for the habits of the porn clerk and the reason for the deplorable state of some adult video stores.
First, except for the manager (who will spend little time atthe counter) all porn clerks are temps. Nobody (well almost nobody) wants to do the job for very long, so the level of product knowledge is not to high (btw porn viewers make lousy porn clerks). Another factor leading to the surly attitude of porn clerks is that most of your customers lie to you all the time. This is America, and as Americans we can't (for the most part) tell the truth about sex. Fo example, every customer (except for two) that has bought a "love doll" says that it is for a "friend" , then buys the $100 + doll with lots of special features, not the $25 cheapie that would be much more suited for a "joke". Then there is the customer that dosen't have a clue as to what he/she wants, so asks for a porno with everything, then bitches that it had "nasty stuff in it". Most of you guys/gals would probably make OK or better customers, but most people lose about 40 IQ points when they pass thru the doot of the porn shop (and they don't have too many to spare). After the twenty-th one of those..... As to the ratty stores, you have to realize that no porn store can count on staying open past the next election. My company has a store in Spokane WA, it's been there for over 10 years, we own the building. this year the city council is forcing us to close that store and move to another location. With crap like this, why would anyone spend anymore than the bare minimum? Sorry about the rant, but you really should see it from my side of the counter. Oh yeah, not to mention the customer "by-products" if your store has an arcade, that will really make your day.
BIGmike, doesn't that seem ironic that both you and a brother you haven't known in your adult life both are "professionally" in the adult industry? You didn't seem to take much notice of this coincidence, so I wondered if you have given it any thought.
BIGmike, doesn't that seem ironic that both you and a brother you haven't known in your adult life both are "professionally" in the adult industry? You didn't seem to take much notice of this coincidence, so I wondered if you have given it any thought.
Nothing but.
I was pretty shocked to hear, when my brother told me that... He called up to see how everything was going and told me I might see my brother in Vegas, I was like, what?
Then he told me. I did find it kinda ironic, that two brothers, who haven't seen one another in at least 15 years, both took similar paths. I hope to get in touch with him, and do some catching up, as I've already done a lot of catching up with the other.
---BIGmike, going and going and going since MCMLXXX---
