It’s that time of year! Time for Thanksgiving and all that comes with it: The Macy’s parade, turkey, football, family, friends, and the warmth and comfort of gathering with the ones you love. Also, for many people it’s a time to say “the hell with that!”, leave their warm homes and wait outside in long lines for a shot at great deals during Black Friday sales. Well, the good news for sex toy lovers is you don’t have to choose between cozying up at home or scoring bargains! In sex toy world, Black Friday sales happen online and you can shop them in your pajamas with a mug of cocoa!
These tips will help steer you in your Black Friday bargain hunt.
Advertisement
But with all the selection available when it comes to sex toys, it’s always a good idea to have a plan (sex toy shopping can be overwhelming!) and today I’ve got some tips to help steer you in your Black Friday bargain hunt to make sure you don’t emerge from a clicking frenzy with a random discontinued toy, a crappy plastic vibe you don’t like or a toy designed for an anatomical feature you don’t possess (weird things can happen when we get excited about sales!). We’re going to talk about how to hunt for things you’ll genuinely be excited about, how to make smart shopping choices, and even a couple of things that are good ideas to keep an eye out for regardless of who you are. There are some supplies we will always want on hand so why not stock up during sale time? This is a great time to grab lubricant, for one. I like to keep multiple kinds on my nightstand and change what I’m using depending on activity: A thick water-based formula like Sliquid Organics Gel, a hybrid like Sliquid Organics Silk, a silicone like überlube, and an oil based like The Butters. Also, sales are a terrific time to stock up on safer sex supplies. Condoms and dental dams can get expensive. If you find a site that’s having a “__% off your purchase” sale you can save big. Stock up!
Advertisement
Do you know what works for your body? For example: Do you already know you love pinpoint clitoral stimulation? Or that you are a G-spot lover? Or that you love prostate play? Or that you crave something big and powerful? Great! Have you noticed that people (friends, reviewers, sex shop staff) have been saying that a certain toy is THE toy for that thing? Have you been thinking “one day I’ll have to try that!”? Maybe the day has come! Go look for it! This could be your chance to get a great deal on the thing you’ve been thinking you’d like.
Prostate folks, see what’s going on with the Aneros toys. G-spot fans, check out the LELO MONA 2 or the nJoy Pure Wand. Pinpoint clitoral stimulation fans, maybe today is the day you spring for the We-Vibe Tango. Broad stimulation folks, is that Doxy wand calling your name? Or maybe you're eyeing the Magic Wand Rechargeable? You folks get what I'm saying; if you've had your eye on a toy, this may be the time to, in the immortal words of "Parks and Rec," treat yo' self. Not so sure what sex toys work for you and your body? OK! In that case, Black Friday may be a good time to look at less expensive things that let you try a couple of different things. Not sure if clitoral stimulation or G-spot stimulation works for you? The Pleasure Works Blue Venus and any of the Slimline G vibes allow you to explore these possibilities and are both usually less than $25 each without sales! New to strokers? Grab a Tenga Egg or two! At less than $10 a pop they will let you explore the concept with very little commitment.
Advertisement
Have you been thinking about stepping outside your comfort zone? Maybe venturing into kink for the first time? Investigating strap-on play? Endeavoring to put stuff in your butt? Are you not sure you’ll like it? What an awesome time to get a great deal on something! Of course, you still want to buy a quality product (no jelly toys, please!) but it can be a bit easier to allow ourselves to try something and accept we’re just not that into it if we haven’t broken the bank to try it. Embrace sale time as your time to try the stretching-your-boundaries stuff you’ve been considering. My years writing about sex toys and shops have taught me that the holiday season is no different for sex shops than any other stores: they get super-busy with folks hunting for gifts. Now, I have some mixed feelings on this. Generally I feel like buying a sex toy for someone else is a huge risk as sex toy preferences are so individual and personal but I know folks really love the idea of injecting some sexiness into their gift-giving and I would hate to thwart that so, if you want to gift-hunt during the Black Friday sales here’s my advice: First off, read Epiphora’s classic advice on sex toy gift shopping. Then, I advise you to consider some super-sexy non-toy gifts like lubricant, bath and body products and massage oil.
Advertisement
Check out Kinkly's Gift Guides for Novices, Couples and Kinky People
Also, you can consider fun sex toy accessories. The Liberator Moto and Tristan Velvish bags are designed for sexy toy storage and transportation. With soft, lush velvet exteriors, genuine leather straps, removable handles that can double as a cuff link for wrist cuffs, and a water-resistant inner liner to prevent liquids from escaping, these bags are the perfect gift for the toy owner in your life. Toy-adjacent gifts like these are great ways to spoil someone with sexy gifts without saddling them with a sex toy that does nothing for them.
So that’s my advice for braving the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sex toy sales. Get out there and be on the lookout for good deals and above all, have fun!
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
JoEllen Notte
JoEllen is a writer, speaker, researcher and mental health advocate whose work explores the impact of depression on sex and relationships. Since 2012 she has written about sex, mental health, and how none of us are broken on her award-winning site The Redhead Bedhead. JoEllen has led workshops nationwide on sexual communication, navigating consent, having casual sex kindly, and dating as an introvert. She has toured sex shops, spoken at length on dildos, and even started a sex school but she is happiest and most effective when writing and speaking on behalf of quiet people who have sex. Check out her video series on attending conferences as an introvert and her extensive writing on sex and depression. JoEllen has spoken at Clark College, University of Chicago, Woodhull's Sexual Freedom Summit, and the Playground ConferenceJoEllen's book The Monster Under the Bed: Sex, Depression & The Conversation We Aren’t Having is now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook.
