[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="181" caption="Trojan Triphoria, $47"]
[/caption]Babeland was mentioned today in a New York Times article about Trojan?s new line of vibrators going on sale at drugstores near you. Founder Rachel Venning?s quote summed up Babeland?s take on this new development in the vibrator retailing business:?I know women will buy them at Duane Reade, and as a lifelong cheerleader for sexual empowerment I?m thrilled at this development,? Ms. Venning said. ?It?s one more step in the evolution of vibrators to just another consumer product, unburdened of its freight of shame, sexual defect and sluttiness.?We are excited that vibrators are slowly losing their stigma, and by treating them as a normal, everyday purchase, brands like Trojan and Durex can help folks feel good about buying toys to enhance their sexuality. But my question for you readers is: "Will you or would you buy a vibrator at the drugstore?"[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="162" caption="Wahl 7-in-1, $40"]
[/caption]While reading this story, I remembered buying my first vibrator in 1977 at the age of 17; it was the ever-pleasing and still available Wahl. Guess where I bought it? A drugstore. So the fact that Trojan is selling Triphoria to the drugstore market isn?t exactly news (see Jen Droll's hilarious take on this in the Village Voice). Vibrators have been for sale in drugstores for decades. The big change is that they are now being sold as ?vibrators? rather than ?massagers.? The condom brands finally figured out that name brands like Hitachi, Wahl and Panasonic have been reaping sales from the massager-as-sex-toy market without ever lifting a finger. But how well can Durex and Trojan tap that?The first question is whether your average Joe and Jane will feel OK plonking down their new Trojan vibrator at the local drugstore checkout counter, along with the crackers and Q-tips. This hits the same nerve for people that purchases of condoms, tampons, and adult diapers have been hitting for years. It?s a little bit embarrassing and sometimes you?d just rather not risk that you?ll run into Rhett, your upstairs neighbor while you?re taking care of business. Other times, you just don?t give a damn cause you need your stuff. I?m guessing there are still a lot of folks out there who are not ready for that pubic (oops I mean public) retail experience, and are instead going to just buy it online and hope for the free shipping offer.And since I work for Babeland, a sex toy retailer that prioritizes good customer service delivered with a healthy dose of sex advice, I?m guessing your average clerk at Duane Reade is not going to be able to tell you which one of those three attachments in the Triphoria vibe feels best on the clit (hint: not the tongue-shaped one). So anyone with questions about vibes or who needs help with the selection may well pass.[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="122" caption="Hitachi, $54"]
[/caption]The second question is whether Trojan or Durex can deliver products that resonate well with women. The one thing the vibes from big brands like Hitachi and Wahl had going for them was power--if there?s one thing we learned from the Hitachi?s permanent spot on the Top 10 bestseller list, it?s that women like their vibes strong. You know my Wahl? It lasted for years and probably logged hundreds of orgasms. The word-of-mouth recommendation on those products has fueled many purchases from both online sex toy stores and retail department stores. If the Hitachi is a 5 on a scale of 1-5, the Triphoria is a solid 3+. So Hitachi is in no danger of being displaced, but the Trojan vibe, IMHO is a pretty good starter vibe, if you?ve got the nerve to offer up the buck at the drugstore counter in order to get your bang.What do you think? Babeland blog readers tend to be seasoned vibe lovers. Would you buy your Trojan vibe at the drugstore? Would your sister or your college-age niece? Let us know. Comment here and we?ll choose one of you (at random) on May 15 and send you a Triphoria for review (no waiting in line necessary).aption="Hitachi, $54"][/caption]The second question is whether Trojan or Durex can deliver products that resonate well with women. The one thing the vibes from big brands like Hitachi and Wahl had going for them was power--if there?s one thing we learned from the Hitachi?s permanent spot on the Top 10 bestseller list, it?s that women like their vibes strong. You know my Wahl? It lasted for years and probably logged hundreds of orgasms. The word-of-mouth recommendation on those products has fueled many purchases from both online sex toy stores and retail department stores. If the Hitachi is a 5 on a scale of 1-5, the Triphoria is a solid 3+. So Hitachi is in no danger of being displaced, but the Trojan vibe, IMHO is a pretty good starter vibe, if you?ve got the nerve to offer up the buck at the drugstore counter in order to get your bang.What do you think? Babeland blog readers tend to be seasoned vibe lovers. Would you buy your Trojan vibe at the drugstore? Would your sister or your college-age niece? Let us know. Comment here and we?ll choose one of you (at random) on May 15 and send you a Triphoria for review (no waiting in line necessary).
[/caption]Babeland was mentioned today in a New York Times article about Trojan?s new line of vibrators going on sale at drugstores near you. Founder Rachel Venning?s quote summed up Babeland?s take on this new development in the vibrator retailing business:?I know women will buy them at Duane Reade, and as a lifelong cheerleader for sexual empowerment I?m thrilled at this development,? Ms. Venning said. ?It?s one more step in the evolution of vibrators to just another consumer product, unburdened of its freight of shame, sexual defect and sluttiness.?We are excited that vibrators are slowly losing their stigma, and by treating them as a normal, everyday purchase, brands like Trojan and Durex can help folks feel good about buying toys to enhance their sexuality. But my question for you readers is: "Will you or would you buy a vibrator at the drugstore?"[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="162" caption="Wahl 7-in-1, $40"][/caption]While reading this story, I remembered buying my first vibrator in 1977 at the age of 17; it was the ever-pleasing and still available Wahl. Guess where I bought it? A drugstore. So the fact that Trojan is selling Triphoria to the drugstore market isn?t exactly news (see Jen Droll's hilarious take on this in the Village Voice). Vibrators have been for sale in drugstores for decades. The big change is that they are now being sold as ?vibrators? rather than ?massagers.? The condom brands finally figured out that name brands like Hitachi, Wahl and Panasonic have been reaping sales from the massager-as-sex-toy market without ever lifting a finger. But how well can Durex and Trojan tap that?The first question is whether your average Joe and Jane will feel OK plonking down their new Trojan vibrator at the local drugstore checkout counter, along with the crackers and Q-tips. This hits the same nerve for people that purchases of condoms, tampons, and adult diapers have been hitting for years. It?s a little bit embarrassing and sometimes you?d just rather not risk that you?ll run into Rhett, your upstairs neighbor while you?re taking care of business. Other times, you just don?t give a damn cause you need your stuff. I?m guessing there are still a lot of folks out there who are not ready for that pubic (oops I mean public) retail experience, and are instead going to just buy it online and hope for the free shipping offer.And since I work for Babeland, a sex toy retailer that prioritizes good customer service delivered with a healthy dose of sex advice, I?m guessing your average clerk at Duane Reade is not going to be able to tell you which one of those three attachments in the Triphoria vibe feels best on the clit (hint: not the tongue-shaped one). So anyone with questions about vibes or who needs help with the selection may well pass.[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="122" caption="Hitachi, $54"][/caption]The second question is whether Trojan or Durex can deliver products that resonate well with women. The one thing the vibes from big brands like Hitachi and Wahl had going for them was power--if there?s one thing we learned from the Hitachi?s permanent spot on the Top 10 bestseller list, it?s that women like their vibes strong. You know my Wahl? It lasted for years and probably logged hundreds of orgasms. The word-of-mouth recommendation on those products has fueled many purchases from both online sex toy stores and retail department stores. If the Hitachi is a 5 on a scale of 1-5, the Triphoria is a solid 3+. So Hitachi is in no danger of being displaced, but the Trojan vibe, IMHO is a pretty good starter vibe, if you?ve got the nerve to offer up the buck at the drugstore counter in order to get your bang.What do you think? Babeland blog readers tend to be seasoned vibe lovers. Would you buy your Trojan vibe at the drugstore? Would your sister or your college-age niece? Let us know. Comment here and we?ll choose one of you (at random) on May 15 and send you a Triphoria for review (no waiting in line necessary).aption="Hitachi, $54"][/caption]The second question is whether Trojan or Durex can deliver products that resonate well with women. The one thing the vibes from big brands like Hitachi and Wahl had going for them was power--if there?s one thing we learned from the Hitachi?s permanent spot on the Top 10 bestseller list, it?s that women like their vibes strong. You know my Wahl? It lasted for years and probably logged hundreds of orgasms. The word-of-mouth recommendation on those products has fueled many purchases from both online sex toy stores and retail department stores. If the Hitachi is a 5 on a scale of 1-5, the Triphoria is a solid 3+. So Hitachi is in no danger of being displaced, but the Trojan vibe, IMHO is a pretty good starter vibe, if you?ve got the nerve to offer up the buck at the drugstore counter in order to get your bang.What do you think? Babeland blog readers tend to be seasoned vibe lovers. Would you buy your Trojan vibe at the drugstore? Would your sister or your college-age niece? Let us know. Comment here and we?ll choose one of you (at random) on May 15 and send you a Triphoria for review (no waiting in line necessary).
