Ladies-how do you feel about adult "toy" parties?

[Hudson_Hawk]

Hi ladies,

So my company closed its doors on Tuesday, leaving me unemployed after only two months on the job-BOO!!! FI and I can get by on his salary alone, but I''m trying to think of ways to make a bit of extra money on the side to get by until I find a new job. I''m contemplating going into the novelty toy party business. What are your thoughts/opinions on them? Do you think they''re passe or out-dated? I know they were big when I was in college which was about 6 years ago. Are any of you consultants? What are your experiences with them-good or bad?

Thanks!

HH

 

[geckodani]

I''ve been to a few, and had fun.

I have a friend or two that have the parties on the side, and they have built up enoough of a client base to make a little extra cash. You really do need to have a good base group of friends to start with though.

 

[CJ2008]

They''re probably not "out-dated" but I wouldn''t have any interest in them unless I felt really, really comfortable with everybody attending, which would be impossible - just not my thing. Then again, I don''t like ANY of those types of parties, no matter what''s being sold. I think like gecko said, if you can think of 15-20 people you can start out with/invite, it could work.

 

[oneandahalfrock]

Perhaps I''m prudish for my age, but I think they''re

... lol, of course I probably have no room to speak since anytime I need any ''sexual well being'' products, I go to drugstore.com and they show up in an unmarked brown box

Good luck- I know it must be challenging! I hope you find something that could be fun and have wide appeal!

 

[EricaR]

If you do decide to go into the business, please do your research on "safe" toys. A lot of soft, jelly toys have phthalates in them, which have been shown to have negative health effects. There is a company called the Smitten Kitten that has parties that focus on safe toys. I''d check them out.

 

[Haven]

I don''t think they''re outdated. They can be a lot of fun, but they can also be extremely uncomfortable.

I went to one where the coordinator (?) was a total stick-in-the-mud. She was very uptight and awkward, which was odd--she chose that job, right? She ruined it for herself, there was no way anyone was going to buy anything from her.

If there isn''t a huge investment, I''d say give it a try. Why not?

There''s a huge demand here for children''s birthday party people. You show up at the birthday girl''s house with beads and projects and goodie bags, etc. That might be more lucrative if you live in a place like I do, where people spend exorbitant amounts of money on eighth birthday parties.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Haven-that''s a fantastic idea!


I''m really grasping at straws here. I feel useless sitting at home with nothing to do, ya know? I suppose I could always work retail, but I''d really like to do something where I can make my own hours...

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Sorry, but like CJ I do not like any of those kinds of parties. The idea that a friend invites me to a party to extract cash from me is a major turn-off. Suddenly I start questioning if the person likes me for me or is just looking to make a buck. I've gotten invites from people I haven't seen in years

The idea Haven suggested w/the birthdays is great especially if you can advertise on CL. The last thing to do though is pimp the idea out to friends! (Again sorry, but I'm being honest here. I'd be MAD if one of my friends told me she'd offer a service to my son in exchange for purchasing goods.)

Best of luck to you. Maybe you can find a temp job instead???

ETA - if you try the b-day party, the BEST place to get party stuff is the dollar store. For my kids' party, I went to about four of them and stocked up on all kinds of great things for super cheap. They have favor bags (20 count) for 25 cents!

 

[platinumrock]

Date: 1/3/2009 12:54:02 PM
Author: oneandahalfrock
Perhaps I''m prudish for my age, but I think they''re

... lol, of course I probably have no room to speak since anytime I need any ''sexual well being'' products, I go to drugstore.com and they show up in an unmarked brown box

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Good luck- I know it must be challenging! I hope you find something that could be fun and have wide appeal!

Oneandahalfrock, your post cracked me up.

 

[Dancing Fire]

what the heck is a "adult toy parties" ?

 

[mochi]

It''s like...ummmmm.... personal toys.... kinky toys. Toys that your children do not play with (hopefully).

And it''s a party where all these toys are brought out so other can look at it..

I''ve been to a couple and it was fun, especially when you are surrounded by friends and fine wine!

 

[beau13]

I''m in the direct sales biz myself (not that particular industry), however I know gals that rake in a ton of $$ doing "Fantasia" parties a couple times/week. It''s a great way to earn extra income. (party plan companies) I''ve been to a few adult toy parties..it''s fun..and now adays women aren''t shy about their sexuality (and various "toys" they use to please themselves!)

 

[Tuckins1]

I have been to a few and they were a RIOT!!! I think it''s a great idea if you have a good group of people to start with.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 1/3/2009 2:37:40 PM
Author: mochi
It''s like...ummmmm.... personal toys.... kinky toys. Toys that your children do not play with (hopefully).

And it''s a party where all these toys are brought out so other can look at it..

I''ve been to a couple and it was fun, especially when you are surrounded by friends and fine wine!

 

[Elegant]

OMG - I got invited to one of these parties and used every excuse in the book NOT go to it!!! Maybe I am a prude myself, but I was going to be uncomfortable!!!

 

[OUpearlgirl]

Several of my girlfriends have been to them and had a fun time!

 

[Steel]

Well done for thinking outside of the box. I am sorry your company closed HH, it is a sad time to have lost your job.

Ok I would do a full, pro & con list. I love lists. Here is a quickie. (No pun intended).

Pros:
-Flexible
-Low set up costs
-Almost own boss
-Making money is always a good thing
-Discounts

-You would have to test all the products to be a knowledgeable sales-woman

I see Cons:
-Might be hard to find consumer base (do not harass your friends, the novelty will wear off and the bottom line is you want their cash, not to give them a fun evening)
-Economy is not conducive to luxury and discretionary spending
-Probable late nights
-Possible safety issue (Boo - I know I am a scardy cat, but I trust nobody!)
-No guarantee of revenue
-You sometimes have to buy stock/catalogues upfront, so you outlay before profit, with no guarantees and I see zero resale in second-hand market if you fail to sell your products

, even unused.
-You would have to test all the products to be a knowledgeable sales-woman
-You might have an area manger on your back
-Who wants to deal with the customer service issues if the products fail to...er...erm....cough...fail to perform!

 

[vintagelover229]

Date: 1/3/2009 6:50:32 PM
Author: Steel
Well done for thinking outside of the box. I am sorry your company closed HH, it is a sad time to have lost your job.

Ok I would do a full, pro & con list. I love lists. Here is a quickie. (No pun intended).

Pros:
-Flexible
-Low set up costs
-Almost own boss
-Making money is always a good thing
-Discounts

-You would have to test all the products to be a knowledgeable sales-woman

I see Cons:
-Might be hard to find consumer base (do not harass your friends, the novelty will wear off and the bottom line is you want their cash, not to give them a fun evening)
-Economy is not conducive to luxury and discretionary spending
-Probable late nights
-Possible safety issue (Boo - I know I am a scardy cat, but I trust nobody!)
-No guarantee of revenue
-You sometimes have to buy stock/catalogues upfront, so you outlay before profit, with no guarantees and I see zero resale in second-hand market if you fail to sell your products

, even unused.
-You would have to test all the products to be a knowledgeable sales-woman
-You might have an area manger on your back
-Who wants to deal with the customer service issues if the products fail to...er...erm....cough...fail to perform!

ROTFL! OMG! LOL! I sure don't! LOL! I think it'd be fun, I've never been to one, but I agree with a few things said. One, I would feel awakard if someone was invited was uncomfortable and make it weird and akaward for everyone else. 2) you can only sell to your friends and then who do you sell to? I'd feel akaward buying...um...toys from a friend and then going to a second one and buying more...not because of the toy part, but because it's my friend and i'm making her income. Kinda like avon or marykay. Idk, i just think it's weird bc their living is because of me...idk. What if I decide to i don't need anymore? Do i not go to anymore "parties" or go and not buy anything and look silly?

An idea you could do, is batcholorette parties. POst on craigslist or soemthing and in the paper. I'm sure ppl would love to have those and there area always brides to be!

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Date: 1/3/2009 1:50:34 PM
Author: MC
Sorry, but like CJ I do not like any of those kinds of parties. The idea that a friend invites me to a party to extract cash from me is a major turn-off. Suddenly I start questioning if the person likes me for me or is just looking to make a buck. I''ve gotten invites from people I haven''t seen in years

The idea Haven suggested w/the birthdays is great especially if you can advertise on CL. The last thing to do though is pimp the idea out to friends! (Again sorry, but I''m being honest here. I''d be MAD if one of my friends told me she''d offer a service to my son in exchange for purchasing goods.)

Best of luck to you. Maybe you can find a temp job instead???

ETA - if you try the b-day party, the BEST place to get party stuff is the dollar store. For my kids'' party, I went to about four of them and stocked up on all kinds of great things for super cheap. They have favor bags (20 count) for 25 cents!

I feel the same way. My SIL sells a cooking line (can I mention the name? The initials are P.C.) and she''s always trying to get me to have a party so she can make a buck.

My best friend did attend an adult toy party and she had a blast, surprisingly. She''s a real prude - the most prudish person I''ve ever met - and she brought me the consultant''s card and webaddress. She must think I''m kinky or something

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Wow, I certainly live in some kind of bubble as I have never heard of such a thing! I''ve been invited to MANY of those kinds of parties, though, but for costume jewelry, cooking ware, home decorating, etc. I never go to them and hate being asked. I can get better deals online anyday. I wouldn''t appreciate my friends trying to talk me into having parties for them, either.

Surely there is a better way to spend your time and earn some money!!!!

 

[redfaerythinker]

I''ve been to a couple myself and I would definitely consider myself shy and introverted. I think they''re super fun. They''re not gross or pornographic in nature at all. At least the few I''ve been too. A few times I actually forgot I was at a toy party until she would pull out an obvious toy. lol The parties I went to were selling a line called Tasteful treasures.

 

[iheartscience]

If it''s something you think you would be good at, go for it! I''ve never been to one but I know people who have and they had a fun time!

 

[Dreamer_D]

My friends had one for my bachelorette party... it was interesting and a sort of "safe" way to buy toys if you aren''t comfortable going to a shop. But the women who threw it was wierd and not fun and didn''t get our jokes and kept telling us about all the other uses for the pruducts with was SUCH a turn off!

For example: "This is a great water-based lube, it works really well, and you can also use it to moisurtize your hair when you straighten it or as a moisturizer for your childrens skin!"

No I am not kidding.

So she pretty much wrecked it because she took all the fun out of it, but if she had been better and made it a fun lighthearted party it would have been great!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 1/3/2009 6:50:32 PM
Author: Steel
Well done for thinking outside of the box. I am sorry your company closed HH, it is a sad time to have lost your job.

Ok I would do a full, pro & con list. I love lists. Here is a quickie. (No pun intended).

Pros:
-Flexible
-Low set up costs
-Almost own boss
-Making money is always a good thing
-Discounts

-You would have to test all the products to be a knowledgeable sales-woman

i just "P" in my pants from....

anyway, i sure don't my wife to go to these parties. if she compare the size/ size of them things to

then she would feel she's been cheated for so many years.

 

[Rhea]

Date: 1/3/2009 1:50:34 PM
Author: MC
Sorry, but like CJ I do not like any of those kinds of parties. The idea that a friend invites me to a party to extract cash from me is a major turn-off. Suddenly I start questioning if the person likes me for me or is just looking to make a buck. I''ve gotten invites from people I haven''t seen in years

I agree. But I also don''t have very many girlfriends so I''d feel very used and put out.

If there''s not a lot of investment on your part you could try a couple, maybe the first one with some friends to get more comfortable, and see how it goes.

 

[Lynn B]

BTW, DF knew FULL WELL what these parties were about, from the first post -- I''d bet my bippy on that!!!

(Oh, back to topic... honestly, I''m not huge on any of those types of parties/host a party/book a party type things... ALTHOUGH, I know someone who has literally gotten wealthy off of PC alone!!! Who knew?!!!

 

[Po10472]

I''m not a prude and have been to a few of these types of parties but if I''m honest its been more of a wine-fest and laugh as opposed to the main purpose which is for the party planner to make money. If I were ever going to buy a sex toy, it wouldn''t be in a room full of my friends where I''d consumed lots of wine, so I wouldn''t be there to spend money. Also, these parties would be predominantly at night and at the weekends so really it wouldn''t fill your days.

I think Haven''s idea is genius! But really it would depend on whether or not you like kids and this would be done during the day and at weekends.

What about bespoke party-bags for all ages? Be it kids parties, weddings, baby showers etc. You could offer themes like pirate and pricess party bags, halloween bags etc........I''ve just come up with a good idea for myself!!!

 

[Erin]

I went to one and then agreed to host one at my house. My friends spent so much money (by the way you order behind closed doors and nobody knows whether you bought nothing or the King Kong Kobra)that I had $180 in free merchandise. I swear I have so many freaking oils and lotions and jars and tubes that I don''t know what to do with them. I would never have a reason to go to another one because I don''t need all this crap. The sales lady was good and had me considering being a party consultant until I talked to my boyfriend. He said, you really want to be know as the girl who sells....

Yeah, not really.

 

[tlh]

I am also kinda shy when it comes to that sort of stuff... I have a friend who is very open about her sexuality and she makes me blush a lot. She LOVES going to those parties, she has a lot of fun, and has encouraged a lot of friends to go with her... word of mouth travels! She doesn''t even sell... she just loves the groups. If you have a friend like this... you''ll do well! It is like your own mini-megaphone! I have never been so I don''t know what to expect... but I would maybe find your more "loud mouthed" friends and cut it loose! It seems like women buy more at these things anyway... since it is more discreet than the local **** store.

I knew a girl that threw candle and jewelry parties... and she made hardly any money- because more people would go... and not buy anything. It is definately a word of mouth business... so if you have a large group of friends and an extended family, you have a good base to start!

So good luck to you!!!

 

[somethingshiny]

I''ve been to and hosted several. They''re always a good time! I have a couple friends who sell for 2 different companies.

All of the parties I''ve hosted have started with cocktail hour. Who can play pass the vibrator without a buzz, right? And, all of MINE have been girls only. I couldn''t possibly be comfortable with guys there. But, I know one of the girls specializes in "couples parties". Nothing ever gets out of hand, everyone is completely respectful, but they''re only for married couples. (I think that''s because of her beliefs on intimacy)