Newsletter No. 26: FALL 2004

It’s Late at Night: Do You Know Where Your Fun Has Gone?
When Sex Toys Go Wrong

Last month we were asked to participate in a television programme about sex toys for a national TV show about sex. The producer explained that he wanted to explore the ongoing “debate” about safety and sex toys. Apparently some companies have been using fear tactics to get customers to purchase only the most expensive items available for sexual pleasure, and have been making claims that the majority of sex toys are unsafe for use. Again and again the interview came back to the topic of what makes a good and safe sex toy.

This is a debate we had amongst ourselves over seven years ago before we opened our first store; what makes a sex toy safe, and what makes a sex toy good. The answer to both these questions developed together, and both revolve around the important concept of risk.  

We propose that using a good sex toy can add to a sexual experience and, in the course of normal use, won’t harm the person/people using the toy. Risk is inherent in everything we do, and we believe that everybody should have a reasonable understanding of the risks involved in what they do, and then choose based on their tolerance for risk (it’s like playing the stock market, but with more lubrication).

We don’t think using sex toys should be treated differently than any other kind of sex play. Considered in a certain way, putting a penis inside your body is about the riskiest thing you can do sexually.  It can lead to pregnancy, STI’s, and no end of relationship turmoil. It can also be hot, fun, and emotionally enriching. You need to ask yourself; what are the risks; have you thought about the consequences; are you deciding for yourself?  We hope our customers do this with sex toys as much as they do with their sexual partners.

So what makes a bad sex toy?  There are some toys made with obvious flaws and potential to harm our bodies, and we stay away from these. We don’t carry dildos with “piston” action, we don’t carry soft rubber toys with metal cores that can poke through, and we’re taking a stand against sandpaper lined rubber wear! However, outside of the patently absurd, we try to stock a selection that appeals to everyone’s tastes and pocket books. We offer information and advice on how to use sex toys safely, particularly for people with allergies, sensitive skin, or other environmental concerns.

So when you send us an email, give us a call, or come into one of our stores, don’t expect a lecture, or any clear diagrams about the most expensive ways to buy sex toys. What you can expect is our attention, the benefit of over seventeen years of selling sex toys, and our inquisitive minds that want to know as much as you do. If we don’t have an answer for you, we’ll work diligently to find it.  If we can’t find it we’ll work with you to assess the potential risks and benefits of any situation. We know what to do when sex toys go bad.

NEWS

Come Online
Even when you can't be here in person, you can always get your fill of CAYA news, info, toys, books and videos online at www.comeasyouare.com! This fall, we will be launching a new and much improved version of the Come As You Are online experience. Featuring more bilingual content than ever before, improved searching, and more detailed and accurate workshop listings, we're so excited to bring even more of the CAYA bricks-and-mortar store experience to folks everywhere online! We hope you'll enjoy our new digs as much as we do and remember to drop by www.comeasyouare.com in September for a whole month of freebies, fun and surprises!

The Rocco Ravishes Everyone Sale
We love Rocco Siffredi and we’re sure you do too. But it’s end of summer time, and we’re cleaning out, so our friend Rocco has to go! You can steal him away from us, including our new titles, for 25% off all VHS and DVD! Titles include; Rocco Ravishes Prague #4, Rocco’s Sexual Superstars, Animal Trainer, Nikki Loves Rocco, and more! DVD’s regularly priced between $46 and $60, VHS regularly priced at $34!
 
Our 1st Year Anniversary at Venez tels quels

It’s our Montréal boutique’s first year, so come join the festivities in la belle province. It’s been a year of incredible high’s and surprisingly few low’s. A year of endless re-writes and linguistic conferring to find just the right bilingual sex-positive language.  A year of very busy days putting all the projects in full-swing and busy nights out on the town with the rest of Montreal’s oh-la-la party creatures. It was our first expansion and all in all, we survived to tell the tale. We are now two stores instead of one, with a website that doesn’t stop growing, and a new crop of co-operative worker-owners ready to join us. That’s right! We’re spreading the co-operative word, province by province. So come help us celebrate on Friday, September 3 from 9pm to 1am with special guest DJ’s, refreshments, one time only special offers, and the return of the ever-popular twoonie bin.
Venez tels quels is the newest enterprise of CAYA Co-operative located at 5427 St-Laurent, just south of St.Viateur in Montréal, Québec.

TOYS

Like a wolf in sheep's clothing, Shane's Tiny Teaser packs a lot of punch into a very small package! Quiet, discreet and fully waterproof, this Teaser is as cute and charming as Shane herself and features a textured tip for an intense range of vibration. Variable speed, batteries included. $26

An object of beauty or a new sensation for play? Why decide? Our newest selection of glass dildos offer a combination of aesthetics and function. The delightfully simple Crystal Ball Glass Dildo and the brightly festive Confetti Glass Dildo add the wow to exploration. Unbreakable and non-porous, with a smooth frictionless feel unique to glass. These dildos can be temperature controlled with warm and cool water. A new affordable price means an opportunity for the curious to find out what all the hype is about. $54

For realistic fantasy play without foregoing the prettiness of the boy next door, these delicious silicone dildos from the land down under (yes we are actually talking about Australia) offer it all. The Orlando has glamorous design and pearlescent colour with lovely textured realistic veins and ridges. Large $90 Small $86

And for those who want the pretty without the boy, these three Australian toys are an ode to modern art. Curvy, arty, non-realistic silicone dildos with fabulous colour and style. The Kangaroo, Kanga, and Roo are a sculpture exhibit gone naughty. $78 $90 $96

The Twister is a gem of a silicone dildo. Curves, small ridges and a substantial head make for a dildo with sensation galore. A great toy for those who like shape and texture without being too realistic. $75

The Tom Putt is a great new high-quality silicone butt plug with such a friendly size and made in Canada too! A medium size toy with soft pliability and gentle subtle ridges for lovers of anal sensation. $33 

BOOKS

Best American Erotica 2004 is yet another tasteful collection of erotica from Susie Bright, this time telling stories of space, shopping, and you name it! A wonderful anthology from some of today’s best literary erotica writers. Stimulate your mind and your loins! $22.95

Taboo contains twenty-two stories of forbidden desire that drip from the pages, of this newest collection edited by Violet Blue. The author of Sweet Life brings us more explicit heterosexual fantasies and these tales are steamier, sexier, and wildly imaginative. 22.50$
 
101 ways to have it all; sex, sanity, and sleep! Sexy Mamas is an indispensable guide for mothers who want to keep their sex lives passionate and rich. From the authors of the Good Vibrations Guide to Sex, Sexy Mamas is a practical, powerful resource full of exercises and creative insight. This book understands the challenges of motherhood, and respects and nurtures sexuality. $20.95

Being a good lover can be hard work! Tantric Secrets for Men breaks down all the techniques and benefits of Tantra into easy to follow steps. It removes the mysticism and concentrates of providing you with what you need to know. It uses real life stories of couples to convey its messages, and offers exercises that will enable prolonged states of orgasmic intensity and deepen loving relationships. $29.95

Pinned Down By Pronouns is an anthology which combines the work of 75 Boston area writers to challenge the stereotypes of sex and gender. The contributors range in age from teenagers to the elderly, and represent a diverse array of communities. This mixture of essays, poems, narratives, photographs and more address issues such as race, orientation, intersex, disability, age, and more. A grand achievement for the transgender community, Pinned Down By Pronouns will turn on your brain! $26.50

Finally, a porn magazine for girls! This killer magazine from New York is the newest addition to our reading list. Featuring hot boys and cool articles, you can’t go wrong with Sweet Action! This mag captures regular guys caught in the act, none of your macho porn studs here, these lads are tattooed musicians, and cute emo boys. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to see New York’s finest men and take in a well written article at the same time. $12

VIDEOS & DVD’s

I Dream of Jenna, a spoof of the 50’s kitsch classic I Dream of Jeannie, is remarkably much hotter than it is funny. Starring everyone’s favourite mainstream porn star Jenna Jameson, I Dream of Jenna also features phenomenal performances from staff favourites Inari Vachs, Steven St. Croix, Aurora Snow, Randy Spears, Jewel De’Nyle, and Nikita Denise.  High production values make this title a favourite for both the porn hound and the film connoisseur alike. DVD $45.00 

Few directors can pull off sex comedies, but Paul Thomas brings this title, Rapunzel, home with beautiful Vivid Girl Dayton as the mythical woman having a “bad hair life.” Sweet sex scenes and surprisingly good acting make this a great gift for those loving story and sex. VHS $34

For anyone who has endured a first year film making course, Sex on Film provides an erotic, and surprisingly well acted, trip down memory lane.  With stand out performances by Jenna Haze and Stephanie Swift (her audition scene is not to be missed) this video captures a joie de vivre rare in today’s cookie cutter releases. VHS $34 DVD $55

Voyeur 25 contains five stellar scenes each featuring hot threesomes engaged in a variety of acrobatic copulations in a beautiful Hollywood home. Excellent performances by the Delivery Boy and Olivia O’lovely (do you think that’s her real name?) make this another keeper in the series. VHS $34 DVD $50

Beautiful actors digging their heels into serious sex roles is what we’ve come to expect from John Leslie, and this series in no different. Fresh Meat Volume 10 is surprisingly subdued with an emphasis on chemistry between actors and women’s pleasure (not to be confused with soft-core, which this tape definitely isn’t). The highlight of this tape has to be the foursome scene involving an almost impossible anal scene with Lexington Steele. DVD $50.00
 
Workshops

Toronto

September 15 & 21
Female Ejaculation

October 6
Exploring Sensual Touch

November 16
Girls Parts & the Big 'O' 
 
November 23
Restrained Loving

Montréal
August 24, 25 & 29
Workshops 
with Midori
in English 

September 14
Redécouvrir sa sensualité
in French

September 21
Sensual Massage for Couples
Bilingual

October 2 & 3
Female Ejaculation
in English

October 19
Toute le monde en menottes
in French

October 27
Tantra for Couples
in English

November 3
Erotic Photography, 
A Presentation with Hera Bell 
Bilingual

November 16
Sacred Sexuality: 
An Exploration of Tantric Yoga
Bilingual

November 20 & 21
Creating Your 
Own Erotic Photos
Bilingual