Newsletter No. 30: FALL 2005
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Our Customers…Revealed!
No…we’re not actually revealing who you are; we believe our promise of confidentiality is one of the reasons so many of you keep coming back to us, online, and in store. But it’s the end of the summer, and we’ve dulled our minds with too many copies of Star! and US Weekly, so forgive us the attention grabbing headline. But we did ask you to reveal yourselves to us in our 2005 customer survey, and we were thrilled and fascinated with the results.
You told us what you liked (we scored high on selection, price, and customer service), what you didn’t like so much (too long for those backorders!) and where you want us to go in the future.
You told us a bit about you. We always hoped that our customers are as diverse a group as we are, and you proved us right.
We’ll spare you the analytic details but one point that fascinated us was the question about sexual orientation. While the majority of you currently identify as straight/heterosexual, many of you did so based on your current relationship, and shared with us other sexual experiences that you’ve had that you felt didn’t fit into that “straight” category. In a completely biased move, we’re choosing to interpret this as a tribute to the fluidity of sexual behaviours and identities. At Come As You Are we’ve always been more interested in how people have sex than who they have sex with (which is not to say we haven’t all had our share of personal introspections and crises around our sexual identities, believe us, we have!)
Ourselves…Revealed!
This brings us back to the co-op. We wanted to let you know that we heard you loud and clear; we’re ramping up for major website upgrades (including the registry almost all of you are dying for), we’re working on speeding up our backorder processing by working with suppliers to insure we actually get product when they say we will, and we promise to stay Canadian (even though that call from Wal-Mart with a buyout offer was tempting)
Some of our favourite quotes:
“I love your on-line store. It is very user friendly and not 'cheap' looking.”
“Best store anywhere for the fat, middle-aged, sex fiend!”
“Very playful website, I like the narratives around products, appreciate noise level rating, kudos for the disability info -- I'd pay more for quality design!”
“Thank god you finally switched to photographs! The line drawings reminded me too much of the 60s!”
News
Toronto Premiere: Made In Secret Film Screening
We’re thrilled to be hosting the premiere Toronto screening of Made in Secret: The Story of the East Van Porn Collective. This “thought-provoking look behind the scenes of what might be the world’s only underground DIY anarcho-feminist porn collective” has made a splash at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival, the London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, and when we got a screener copy we fell in love with it. It’s funny, it’s sexy, it’s process-oriented! Screening will take place October 13, for tickets and details call 416-504-7934 or go online www.comeasyouare.com.
Go educate yourself!
It’s back to school time, and Come As You Are is inviting you to explore sex education this fall. Just email us at contests@comeasyouare.com with one sentence of what you learned this year about sex and you could win a collection of sex education books. The first fifty entries will be entered in a raffle on September 1.
Brain Sex and Sex Toys in the Summer
We’ve been travelling demons this summer. First we provided the official bookstores for the New View of Women’s Sexual Problems conference and the World Congress of Sexology in Montreal. One of us presented on a panel giving a paper about the history of feminist sex stores. From Montreal we flew to Los Angeles to attend the brand new Adult Novelty Expo, the primary trade show for retail sex stores. We got to preview the hottest new trends in sex toy technology, see old friends, make some new ones, and fill our bags with sex toy swag.
Toys
A fabulous collection of bright colours, waterproof fun, and shapes galore. G-spotters, pulsation, dolphins that swing, and purple rabbits with extra zip…all from the brand-new line of everyone’s favorite sex advice queen, Sue Johanson.
Royal G $34 - Royal Princess $50 - Royal Rabbit $46 - Royal Surfer $70
From Candida Royalle, the new Liberté offers a stronger vibration than other best-selling Natural Contours vibrators, and now with an added pulsating feature. Yellow, curved, and perfectly discreet, this sexy toy is sure to be sold soon at the Ikea near you. $55
Oh what fun! The Audi-oh is a vibrator that responds to sounds. Hook it up to a stereo and put on your favorite CD for soundtrack-inspired vibration. Or activate it with your voice for sexy interactions. Or if things just get too hot and heavy just turn off the sound component for simple strong vibration. The Audi-oh is a egg shaped vibrator with wearable jelly butterfly and straps for vibration on the go. A complete package with a fantastical sound element! $80
Le Tigre and Le Lynx were designed by a couple who work in the aerospace industry and were inspired to create high-quality vibrators with the skills they had applied at their day job. Sleek, strong, waterproof and beautifully functional toys made of aluminum (Le Tigre) or titanium (Le Lynx). Welcome to the next generation of vibrators! Le Tigre $310 – Le Lynx $480.
The Passion Grip is the ultimate soft jelly embrace. Our longest and most encompassing jelly insertion toy, the Passion Grip offers lots of sensation for an evening of bliss for guys. $39
Heart Slapper is the cutest little slapper ever. Whimsical and charming, while leaving little heart welts on the one you love. $38
Books
The first book of its kind, Tantric Sex For Women is an inclusive guide for all women. With over 50 exercises for self love, couples, massage and meditation, this book is designed to allow women who want to fulfill their sexual goals and enrich their relationships. Tantric Sex For Women is an inspiring book, teaching all women, regardless of sexual orientation, new facets of their own sexuality. $21
words of wisdom for the sexually adventurous or curious. $26
In Dr. Sprinkle’s Spectacular Sex, sex pioneer Annie Sprinkle asks us all to honour our sexual selves. With warm, caring and straightforward advice, this new book teaches practical skills for exploring passion and personal sexuality by offering a fourteen-step program to "make over" your sex life. With full-color photos and first-person stories from people who have successfully made over their sex lives, this book will help you on your way to creating an inspirational and enjoyable sex life! $28
The Straight Girl’s Guide to Sleeping with Chicks is hilarious! Jen Sincero provides us a how-to guide for the curious woman, including everything from pick up lines and virgin nerves to the threesome. The author really lets it all out in this no holds barred advice book that is part side splittingly funny and part practical and functional advice. The perfect gift for anyone looking to add a little something extra to their sex life! $17.50
Richard LaLonte has been editing this anthology series since 1997 and Best Gay Erotica 2005 more than measures up to past volumes. Racier than years past, including some bondage and SM storylines, this is a sure thriller for anyone wanting to read about some hot man on man action! $20.95
In Best American Erotica 2005 edited by Susie Bright, the variety of well-written stories offers something for everyone. You’ll find a young girl who is accused of witchcraft and seduced in 17th century Salem, a hippie who has an anonymous gay encounter in the middle of nowhere, and even a Hollywood movie producer showing a few of his closest friends a good time. $20
DVD’s
Candida Royalle is back at it with Femme Productions latest film, Caribbean Heat. Shot entirely on location in sunny Central America, these well shot scenes feature Latin couples in the most beautiful scenery on earth. A couple discover a desolate beach unaware of who’s watching them, a visiting tourist finds an anonymous affair and a pair of young sweethearts swim to a secret alcove to make love in the sun. Under Candida’s tutoring, new director Manuela Sabrosa tells us we can expect to see a lot more of her movies in the future. $45 Gentlemen Prefer Jenna DVD begins with a spectacular solo scene featuring the one and only Jenna. For fans of Jenna who would rather skip the storyline, this dvd offers variety, some great co-stars, and lots of Jenna’s best scenes, featuring Kobe Tai, Mark Davis, Janine, Savannah, Mark Wallace among many. Ice play, mirrored bathrooms, and dynamic couplings of mega-stars guarantee another stellar, lots-of action Jenna compilation. $39
A dreamy, West Coast landscape unfolds in Erocktavision Volume 2, featuring lesbian love, natural body types, and a sprinkling of tattooed women. Motorcycles, ejaculations, and a sizzling foursome combine with lots of rocking music to make this title a sure hit! A great treat for lovers of authentic and independent lesbian porn. $45 From actor and director Nacho Vidal, comes his first male-on-male action film Face Fuckers. With glistening bodies and great shooting, these boys are going down and having fun doing it. Nacho shoots a good dick as scene after scene, each macho man seems bigger than the next. With phone sex scenes, outdoor shots and a lot of deep throating, this double DVD is worth a perusal, no matter what turns you on. $39
Workshops
Monday, August 15 7:30 – 9:30 pm Radical Love and Relationship Workshop With WENDY-O MATIK $30
Tuesday September 13 7:30 – 10:00 pm Female Ejaculation Workshop (Women Only)
With Shannon Bell
$30 Wednesday September 14 7:30 – 10:00 pm Female Ejaculation Workshop (For Women and Men Accompanied by a Woman) With Shannon Bell $30 Wednesday, October 12 7:30 – 9:30 pm Taking It Off With Style (Women Only) With Jade $30 Sunday October 16 & Sunday October 23 5:30 – 8:00 pm Erotic Photography With Christine Ablett and Leanne Gillard $90 Wednesday, November 2 7:30 – 10:00 pm Waking Up the Neighbourhood For Girls Who Do Boys
An Anal Massage Workshop (For Women Only)
With Paul Barber $30 Wednesday, November 9 7:30 – 9:30 pm Waking Up the Neighbourhood for Men and Their Partners An Anal Massage Workshop (Men Only and Women Accompanied by Men – all orientations welcome).
With Paul Barber
$30 Tuesday, November 15 7:30 – 9:30 pm Restrained Loving With Lord Morpheus $30