February 8–15, 2001

cover story| the power of love

Good Vibrations

King condom: Stuart Schlaffman, owner of Condom Kingdom and the Mood, displays some of his wares.

by Jenn Carbin

Two teenagers stand before a shelf of what at first glance appear to be shampoos in various colors, but that, on closer inspection, turn out to be edible body oils. "That’s the hot one," the young man says, and his girlfriend nods, caught up in reading flavor labels. She’s transfixed, but doesn’t pick up any of the containers — she’s intrigued but non-committal in a self-conscious way — and that pretty much sums up the vibe of the people milling around the store. A vibe, which on this afternoon at Condom Kingdom on South Street, consists of a curious mix of giggling teenagers and middle-aged black women. A few young men look over a condom rack and move quickly away, eager to check out more enticing items, such as X-rated wind-up toys or edible undies adorned in wrap featuring porn-quality photos of women.

Condom Kingdom is the recently redesigned store that beckons passers-by with sperm painted on the sidewalk and a no-nonsense sperm/egg motif set against a Magic Kingdom-like backdrop. If you weren’t paying attention, you’d think you could pick up a present for your three-year-old niece here. Despite the name of the store, the myriad condoms and dental dams on display and a looming Valentine’s Day, no one seems to be in a mood to purchase condoms.

Owner Stuart Schlaffman has been in the enhance-your-sex-life business for nine years, with a front-row seat to the sexual proclivities of the masses — sex-toy trends, reluctant buyers, safe-sex backlashes, that kind of thing. When asked if Valentine’s Day brings a surge in condom sales, he says that sales are "consistent" and that the bulk of Valentine sales are in lingerie and items like oils and toys. With the exception of novelty or "gift" condoms selling this time of year, the only trend he notices in condom use is a year-round one related to what they’re made of.

"About five years ago, polyurethane condoms came out. We sell 140 types of condoms, and just two are polyurethane, and we sell a ton." Polyurethane condoms are thinner than latex and impervious to oil-based lubricants — arguably ideal for men and women with latex-allergy concerns. In addition, they’re just 40 microns thick, which means they are supposed to have excellent heat conductivity.

A block west of Condom Kingdom, straight couples roam around Schlaffman’s other store, The Mood, picking up body butter and lingerie. They talk quietly, and hardly ever giggle. Two women confer with each other about a sexual trivia game. The Mood, which sells sheets, candles and chic Asian bric-a-brac in addition to things like edible oils and condoms, is more for the serious, perhaps tasteful, adult shopper. Schlaffman admits that he keeps a lot less of the crassly packaged items in stock at The Mood, and he displays them in an after-thought sort of way, facing a wall. It is for Mood patrons that he created a line of candles that come with a "romance kit": Customers have their choice of six candle scents/colors, each paired with one of three kits featuring a condom and lube, a feather and poem, or massage oil.

According to Schlaffman, any evidence he has of increased sexual activity around Valentine’s Day is probably reflected in gift sales at The Mood, with its ostrich plumes and board games for two, and that this in turn is evidence of a wider trend among couples: They seem to be more sexually open and "romantic," he says.

"There is a trend in people, along with touchable products and interaction. People are more comfortable buying products together. Couples will come in looking for a vibrator or other device."

Why does he think that is?

"In the last 10 years or so, sexuality has gotten [even] more open. Whether it’s because the media is more relaxed with discussing things or it’s the ex-President’s doing, it doesn’t matter. People are more open and they want quality. With things like massage products, we see more people considering ingredients; they’re more comfortable asking questions. We put more batteries in vibrators — people ask us to, so they can hear what they sound like."

Schlaffman says both stores sell a lot of "anything edible." If he pushes anything on this afternoon, it’s Honey Dust, by Kama Sutra, which he says The Mood sells a lot of.

"It’s like powdered sugar, all natural, honey-based," he says. "You apply it to your partner with a little feather duster."

Schlaffman says that in addition to a greater comfort level, "people want to be educated" about his products. He points to descriptive tags he’s designed for the condom racks in Condom Kingdom, which not coincidentally, help maintain comfort by making it easier for a customer to not need to ask questions. The tags note a given condom’s head, neck and base dimensions, and whether it contains spermicide. He’s started a tag system for products at The Mood, as well.

Susan Mannino, owner of the 26-year-old Pleasure Chest, says that lots of couples come into her store, but what she’s been particularly pleased to notice in the past five years or so is that women, alone or with friends, are showing more confidence in shopping for sex accessories.

Mannino says that in the last few years, during the week of Valentine’s Day, the store has been "a madhouse," and that most of the customers are women. "The store is jam-packed with women — and women are aggressive, serious shoppers," she laughs. "Last year was a surprise. Around Valentine’s, it’s usually candy pants and whipped cream, candy pants and whipped cream, 400 a day. Vibrator sales usually drop. Last year, though, a lot of women were buying vibrators for themselves," she says. This year, the store is apparently unloading a lot of red "fur" handcuffs.

Mannino says that if the old Valentine pattern persists, this year men will come in to buy lingerie for their sweethearts, and women will come in for those candy pants, as well as lotion, lingerie and X-rated candy.