Sex toy home parties, sometimes referred to as adult home parties or adult novelty home parties, first became popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They originated out of a mashup of the Romantic Product Salesman and the Tupperware party, and they represent the first example of women owned and run sex toy retailing.
While the privacy and convenience of shopping online has changed the adult home party industry, they remain a popular way for people, particularly in rural areas, to learn about and purchase sex toys.
What To Expect
Most sex toy home party salespeople will come to your home with a kit of products. They will encourage you to have food and drink (especially alcoholic drinks) for your guests and will ask that you have a set up where everyone can sit comfortably while they do a short presentation (usually around an hour). Depending on the company they work for and their own interest in sales vs. education, you can expect either a one hour sales pitch (think Billy Mays but with a dildo) or a facilitated discussion about sex and pleasure. Usually you end up with something in between.
The presentation is always hands-on, vibrators will have batteries in them and be passed around, lubricants are open and ready for testing on your hands. If the conversation isn’t any good, at the very least, the home party gives you a chance to touch and feel the products, something that isn’t always possible in sex shops (although it’s a feature of any good quality sex shop).
The last part of the home party involves your salesperson going into a separate room and each guest goes into the room to have a “private consultation” and order whatever they would like to order.
Payment information is taken and the products are later shipped to each person directly. Some home party salespeople will have a small selection of products that can be purchased on the spot, but that is less common, especially with the larger sex toy party companies.
What To Look For
The quality of the products, information, and presentation style vary wildly from company to company and salesperson to salesperson. The slickest companies usually don’t have the best quality products and as a generalization, it’s harder to find high end sex toys at a home party (the mark up is less and they cost more to inventory which makes them less attractive to the company, even though many sales representatives would prefer to be able to offer high end products).
The best way to have a good experience is to get a personal referral. If you don’t know someone who has had a good experience, there are some questions you can ask to get a sense of what’s in store:
- Ask about the range of products: Will they have 100% silicone toys? Will they have paraben-free lubricants and glycerin-free lubricants?
- Ask the salesperson how they balance facilitating a conversation and the sales part of their job.
- Ask them how they make their presentation inclusive for guests of diverse orientations and identities.
- Ask about what you, as the host, receive. You can expect a host gift, but you should also receive a small percentage of sales. Find out if there are specific sales targets they need to meet in order for you to receive anything. Most of the reps for big companies don’t charge to show up, but you should clarify that.
Finally, ask about what sort of customer service you can expect once the products are purchased. What is the warranty? What happens if a product arrives and doesn’t work? Do your guests contact the sales representative or do they contact the company directly?
Where To Find A Home Party Person
Home party salespeople are affiliated with larger companies that provide all the product distribution as well as promotional materials and some support. Most of these companies have websites where you can locate a salesperson near you. The two largest companies are Pure Romance and Passion Parties, and there are dozens of smaller companies (some of them, like Athena’s Home Novelties, have been around for a long time).
If you live near a good sex shop, one you trust and like, you can contact them and see if they provide a similar service. Often sex shops that do this will charge a fee per person if they don’t sell enough product to pay for the staff to come to your home.
