Babeland
{{Short description|Sex toy boutique}}
{{Infobox company
| name =
| logo = Babeland_logo.svg
| logo_caption = Babeland logo
| logo_alt =
| image = File:Babeland Exterior, January 2023.png
| image_size = 300
| image_caption = Babeland in Seattle (2023)
| type =
| industry = Specialty Retail
| founded = {{Start date and age|1993}} in Seattle, Washington, US
| founders = Claire Cavanah, Rachel Venning
| hq_location_city = Seattle, Washington
| hq_location_country = USA
| area_served =
| key_people =
| products =
| parent = Good Vibrations
| website = {{URL|www.babeland.com/}}
}}
Babeland, until 2005 known as Toys in Babeland, is a sex toy boutique offering erotic toys, books and pornographic films. LGBTQ-owned{{Cite magazine |last=Anderson |first=Sage |date=2023-07-05 |title=Pride Month Is Over, But Here Are Some LGBTQ-Owned Businesses You Should Still Be Supporting |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/lifestyle/best-lgbtq-owned-brands-and-businesses-1192097/ |access-date=2024-05-16 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}} Babeland has an online store and four retail stores (in Seattle, Brooklyn, and two in Manhattan).
History
Claire Cavanah and Rachel Venning founded Toys in Babeland in 1993, in response to the lack of women-friendly sex shops in Seattle. The store's name is a spoonerism of Babes in Toyland, a feminist riot grrrl punk band and Babes in Toyland, the title of a 1934 Laurel & Hardy film. Committed to offering information and encouragement to women who wanted to explore their sexuality, the owners focused on selling quality sex toys in a boutique-like setting.{{Cite web |last=hsmith |date=2013-06-14 |title=20 Years of Babeland |url=https://gomag.com/article/20_years_of_babeland/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=GO Magazine |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120123019/https://gomag.com/article/20_years_of_babeland/ |url-status=live }}
In 1995, Toys in Babeland started its mail order business with a small print catalog based out of their Seattle store. Shortly thereafter, in 1996, the Toys in Babeland website followed. In 1998, the owners opened their second Toys in Babeland store in New York City, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. In 2003, they opened another New York store, in SoHo. In 2005, Babeland debuted its fourth store in Los Angeles, which has since closed. In 2008, Babeland opened a new location in Park Slope, Brooklyn,{{cite web|url=http://www.outaboutbrooklyn.com/home/2009/6/1/babeland.html |title=Babeland |website=OutAboutBrooklyn |date=June 1, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531115410/http://outaboutbrooklyn.com/home/2009/6/1/babeland.html |archive-date=2014-05-31 }} making a total of three stores in New York City.
In 2003, Venning and Cavanah published Sex Toys 101: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing and Using Sex Toys.{{cite book|date=2003|title=Sex Toys 101: A Playfully Uninhibited Guide|author=Venning, Rachel|author2=Cavanah, Claire|name-list-style=amp|publisher=Touchstone|isbn=9780743243513|url=https://archive.org/details/sextoys101playfu00venn}}
In 2008, Babeland ran a promotion in which they gave away a free sex toy to anyone who voted in that November's election.{{cite web | url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/27455136 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824081357/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/27455136/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 24, 2013 | title=Free sex toys — and much more — for voting | access-date=2011-01-27 | author=Stuckey, Mike | date=2008-11-03 | work=NBC News}}
In January 2010, Venning and Cavanah, in association with Jessica Vitkus, published a second book: Moregasm: Babeland's Guide to Mind-Blowing Sex{{cite book|title=Moregasm: Babeland's Guide to Mind-Blowing Sex|author= Venning, Rachel|author2= Cavanah, Claire|author3= Vitkus, Jessica|name-list-style= amp | date=2010| edition=Paperback| isbn=9781583333723| publisher=Avery| url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7339701-moregasm?from_search=true&search_version=service_impr}}
In May 2016, the Babeland stores in New York City voted to be represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, becoming the first U.S. sex shops to be unionized.{{Cite news |last=Abrams |first=Rachel |date=2016-05-24 |title=Sex Shop Workers Welcome the Protections of a Retail Union |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/business/sex-shop-workers-welcome-the-protections-of-a-retail-union.html |access-date=2023-01-20 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2023-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120052035/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/business/sex-shop-workers-welcome-the-protections-of-a-retail-union.html |url-status=live }}
In August 2017, Babeland was sold to rival sex shop Good Vibrations.{{cite web|url=https://goodvibesblog.com/good-vibrations-set-acquire-babeland-leading-progressive-sex-toy-stores-create-sex-positive-powerhouse/|title=Good Vibrations Set to Acquire Babeland: Leading Progressive Sex Toy Stores Create Sex Positive Powerhouse|date=July 24, 2017|access-date=December 13, 2018|archive-date=December 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211050631/https://goodvibesblog.com/good-vibrations-set-acquire-babeland-leading-progressive-sex-toy-stores-create-sex-positive-powerhouse/|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2017/07/25/25308088/babeland-sold-to-san-franciscos-good-vibrations|title=Babeland Sold to San Francisco's Good Vibrations|date=July 25, 2017|access-date=December 13, 2018|archive-date=September 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920160400/https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2017/07/25/25308088/babeland-sold-to-san-franciscos-good-vibrations|url-status=live}} Babeland continues to operate as a separate brand.
Notable employees
Queer erotica author Dena Hankins worked at Babeland as Web Operations Manager from 1998 to 2006.{{cite web|title=Dena Hankins, Goodreads Author page|url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6564418.Dena_Hankins|access-date=9 September 2014|archive-date=10 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110044233/http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6564418.Dena_Hankins|url-status=live}}
Awards
Babeland has received numerous awards over the years, including a 2006 Zagat's Survey award as "the best shopping experience in New York."{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} In 2014, it was voted "Best Place to Buy Sex Toys" by The Village Voice,{{cite web |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/readers-choice-contest-2014/ |title=Readers' Choice Contest 2014 |date=October 15, 2014 |publisher=Village Voice |access-date=February 28, 2024 |archive-date=September 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913175052/https://www.villagevoice.com/readers-choice-contest-2014/ |url-status=live }} Voted "Best Sex Shop" of 2016 & 2017 by the Best of Seattle 2016 Reader Poll in Seattle Weekly{{cite web |url=https://www.seattleweekly.com/bestofseattle/best-sex-shop-babeland/ |title=Best Sex Shop: Babeland; The people have spoken. |last=SW Staff |date=August 3, 2016 |website=Seattleweekly.com |publisher= |access-date=July 20, 2021 |quote= |archive-date=September 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913175057/https://www.seattleweekly.com/bestofseattle/best-sex-shop-babeland/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.seattleweekly.com/bestofseattle/best-of-seattle-the-markets-shops-and-stores-worth-exploring-in-seattle/ |title=The Markets, Shops, and Stores Well Worth Your While; Seattle Weekly readers share their favorite points of purchase. |last=SW Staff |date=August 2, 2017 |website=Seattleweekly.com |publisher= |access-date=July 20, 2021 |quote= |archive-date=July 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722025427/https://www.seattleweekly.com/bestofseattle/best-of-seattle-the-markets-shops-and-stores-worth-exploring-in-seattle/ |url-status=live }}
Books published by Babeland
- {{cite book|date=2003|title=Sex Toys 101: A Playfully Uninhibited Guide|author=Venning, Rachel|author2=Cavanah, Claire|name-list-style=amp|publisher=Touchstone|isbn=9780743243513|url=https://archive.org/details/sextoys101playfu00venn}}
- {{cite book|title=Moregasm: Babeland's Guide to Mind-Blowing Sex|author= Venning, Rachel|author2= Cavanah, Claire|author3= Vitkus, Jessica|name-list-style= amp |date=2010|edition=Paperback|isbn=9781583333723|publisher=Avery|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7339701-moregasm?from_search=true&search_version=service_impr}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.babeland.com Babeland website]
{{Coord|47.61396|N|122.322983|W|region:US-WA_type:landmark|display=title}}
Category:Companies based in Seattle
Category:History of women in New York City
Category:History of women in Washington (state)
Category:Sexuality in the United States