DIY sex toys? A new San Francisco treat
Do-it-yourself. Get handson. The Bay Area’s history of embracing female-friendly sex toys is long and storied (thank you, Good Vibrations), but Crave, the San Francisco-based sex toy company, is taking things to a new level.
Step right up for a mobile Build-A-Vibe bar. You know, like Build-A-Bear, only for adults. As part of Crave’s latest project, you can climb aboard a vintage 1961 Airstream that’s part fun factory, part showroom to create your own personal, um, entertainment device.
You can even curate a fully programmable version of the flagship product, the Duet vibrator, a high-tech beauty that boasts a built-in flash memory drive. It takes about 30 minutes to build your new mechanical BFF, and you take it home with you the same day. Total cost is about $99.
As the company notes in a release, “one of the primary goals is to create more opportunities for healthier conversations around sex and pleasure. The idea being, open conversations about sex and pleasure often reduce the stigma and shame that is often present.” Oh, and did we mention you can charge your product through any USB port? Rest assured, these toys are very posh and discreet. Heck, some of them even double as statement necklaces.
Meet the Vesper, an elegant pendant made of high polish stainless steel. “Designed for beautiful experiences in public and in private,” this jewelry with benefits comes in three finishes: silver, 24k gold and rose gold.
These whirring workshops have already been a hit at the Academy of Sciences and SXSW, but now company co-founder Ti Chang is taking the show on the road. After it revved up the engines last week at San Francisco’s World Nano Fair, the Crave Airstream project will next set up shop in Portland, Oregon; Palm Springs; Los Angeles; Atlanta; Boston and New York City..
Chang launched the startup to take the sex toy industry out of the realm of sleaze and into the realm of luxury. “While we have beautifully designed iPhones and laptops, the sex-toy space is so heavily stigmatized that it doesn’t draw a lot of talent,” said Chang, who previously worked as an industrial designer, as Huffington Post reported, adding that the company’s success with the Duet may be a sign that the $5 billion sex-toy industry is finally plunging into the mainstream. Now might be a good time to stock up on some batteries.