A treasure trove of pleasures

It took two hands to wrap around the width, and the tip almost reached my eye level.

“Oh, I know, it’s massive isn’t it?” said a blonde woman standing beside me.

“I just like to put it on display in case people ask what the biggest size we have is.”

The 12.5 inch, very realistic-looking dildo sits on the counter of Fredericton’s downtown sex store, Pleasures N’ Treasures, if you ever want to take a peek.

Theresa Theriault, manager of the shop, says although she gets a fair amount of people coming in to try larger sex toys, she highly recommends the smaller “bullets” and “egg” vibrators for beginners.

The area with smaller vibrators is much more friendly looking than the wall of bigger ones, shaped like complicated plastic torpedoes.

The bullets come in every colour, and most are pocket sized and discreet looking enough to be confused for a large battery, if it ever manages to escape your purse or book-bag.

Smaller models like these are popular for those just starting to experiment with sex toys, because you can use them for clitoral or anal stimulation as well as in a vagina, so they work for every couple or gender.

“Every 16 year-old should be getting one of these on her birthday,” Theriault says as she taps the package of a purple bullet. “They’re great stress-relievers.”

The prices are also reasonable, starting around $17 for the cheapest and going up to $40 if you want one with a lot of power.

Couple toys are also popular, especially the small purple “We-Vibe,” which sex-expert Sue Johanson is known for praising.

“I always say it’s a “We-Vibe” and then if he’s gone, it’s a “Me-Vibe,” Theriault laughed.

Besides dildos and vibrators, Pleasures N’ Treasures has a little bit of everything X-rated to spice up your next sexual experience, whether solo or with a partner.

There’s a popular fetish section with hand cuffs and whips, and lots of hand-held vaginas. Some are physical moulds of famous porn stars’ lady-bits, so if sex with one of those actresses is a dream of yours, here’s a realistic way of doing it.

There’s also a product called “Clone A Willy”, which is very popular among army wives, said Theriault.

Is your man is heading off to war for months on end? Are you in a long-distance relationship, perhaps? You might want the familiar shape and width of your man, which you can have if you make a mould of it and create your own home-made sex toy.

If sensual, romantic massages and lingerie are more your thing, you can find great oils and lubricant for under 20 bucks a bottle, and there’re a whole section of the main room for corsets, garters and stockings as well as leather outfits for guys.

And of course, there’s porn. Lots and lots of porn. The whole back room is filled with racks of erotic films, and it’s just one dollar a rental for two nights.

Most importantly, no matter how nervous and giggly you think you might be about dropping in, by the time you leave the store you’ll be feeling happy and comfortable, thanks to the friendly people working there.

Theriault says she makes it a priority for her and her staff to approach everyone who walks in, and make them feel at ease by joking around or offering advice. “I really just love helping people,” Theriault said, “It’s just about easing the stresses of everyday life, because we can just get too uptight sometimes.”