Pleasure Chest

In the seventies, The Pleasure Chest was the first erotic store to create a "boutique" atmosphere in some of the major cities in the country. Other adult stores at the time were usually painted yellow on the outside and had all of the windows and doors covered up with brown paper with the words "XXX" and "ADULT", really creating a barrier of entry and had a very closed off feeling. The Pleasure Chest had department style display windows, friendly and knowledgeable sales staff, and was nicely lit with interesting store displays. The Pleasure Chest started in 1971 in the West Village in NY and at the height of the sexual revolution when people were starting to express their sexuality much more openly.

The Pleasure Chest got its beginning in the gay community in NYC and quickly expanded into the gay communities of Chicago (1977) and Los Angeles (1975). As all-things-gay became popular in the mainstream community so did The Pleasure Chest. They became a couple's focused store, regardless of sexuality. Throughout the seventies and eighties The Pleasure Chest was among the very few stores across the country that was promoting sexuality in a positive and open way. The unspoken motto of the store was that a healthy sex life was as much a part of health as nutrition, exercise and learning. A positive approach to sexual discovery and exploration became a key focus of the stores. In that light, customers through out the last four decades have felt that going into The Pleasure Chest wasn't something degrading or dirty but a way of fulfilling one's own life. With its locations in the major metropolitan cities of the country many people through the decades have gotten their first experience at a sex store with us. In fact we're always meeting men and women in there 40s and 50s who come up to us and say they can remember trying to sneak into The Pleasure Chest before they were of age.

The Pleasure Chest has created the personal bond with the people that visit us when they have stumbled across hurdles in their sex life or relationship, and we've been able to help them figure out where to start their exploration onto a healthier path. That creates a powerful experience and trust when individuals can be successful in finding out what works in their lives. All of the staff employed at The Pleasure Chest is trained to be sensitive to the needs of our guests, regardless of sexual orientation or gender.

As our culture has accepted sex much more in media, movies, magazines and pop culture we're seeing everyone from grandparents coming into the stores to mothers with their daughters coming into buy their first vibrator.

After the founders death in the eighties The Pleasure Chest were split up from each other but in the last 10 years the founders nephew, Brian Robinson, has been reconnecting the stores back together, including adding the online store- ThePleasureChest.com. The Pleasure Chest is referred to as the "Saks 5th Avenue" of adult stores in the media and lives up to that moniker. With a well-trained sales staff and an attractive, bright store it certainly fits!