Babeland

Babeland, formerly known as Toys in Babeland, is a sex toy boutique offering erotic toys, books and pornographic films. Babeland has an online store and four retail stores (in Seattle, Brooklyn, and two in Manhattan).

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 (1934), the title of a Laurel & Hardy film. It was, uncoincidentally, also the name of an emerging all-female band from Minneapolis. 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.

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, making a total of three stores in New York City.

In 1999, the Toys in Babeland staff developed a specific mission: to promote and celebrate sexual vitality by providing an honest, open and fun environment. Encouraging personal empowerment, community education, and support for a more passionate world are key.

In 2003, Venning and Cavanah published Sex Toys 101: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing and Using Sex Toys. It teaches readers the ins and outs of sexual anatomy, vibrators, strap-ons, lube, men's toys, anal play, and more. The photograph-illustrated book, written in an informal style, is the first full-color guide to toys for satisfying sex.

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