Good Vibrations Magazine

by Judi B

“We used to carry the Randy in green?!!” I asked a co-worker, looking through an old catalog. “Cool!!”

“Yeah, but it didn’t really sell. It wasn’t a good year for green.”

I had just started working here at GV, and hadn’t yet learned about the subtle nuances when it comes to sex toys and their colors. Just like material, size and shape, color does matter…that’s for sure.

Just look at the newest Jimmy Jane vibes we carry — The Little Chroma vibes are not only made of high-quality anodized aluminum, they also come in beautiful new colors — a striking metallic orange, a rich sexy olive and a shiny magenta. Look at the new, dreamy Dream Vibes in their pretty, bright colors. Check out the Mini Silicone Vibes in their soft, subtle pastels.

Looking through the latest issue of AVN Novelty (The toy mag of Adult Video News), it’s obvious that toy manufacturers are on the color bandwagon. This upcoming holiday season promises to be filled with pretty and colorful (not to mention luxurious but that’s a whole article to itself) toys.

I decided to ask the experts (our toy buyer and director of merchandising) what insight they have about color:
What are the most popular colors right now?

[JP] Always purple and blue. My impression is that customers buying non-realistic toys aren’t interested in duplicating realistic skin tones, so it comes down to what’s “safe” and/or “playful” — or at least comfortable. Purple is about as universal as it gets.

(CD) I’d have to echo that purple (and the range of that color) is one of our most popular colors right now. I also think that people will always be open to trying something new. I recently picked up a cream-colored item and it is doing extremely well.

Have any colors failed miserably?[JP] Yellow and green aren’t the best choices — and depending on the material, metallic tones don’t fly on non-metallics items (like silicone).

(CD) We have one yellow item that was surprisingly successful though, in general, I agree with JP. I was super surprised regarding the metallic silicone items… folks just didn’t find the silver and gold that attractive. Though sometimes there are other factors that play into sales and it’s hard to decide which factor caused the success or failure of any one item.

What color is just a no-no?

[JP] Dare I say non-realistic brown?

(CD) Flourescent colors. We carry lots of skin-tone brown for realistic items when we are trying to have more skin tone representation. I would say it differs for each category. In lube, brown is a no-no. In silicone, it does well. I would say that the orange range, though it can be really pretty, isn’t what folks are looking for (an exception being the Little Chroma).

What does the future hold in terms of color/material?

[JP] More choices in silicone and other non-toxic plastics, as well as growth in areas such as high-tech metals (titanium, stainless) and glass (both borosilicate & others). I think we’ll also find that colors start getting beyond the ‘norm.’ I see manufacturers doing more custom colors & designs.

(CD) Materials that are being experimented with now are hybrids—combining silicone with other materials to offer less-toxic but still affordable products. I also see a lot of companies experimenting with different variations of non-toxic plastics — TPE, ABS, Elastomers. And different textures — dual density is a hot topic right now. I agree that as we grow and expand our industry, we are seeing high design come into the picture as well as different materials—silver, gold, marble, onyx…

And finally, I did a little bit of searching on the web to see what, if anything, was said about the correlation between color and sex. Just because I was curious. And I came across this site: The Color Sex Test.

Wow, some of these generalizations are really amusing!:

RED: People who like red tend to be tigers in the sack. They are easily aroused and enjoy sex in every way imaginable.

YELLOW: If you tend to favor yellow, your sexual drives are complex and turn toward the adaptable. The favorite color of homosexuals is yellow. But don’t panic—not everyone who wears yellow is queer.

Now, that is just dumb. Everyone knows that anyone who wears yellow is totally gay. Right?

PINK: Persons who like pink show a reluctance to mature in sexual matters: women tend to tease, to promise more than they intend to deliver. In some cases they flaunt their femininity—but because they secretly hate men.

Whoa! Wait, who wrote these? “A panel of psychologists, speaking at the 1975 Home Interior Design Forum…” Oh.

PURPLE: Lovers of purple frequently consider themselves to be too sophisticated for a fun romp in the sack. In both sexes purple partners are more concerned with their fulfillment than anyone else’s gratification.

Hmmm, now see, our un-scientific data disagrees!

BLACK: Black color preferences point to black sex (not necessarily meaning black partners). These people are the misfits of the sex world and seek out each other in kinship. They tend to prefer perverted sex and are usually masochistic or sadistic in nature.

Well, that explains everything. I am a masochistic misfit!

GREEN: Those who prefer green are fresh and innocent in their approach to sex. Green lovers are gentle, but not passionate.

ORANGE: Lovers of the color orange lean toward sexual fantasies. Men tend to pull their partner’s hair, and women leave red welts on the sex partner’s back.

If you like orange, you like red welts. Totally makes sense.

BROWN: Brown lovers tend to be warm and deep, sensitive to the needs and desires of their partners. But their emotions are such that one harsh word could end the affair.

GREY: It’s wham, bam, thank you ma’am. Women don’t make love, they have intercourse. They count the cracks in the bedroom plaster until the sex act is over with and done.

Now, see, I disagree. I like gray, and I totally make love.

BLUE: Lovers of blue are wonderful sex partners. They are sinners, affectionate and sensitive to their partner’s needs.

WHITE: If a person is infatuated with white, sex often seems filthy. These people are puritanical in nature. These people still use pet names for their genitals.