Founder’s Post: What’s it Like to Own a Dildo Company? Pt 1

“How did I get into this business?”

I started like many other small businesses – I had an idea for a product that didn’t exist. I did a whole lot of research on the internet, and emailed a bunch of my favorite manufacturers about possibly working together to create the product. Unfortunately, and I’m sure this is pretty par for the course, I didn’t hear back from most people, and the few who did weren’t interested in making them. Since I felt the resounding response was to kick rocks, I decided, “Fuck it, let’s just try and make it ourselves,” and it really just started from there. It took about six months to make our first product, Shilo (which is still our most popular, best-selling product), and it’s been a natural evolution to create more products since then.

Chelsea Downs NYTC Head Shot, Open arms
Chelsea Downs Founder of NYTC

I love being able to go to work every day, and design and create products I love for people who want and need them. I love reading all the thank-you emails and social media posts we get; especially the ones we get from parents! I definitely have a soft spot for parents who just love their kids unconditionally, and support all the ways they want to express themselves. We also get so many thank-you letters from couples, saying how they’re so happy they found us, and how our products have helped their sex lives – and their everyday existence! It really means a lot.

When consumers and retail partners support small businesses, especially small queer businesses, it allows those companies the ability to continue to grow and innovate. There are definitely a lot of knock-offs out there, but it’s so important for consumers to know that, while they are certainly free to purchase those products, they should also know their dollars aren’t really going to companies who want to create innovative products for them, if they wanted to they would have), but rather going towards creating more of the same old mass-produced products.

Chelsea Downs NYTC at a cafe
Chelsea Downs Founder of New York Toy Collective NYTC

When I think about what I thought I’d be doing in my thirties, and what I’m doing now, and what sort of legacy I’m leaving on the world, I feel like it’s pretty awesome. We definitely feel like we’re a bigger company than we are – we’re basically just four people. I still answer my own phone, read and respond to all my own emails, and personally make those trips down to the post office.

I’m pretty proud of opening up new categories in my field as well; we’ve had a lot of great ‘first’s! We were the first to get four skin tones for dildos to national distributors; we were the first to have intact packers; and we were the first to have non-skin-tone colors to national distributors. And our journey isn’t over yet – we’re coming out with a few more new products, and there’s always room to innovate!