It’s a tradition begun in the 1950s with Tupperware. Women invite their friends and coworkers to a party to buy household products, thus earning the host products and gifts.

Swap plasticware for dildos and other toys, and welcome to the 21st century.

Jeannette Tarqueno is an independent senior consultant with Pure Romance, a woman-to-woman retailer of relationship enhancement products, or sex toys. She helps women throw sex toy parties.

According to Tarqueno, the parties are free to host and provide a safe and fun environment for women to learn more about sex and buy products. While women continue to party in one room, Tarqueno sets up a shop in another, where women can privately buy products and ask further questions.

Here’s how to get started, she explains:

1 Communicate with a consultant: Tarqueno said before an event, she sends a “hostess packet” in the mail containing a catalog, order forms for women who might not be able to attend the party, invitations and a personal letter detailing what the hostess is to expect from the party.

“I try to reach out to [the hostess] as often as I can with little tips on what it takes to have a good party,”

Tarqueno said.

2 Ignore the awkwardness:

“You just get girls there, and I provide all the fun,” Tarqueno said. 

Tarqueno said she makes sure the party environment is comfortable for women who may not know each other. She uses games and icebreakers to create a fun atmosphere.

“I expected [the party] to be really awkward, especially because I didn’t know everyone who was there,” said Alexia Tillman, a College of DuPage student who has attended a sex toy party. “It ended up being not awkward at all. I think we all had a really fun time and warmed up to each other really quickly.”

3 Educate yourself:

Tillman said she was impressed with how much she learned about sexual health at the party.

Tarqueno said learning is part of the party experience. 

“My job is to educate women,” Tarqueno said. “I’m there to help them understand that sex is not a crazy topic. There are things women want to talk to their doctors about but are afraid or uncomfortable [discussing], and I make it comfortable for them to talk about those things.”

4 Test the products:

Tillman said her favorite part of the party was being able to test the majority of the products Tarqueno brought in her many suitcases.

“I was surprised at how many of the products we were able to test. Obviously, the majority of them were beauty products,” Tillman said. “I actually cared more about testing the beauty products because, like a vibrator is a vibrator. You know what to do with that [already].”

5 Buy stuff: 

Tillman said she did not expect to purchase anything at the party, but she ended up buying more than a few sprays, gels and lotions out of the Pure Romance beauty lines.