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Hi all,

Took a trip to Soho the other day and wondered whether anyone else had any thoughts on either of the following:

1) I see the Soho Bookstore (main branch - Brewer St) now has preview booths at the back of the store. I only had a look, and didn't actually use them (honest, guv'nor!). I was just wondering how these would go down in Britain, as it's the first store I know of which is using them. I know the booth concept is standard in other markets, such as the US etc, but I would be interested in people's take on this for the UK market.

2) I know many of you have views on the Private Shops in the UK. Coupled with this, I am aware that many of you advocate the internet as the best-value means of getting DVDs (I agree that ?25 or so on the high street for a DVD is harsh, too). However, after my recent visit to the main Private store in London, I have had my perceptions somewhat re-aligned. To cut a long story short, I ended up leaving with two new release DVDs (marked up at ?25 each), one title which has been out for a year or so (marked up at ?15) and two compliation sets (marked up at ?10 each). I've priced all the titles I got online and noted that, relatively speaking, they weren't over-priced in the shop. (We're talking Private/Vivid stuff here). I got all this for ?40. Obviously, I presume they are still making a nice profit on this, but it just goes to show....I'm not sure to what extent all other retailers would be up for such deals...

Anyone else have a take on this?

The remember the booths were a feature of many sex shops in Soho during my visits back in the late 70s through to the late 80s, showing 8mm loops at first and later videos. Needless to say it wasn't advised to sit down without using a newspaper, and there were so very suspicious stains on the screens. Smelt a bit too. Oh happy days.

Being totally ruthless, sex shop owners must be feeling the pinch for them to do you such a good deal! The rip-off hey day is now coming to an end, where the shops could purchase a film wholesale for ?3.50 and then sell it for ?30.00. Sex shops have been operated on the principle of, "There's always another mug", for far too long and it is only a matter of time before they'll be unloading piles of DVD's on you for next to nothing.

In order to survive they'll have to change their ways. For example deep cleaning and decorating their premises would be a good start. Sacking the sleazebag/ bouncer/ psychopath type sales staff and replacing them with civilised people. Taking the sign off the wall that says, "Please do not complain, as a smack in the mouth often offends!"

Anyway I think it's all too late, why endure the stigma of being seen in one of these dreadful places, when you can simply get on line and get everything you want at a fraction of the price and get to review it all first?

Go over the water to Belgium and you can buy 10 hour compilation dvds for under ?2.00 each they come in packs of 10 which relates to 100 hours of porn and cost ?19.00 any more than 10 then HM Customs will take them off you, the Brit titles do cost more over there because they cost more to make as the Brit girls demand more money to perform on camera than girls do on the continent who will shagg on film for peanuts but you can still buy British films for around ?10.00 each, so yes Soho is a rip off.
!shocked!!shocked!!shocked!!shocked!!shocked!

Thanks for your comments.

I agree that sex shops have been charging too much for too long, but am glad that the tide is (or at least apperas to be) turning.

I take on board what Jimslip (legend!) says about the internet as the most direct/convenient distribution channel (it has played no small part in loosening the High St sex shops' grip on the market). Also, I thought the clip he posted a few months back doing an impression of a sex shop owner was both funny and probably quite true to life, based on what some of you seem to have experienced.

However, I've not really had any particularly bad experiences in any shops I've visited, and have always got what I thought was a fair deal. I even met Cathy Barry in one of them, so obviously that increased my perception of them quite a bit! (You couldn't do that on the net!) Overall, I find that I actually quite enjoy going and browsing round them in Soho.

As for the booths they've recently installed in Soho bookshop, I wonder how much ?s they have taken in of late...

Alicia_Fan_UK

I was a regular visitor to soho sex shops in the mid to late 90's shortly before hardcore became legal and they were very seedy,intimidating places. However the range of movies they had then were far wider than they have now and it was quite a thrill visiting them knowing it was illegal,the fact that you was buying something you shouldn't be made porn seem more exciting. Some of the characters who worked in the shops back then were a bit rough and ready but some were very helpful. These days i don't go to soho much the shops all seem to be selling the same range of average porn..i.e. big titted bimbo types shagging in hot sunny places. These films bore me to tears i like real porn with real people the only place to get that these days seems to be the internet.