Nasstoys’ own Kathryn Hartman, sales and marketing director, reflects on the evolution of various men’s toys over the past few decades.

As a young woman growing up on a dairy farm in Appalachia in the early ‘70s, there was no such thing as adult novelty boutiques or web sites, so when it came to adding variety or enhancements to whatever was going on “out behind the barn” or up in a tree in the deep forest in an off-season hunting platform, creativity was born.

Most girls from my town (population 300) had long hair and either wore it braided or in a ponytail or pigtails. Depending on the hairstyle, you had either the option of cock ring or cock and ball ring with the elasticized hair tie which was always conveniently available. The type with the colorful plastic balls were a lot of fun. Today, we call them Vibrating Erection Ring with Dangling Ball Bangers.

Fast forward a few years, and I am in NYC’s West Village on the corner of the West Side Highway and Christopher Street, at Underground Leather marveling at my friend’s manual dexterity as she cut, folded, riveted, studded and stacked in glass cases numerous styles of popular leather and chrome cock rings with names like Gates of Hell and Ball Spreader for the enthusiastically cruising crowd of handsome men heading out for a weekend of delectable depravity at the now-defunct leather bars of NYC.

I always wore a three-snap leather cockring as a bracelet those days along with an arm full of jingling Indian bangles. We all did. It was the era of Madonna and the SEX book. Cock rings were becoming Au Courant.

Nasstoys once sponsored the “Fabulous Gameshow Prizes” for a burlesque gameshow in an off-Broadway theatre in NYC. It was hosted by the wonderful carnies and burlesque performers of the Coney Island Sideshow and I fondly recollect a slight feeling of sardonic pleasure as excited audience members stage dived and squealed with delight after a drum roll and cymbal crash followed by a shower of cockrings tossed to the ticketholders. Everybody loves cockrings.

The penis rings of yesteryear were very different. The denser, less pliable rubberized plastics were stiff and uncomfortable materials. No amount of lube on the studded “clit ticklers” attached to these prehistoric predecessors of today’s pleasure enhancing rings could convince the wearer that she was not faking it. The historical goats’ eyelid with eyelash intact used as an early French tickler/cockring by desert herdsmen and sheiks in the Middle East sounded like some kind of demonic horned god sex ritual followed by a barbecue. The jade or ivory cockrings of the Ming and Tang Dynasty sounded about as comfortable as the fetishistic little shoes their women wore.
And then there was silicone …
Today we are blessed with super-stretchy, fun, body-safe tactile materials like silicone and elastomer. Available in a variety of colors, materials and even flavors. And yes, there are even edible gummy cock rings.

Nasstoys sells Glow in The Dark rings, Wireless Remote-Control Rings and styles with attached anal beads, vibrating elastomer rings with dual vibrating bullets for stimulation of both the clitoris and perineum. We sell rings paired with condoms in counter displays, and even double penetrator cock rings that enable the wearer to have two penises. (Imagine what you could do if you had two?) Black rings and red rings are my top sellers followed by clear and smoke, then purple.

Lots of people have sex in their vehicles, so cockrings in handy 10-packs are great to keep in the glove compartment alongside the extra pair of sunglasses and breath mints. We sell a 10-pack with a beautiful opaque stretchy silicone ring floating in an entire palm full of lubricant.

Penis sleeves and extensions

Back in the dawn of my peculiar career, I used to enjoy window-shopping the adult bookstores of the now-defunct red-light district in NYC known as The Deuce, or 42nd Street, Times Square.

Sold alongside dirty magazines and XXX VHS tapes featuring Seka, Vanessa Del Rio, Nina Hartley and Linda Lovelace were Penis Sipping Straws, Boobie Doorbells and my favorite, Strappy Cock by Doc Johnson.

Fast forward to the year 2018.
Nasstoys, the sex toy manufacturing company I call home, proudly boasts 54 unique penis sleeves and extensions which are available in a variety of body-safe, comfortable stretchy stimulating materials like elastomer and silicone. These products provide a delightful experience for the wearer and their partner. Studded sleeves covered in soft stimulating bumps enhance sensation and take on a whole new dimension when used with lubricant.
These fun items add length and width and texture to penises of all sizes and can magically transform a twig into a trunk, a shrimp into a lobster and even a circumcised cock into an uncut au natural tower of power.

Available in a plethora of skin pigments and colors, the sleeves or extensions available today have features such as taint-tickling bullets, attached vibrating anal beads, vibrating rabbit ears and studded or ribbed interiors. There are even sleeves in our range of products with touch activated vibration in the head. Any of these studded or ribbed items can be turned inside out and also double as a masturbation sleeve in a pinch making them two products for the price of one.

A frequently asked question regarding sleeves: “Can they be used as a condom”?
Answer: No, use them with a condom under or over the sleeve, but always use a condom.

Never pump a cold cock

The manufacturer I work for sells 30 different pumps. Each item is unique in its own right, boasting features like Piston Grip, Inner Elastomer Cock Hugging Studded Silicone Sleeve and USB Rechargeable.

Pumps come in a variety of price ranges from affordable to ultra-high-end for the beginner, intermediate and expert pumper.

Recently during a store manager’s training for the Cindie’s stores in Houston Texas, I interviewed several industry colleagues asking them for their best quote or most memorable story about pumps. My favorite quote was from Mary Fried, of the Doc Johnson family who was a respected mentor to both Lynn Swanson of Classic Erotica and myself. Lynn told me that the best advice she was ever given was from Mary who told her, “Never pump a cold cock.” If one compares a pumping session to a gym workout, it would make perfect sense to warm up first.

Lots of guys cannot use performance-enhancing supplements or medications due to medical conditions. Lots of keyboard jockeys have carpal tunnel or retired construction workers have arthritis in their hands. For these consumers we have electric pumps which are battery or USB powered and will suck it for you with the effortless push of a button. Internet porn and construction hat are optional accessories and are not included, but some of these pumps do come with cock rings or a packet of lube.

Recently an airport in Germany was evacuated because of a minor issue regarding pleasure products in checked luggage. For the discreet business traveler—or to take along on a romantic vacation, and avoid finding the inevitable TSA baggage inspection love letter in your suitcase—I recommend the Travel Pump by Nasstoys. Cleverly concealed in a high-quality zippered man’s shaving/cosmetic bag, this electric pump has three speeds, a festive red LED light pattern indicating the chamber pressure, three silicone cock rings with lift tabs (helps with removal) and a silicone realistic pussy entry donut. The realistic looking and feeling V-Gina has an intact hymen. You get to be first!

It is a lot of fun naming pumps. Clever names like Suct-ion Pump, Jackmatic Supreme, and 10 1/2 Pump contribute to the consistent volume sales of these top sellers.

Pump it up until you can feel it

Johnson, Willy, Peter and Dick all hope to increase the length and girth of their erections by purchasing a penis enlargement pump from any fine adult retail establishment. A massive hard and heavy salami is the goal of the pumper and for him, there are many options.
Today we have pumps that will basically fellate you. I think pumps are a perfect gift item. Especially since most come boxed and are easy to gift wrap.

Standard vacuum air pressure style cylinder pumps with a rubber squeeze ball remain popular and affordable. Many have been upgraded in terms of materials and add-ons like cock rings and silicone-end donuts and continue to be a great investment in product with which to stock store or site.

Higher-end pumps using water pressure or with interchangeable glass tubing, cylinders and air compressors are popular at Pumping Parties and offer a myriad of configurations including tiny nipple cylinders and attachments for pumping other erogenous areas of the sexy body.

For more information, visit nasstoys.com.