When I was a child, my dad took us on epic vacations. He had 3 weeks off each year and we’d take off to the Pacific Northwest and go camping. We went to Oregon, Washington, Idaho (especially once my oldest sister moved there), Montana and Wyoming, even Utah, Colorado and down to the Four Corners. My dad liked to fish and we took our family tent trailer everywhere, preferring National Forests with primitive sites.
I think we were staying in Spokane Washington when we found other girls camping in a site nearby. They were about our age and their father was working in the states. They were from British Columbia and after we parted ways I had myself my first and only pen pal. Years later when visiting Bonners Ferry Idaho where my sister was, we headed for a reunion Northward to Kimberley BC. Honestly, the only thing I really remember from that trip was how very small their bedrooms were- they barely fit a twin bed (privilege is a huge bedroom). Soon we traveled throughout British Columbia and Alberta.
Canada was a big part of Tantus’ beginnings and it all started in the San Francisco offices of Good Vibrations. Once we had designs to show, Kris and I made an appointment, our debut, and drove across country to meet with the toy buyer at Good Vibes. Her name was Dora and we were her very first meeting. There we sat smiling and talking and listening, there was Dora doing the same, and there was Jen, the replenishment buyer, sitting on top of a desk next to us all and directing what it was Dora needed to ask us and what it was we needed to ask Dora. Jen was awesome.
It was Jen who took me aside and said what ever I did, don’t sign an exclusive in Canada, and to make sure I call Cory at Toronto’s Come As You Are. She wrote his number on a business card.
The exchange rate in 1998 Canadian Dollars to Us was 1.48310319, or so it averaged in my search, but from May through December of that year it climbed to 1.58. It was ugly.
There was a store in Vancouver that had gotten all the US silicone manufacturers to sell to them exclusively. I don’t believe that silicone had given distributors the same margins as the rest of the industry, I mean no silicone manufacturer actually did distribution. We were all small and raw silicone was so much more expensive than latex or PVC, or the TPR’s and TPE’s that came. Whatever discount was given to Womyn’s Ware, it wasn’t enough to pay for the import duties, warehousing and a sales team. The way they marked it up, the price for a silicone sex toy in Canada was through the roof. 1
Our meeting with Dora had allowed us an outside voice that double checked our ideas. She, and Jen, recommended we lower the shore hardness of the dildos, I’m sure there were other small changes but I don’t recall them. I waited for an order. I waited and waited. Finally, we got all our sells sheets together and mailed it out to our 15-20 stores we knew of already selling silicone, them and Fairvilla. We did that- and then, and only then, did I call Cory. He was so happy to hear from us.
Cory not only placed a big order; he took me step by step instructing me how to export into Canada. He faxed me paperwork and he went over it on the phone. They had their own customs brokers so the boxes had to direct their goods through that company. He was so patient with all my questions and once I did it a few times, Canada totally opened its arms to us.
We had radically low prices. Partially we had them because we had next to no overhead. Partially we had them because we didn’t know what we were doing. Partially we had them because I didn’t know better. About a year or so in, I was in the library and took out a book on product pricing. We had inevitably done what was called “penetration pricing”— I kid you not.
There was a new fun store up in Halifax, Nova Scotia called Venus Envy. Shelley was so sweet. She cared so deeply about her customers. And for someone who doesn’t really enjoy talking on the phone, I spent so much time laughing with her. She had the best stories, stories like when someone came into the store in a suit, they seemed to always leave with a Little Flirt. Venus Envy’s website and subsequent catalog were vibrant and fun. I loved Shelley. Eventually Shelley tried distributing Tantus, not exclusively, but distribution none the less. She hired a woman who came from the jewelry world. I loved her too (I’m afraid I can’t recall her name). But the discount? I think I gave her 20% off. That was a lot for us. Her prices were a bit more than ours but they already had the customs brokers fees and shipping in, plus you could get them the next day or so rather than when UPS and customs got around to it.
Pamela Cameron picked us up for Lovecraft in Mississauga and wow did they make (for us) huge orders. And Carlyle had just opened Good For Her. Canada really was a God Send.
Our name spread in Canada much faster than it did in the states. And they were so ridiculously nice. I spent hours enjoying hearing about their needs, their funny tales of successes, and at tax time, hearing how much of their income percentage went to their government.
I can’t remember who invited Tantus up to be a Canadian company, it may have been Shelley. I have to tell you- we considered it. Kris Victor had grown up in Solon Ohio and had enjoyed many trips to our Northern neighbor. He told me of one special trip: his son was an infant and he and his first wife were in Toronto, this was the early 80’s. They had brought a pram and there was this large stairway up to some museum or something and a punk with a mohawk and torn clothes came and offered to help. He picked up the front of the pram to help carry it all the way to the top. It was the early years of punk and Kris was more a Bruce Springsteen fan. He said in the states he’d have fought the guy to protect his child, but in Canada… they are so darn nice.
And the first business trip we took after we got established was to Toronto. I had never been to Toronto before. It was love at first sight.
Kris and I came up and we toured all the stores. Funny the things you remember. I recall we didn’t get a car that trip. Our hotel was right off the train and we bussed and walked everywhere… everywhere except Mississauga.
Our first visit was with Cory at Come As You Are. It was on Queen Street and a gallery was two doors down. This sculpture we got there. Remember that exchange rate!
Then we walked the few blocks down to the converted house of Good For Her and went out to lunch with Carlyle. We talked with such excitement. Carlyle is brilliant and well, when the conversations were about sex toys— WOW. I remember she told us about her favorite dildo. It was a g-spotter, one of Vixens but it had been discontinued. It had broken, ripped right in half. The dildo had a lifetime warranty but that didn’t make it available.
Kris made her an offer. He’d make her one if she had the parts (she did), but she couldn’t tell anyone. We didn’t want anyone thinking we’d take their designs. He actually made two- one for me and one for her and then we broke the master and mold. Mine is the one pictured, we must have been playing with pigments. Over a decade later I designed the Curve inspired by that toy. I confessed the whole story when I met Vixen’s very first employee, Marlene Hoeber, who I worked with on the board of The Center for Sex and Culture. She explained to me that that toy had been a sculpture that Vixen had a contract for with a certain cut off date and the contract for some reason had not been extended.
Lovecraft was more mainstream than CAYA or Good For Her, but Pamela was such a character. Meeting her face to face was more than worth the cab ride.
While exploring Queen Street, Kris found a short and small men’s store (at 5’6” and 135 pounds finding suits he didn’t look silly in was a challenge) and bought a suit that fit him so ridiculously well and several shirts. Years later I’d stop by and they still had his measurements on file.
While we were in the city, we made a trip over to North Bound Leather. I’m not sure North Bound was a customer at that time but once we started talking, they felt like family immediately and I started trying on leather. We spent hours with Anna and George, and Anja (I don’t recall if Enza was there yet). By the end of our meeting, we were mutual customers and a pair of patent leather stilettos, a maxi length dress with a high collar and a corset laced back and several other items came into my possession. Seemed fair after Kris’ shopping spree and remember that exchange rate was working for us.
Years later I kept hearing how small a market Canada actually was… it seemed hard to believe when they were such a huge part of Tantus’ beginning. Those first few years they were over 30% of all our sales. Good Vibrations was 40%... but that’s another story.
We made mistakes with Canada. In 2006 we did what Jen told us not to do. That too is another tale too, a very unfortunate one.
I have always enjoyed me trips North. The friends I’ve made there were incredible. We raised each other in ways I can’t really explain. And I can’t believe I’m this close now, living in Olympia Washington, and haven’t yet gotten across the border. Soon I assure you… soon.
The near monopoly on US made silicone toys ended when the exclusively contracted sales team took the Canadian company to court to break their contracts. I’m not sure how this actually went down but it changed the silicone sex toy industry substantially and brought down the Canadian costs.