Looking to spice up your Valentine’s Day in the bedroom this year? Step out of the bedroom and drive five minutes down Main Street to consult Richard Dibler, the adult toy connoisseur, at Lovers Playground.
While Dibler has worked as manager of the adult novelty shop Lovers Playground for 14 years, he said he originally wanted to be an accountant.
“I love numbers,” Dibler said. “The business part of [Lovers Playground] was not what brought me here … Honestly, I had never even stepped into this store until I applied for the job.”
Dibler has enjoyed the job since he started, though, and he said he’s proud to see how he’s been able to change the shop’s customer base.
“When I first started here, I bet it was anywhere from 70 to 80 percent men versus women, and now I bet it’s 50/50,” Dibler said. “It is so great. What we’ve tried to do since I’ve been here is make [the shop] more female friendly, and I think we’ve accomplished that.”
Lovers Playground has a wide variety of products, ranging from toys to lingerie to tobacco accessories.
“We have something for everybody,” Dibler said. “With online [shopping], it’s great that you can look and find things that are cheaper, but here you get a hands on experience with it. You know what you’re getting and what you take home.”
Dibler said many products have multiple uses. For example, he said more than 40 percent of gentlemen buying penis pumps from the shop are coming from their doctors.
“[Penis pumps] are prescribed by physicians for their heart patients because it helps with circulation,” Dibler said.
Dibler said the media can influence what store items are popular.
“Two years ago, ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ hit, and the bondage section went crazy,” he said.
The average customer is between the ages of 25 to 35, but according to Dibler, the shop has a few senior customers.
“We’ve got two couples who come in here usually twice a year, and they’ve got to be in their 70s,” Dibler said. “It is so cool to see them come in. When I’m 70, I still want to be doing it, too. That’s awesome.”
Dibler said he thinks adult stores can have bad raps, but he said Lovers Playground isn’t “the dirty, typical, stereotype of an adult store.”
“We like to consider ourselves a toy factory for adults,” Dibler said. “We just want you to come in, have a good time, relax, and don’t bring mom and dad’s credit card … Have fun; that’s what we want you to do when you come in here. Don’t be afraid to ask questions; that’s why we’re here.”
Lovers Playground, located at 335 SW Adams St., is open 24/7.
