While some of us are turning over couch cushions desperately seeking enough quarters to wash our dirty laundry, others are finding ways to turn theirs into a small business on the web. Those who participate highlight the sense of community and a genuine love for the power of sexy lingerie.
Serena (Serena’s Secret; NSFW) has been involved with the panty fetish community for over 5 years. Although currently retired from public sales, Serena is still active in the online panty fetish community. She still moderates the messages boards at My Used Panty Store and Panty Hog (NSFW) and writes two advice columns and keeps her own blog updated with helpful information for those interested in buying or selling panties via the internet.
What follows is an interview with Serena:
Maggie: How did you discover the fetish for used panties and why did you decide to engage with it?
Serena: I discovered I had a fetish for used panties as soon as I started dating. I’ve always been the dominant partner and I always loved the fact that I could ‘make’ my other half wearing my lingerie as a gesture of reward or punishment. As my fetish for lingerie grew I started spending time online researching and searching for vintage panties and 50′s underwear, and that’s how I discover that the online Used Panty Community is supported by different people into different ‘panty’ sex and fantasies. Some love wearing them, some love sniffing them, some love collecting them, some just like to look at them. Or if you are anything like me, you’ll love dominating people who worship them.
Maggie: What kind of work goes on in the background of a panty exchange?
Serena: I think its fair to separate the industry from the fetish.
Selling used panties online is not as easy as wearing them or dressing up your partners in them, it takes a lot of patience, determination and a touch of creativity, or you may end up getting buried under the other 5000 girls who are trying to sell their intimates.
Disappointedly, more and more sellers join the community to make money other then fulfilling their fetish, but the reality is that, compared to the amount of work that goes in, there isn’t as much money to be had – it’s easy to get discouraged by timewasters and creepy men. When sellers get overwhelmed with emails and dodgy requests, it all gets a bit too much and they vanish, sometime with buyers cash, which is another disappointing reality.
Maggie: What kind of extra revenue can you expect from selling panties online?
Serena: Some sellers do better then others. As in everything else, you get back what you put in. A top established seller with a large range of products and digital products, can make anything between 0 and £500 per month. Sellers who do best are the ones with a genuine fetish, who don’t jump on the bandwagon but spend some time researching first. These tend to be the more mature ladies who have the time to actually read and have some money to invest in setting up a credible fetish panty site - the internet is full of scammers and cons, more so in this type of unregulated scene, so if a lady wants to succeed she needs to maintain credibly and a consistent presence within the community.
Maggie: What else would you like people to know about what it is you do?
Serena: My motto is: ‘If you do it only for the money, it will suck the fun out of it. If you are doing it to satisfy your fetish, than come and give me a hug!’
There is no question that the internet has been a boon for panty fetishists. Aside from dedicated internet communities and individual sellers, many web cam sites have established protocols for allowing models to use their billing system to sell their panties to their loyal fans. Craigslist also presented new options for women to sell their panties to those in need. While images and video proliferate on the web, a pair of used panties allow for a kind of intimacy that connects with all of the senses. Those looking to buy often have specific requests and snapshots to accompany their prize. Selling panties over the internet often includes hours and hours of time spent at the computer uploading photographs, email, chatting, and social networking.
One panty fetishist I spoke to prefers to keep a pair of panties as a souvenir after a sexual encounter. Rather than being merely a trophy, he would pull out each pair and tell its story. “These” he said softly touching a pair of emerald satin panties, “came from a dancer. They’re the panties I like to use when I want to think about watching a woman dance just for me.” He carefully returns them into his drawer.
“But these cotton panties are coy. I never saw this girl naked, but I met her at a party and managed to talk her into letting me have them.” Although he would occasionally buy a pair from an online seller, he was deeply concerned with the context and the details that made each pair unique. He had an incredible reverence for his collection; each pair was handled gently and kept in a sealed bag to retain some of the scent.
If you’re looking for more information about selling your panties, definitely check out Serena’s website which is full of information, advice, and support. My Used Panty Store, Panty Hog, and Panty Trust are also wonderful resources where you can see the community come together, stay connected, and develop a code of ethics. (All links NSFW.) If you’re thinking about making your own underwear drawer recession proof, best of luck to you!
Image courtesy of WikiCommons.
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