Before Early to Bed (ETB) opened on September 8, 2001 there was not a single woman-owned & oriented sex shop in Chicago. ETB's founder Searah Deysach wanted there to be a place where women (and all people) could shop for high-quality adult novelties in a comfortable, friendly environment and get help from people who knew a lot about sex and sex toys. Since she couldn't find that place in the city she loved, she decided to drop out of grad school and open her own little store. Ten years later, Early to Bed has grown to be a well-respected institution that caters to the needs not only of women, but of folks of all genders and orientations.
In addition to operating a retail store, in the past ten years Early to Bed has run workshops on a variety of sex-related subjects, made two adult films, and donated its space to host open mic nights, college field trips and non-for-profit benefit parties. Educators from ETB have given talks to countless local community groups, and at colleges and universities all over the Midwest. Deysach says, "I created this shop to be a fun, safe place to buy sex toys, but I also wanted to create a sense of community. By partnering with local organizations, we have been able to create something that is more than just a retail store." Over the years, Deysach has been quoted in numerous publications as an expert on sex toys (including a guest spot in Dan Savage's Savage Love column) and in articles on everything from the changing face of adult retail stores (AVN Magazine, March/April 2009) to why masturbation is good for you (Glamour, May 2004). Deysach is a founding member of The Progressive Pleasure Club, a network of independent, education-based sex shops spanning the US and Canada.
In addition to the retail store at 5232 N. Sheridan Road, ETB runs a website at early2bed.com and has a site just for guys at early2rise.net .
In celebration of its anniversary, Early to Bed is hosting a party at the store on September 24th from 6-9pm. The event is free and open to all adults.
The party will feature cocktails made with its Limited Edition Love Potion No. 14 (a collaboration with JoSnow Syrups), yummy treats to eat, and a superstar raffle that you will not want to miss.
The fabulous and talented GlitterGuts gang will have a fun photo booth, and, everything in the shop will be 20% off for partygoers!
Details about the party can be seen at www.early2bed.com/2011/08/31/event-early-to-beds-10th-anniversary-party/