What age are you?
I am a 47 year old housewife, maybe not the obvious stereotype for a fetish provider but I have never been one for ‘the conventional’ does have it’s advantages.
How long have you been selling?
I have been providing fetish items, videos and interactive services for around 18 months with reasonable success. I began selling panties for fun and to earn a little pocket money. I never set out for the long haul but frankly I (mostly) enjoy the interaction. I always said I would continue regardless of revenue as long as I was still having fun…. I am still here.
Where do you sell?
I have a profile on Pantydeal as well as one other site. I have experimented with four other sites simultaneously and reduced it to the two sites which appear most active and generate the most revenue.
Do you sell additional items other than panties? If so, what?
Panties and associated lingerie are obviously a main stay of the site but I quickly realised that since I was getting requests for additional items that I should expand on what I offer. A browse around other sellers sites highlighted a few areas that appeared popular. I have now added sexting/web cam, a library of erotic and explicit images, movies as well as the opportunity for clients to commission their own bespoke (custom) movies. This has always appealed to me as I love exploring other people’s kinky fantasies.
In a crowded market place I decided that what set me apart (hopefully) would be the production quality of my movies. My partner knows his way around a camera, lighting and editing suite so it made sense to enlist his help. (If you have ever tried to photograph your bum in the mirror and still look elegant you will appreciate the value of a trusted helper). I am not knocking mobile phone footage and indeed many buyers seek out this very amateur but personal approach. However, I quickly gained a reputation for high production value (and hopefully good content too) which has served me well. The downside is that the time it takes to produce has to reflect in the price. (no-one really likes to work for nothing).
When I last checked my income was divided fairly evenly between garments, videos/ images and interactive services. (sexting, webcam)
What are the pros of being an older seller in this industry?
Attraction, lust, desire, call it what you like but it is all totally subjective. The cliché of an adult worker being a young, tight cheerleader type account for a large market share but it is a saturated market. A quick browse around the popular porn sites shows that ‘MILF’, ‘Mature’ and ‘Amateur’ categories and search entries are increasing in popularity.
I am not keen on the ‘MILF’ acronym (I just don’t believe ‘mum’ and ‘f***’ belong in the same sentence) but most people have an idea what it involves so exploit it to my advantage where necessary. That said, I don’t entertain certain taboos such as incest or any role-play alluding to minors. I am not judging but It doesn’t do it for me and I am not good at pretending it does so the client is likely to get a less than satisfactory experience.
With age and maturity comes wisdom (allegedly). Clients will actively seek out a more mature provider for various reasons but it ultimately boils down to personal taste. My own anecdotal experience suggests that the vast majority of free loaders and time wasters tend to be younger buyers with older buyers tending to be more respectful and more importantly reliable when it comes to completing a transaction.
What are the main challenges of being an older seller in this industry?
The main challenge for any provider is finding their niche in a crowded market place whatever their age. Buyers are faced with a bewildering choice and what it takes to stand out in a crowd or engage with potential clients has nothing to do with age and everything to do with attitude. Use your age to your advantage to accurately target your market. Learn never to judge and never let anyone judge you. Your resilience is your best asset and your dignity and self respect are not for sale.
What advice do you have for women over 40 who’d like to get into this work but worry they are ‘too old’?
Use your age to your advantage. Learn never to judge and never let anyone judge you. Your resilience is your best asset. Learn to have fun with it and brush aside any of that negativity.
What advice do you have for young sellers who want to break into the industry?
Be realistic – You are not going to get rich over night. garbage in equals garbage out. Invest time in presenting your items clearly in an eye catching manner. The more efficiently catalogued your items are the less time you will spend deflecting requests for additional (free) images. Know your worth and never give away anything for free. There is a balance to be struck making your profile eye catching and overdoing it with the freebies. Be proactive and develop your online presence. If you are not online you are invisible. Answer any messages as quickly as humanly possible. Buyers are fickle and will quickly move on to someone else if they have to wait too long for a response.
Do not do or show anything you are not comfortable with. Bear in mind that whatever safeguards you put in place, once it’s on the internet it’s there forever and you will have little control where it ends up. Consider this before revealing your identity or personal details. You do not have to show your face (you don’t have to show anything). Don’t be tempted to try and radically undercut your peers in an attempt to secure sales. This will inevitably lead to a ‘race to the bottom’ and pretty quickly buyers will expect to pay less and less.
With so much free content available on the internet it can be a real challenge to successfully retail material which can be obtained free elsewhere. This mentality means that the site will attract those with plenty of time on their hands (and no intention of purchasing). You will soon get a sense for those who are serious and those who are not. Don’t let this cloud your judgement, your cynicism will be obvious and you may drive away good potential clients… just get used to talking to a lot of idiots.
The real paradox is that buyers visit the site because they know attractive women will pander to their needs… time wasters know this and will exploit newcomers so be on your guard. Likewise, show some integrity and don’t take liberties with peoples’ hard earned money. Deliver what you promise and don’t promise what you can’t deliver.
What percentage of your customers actively seek you out for your maturity?
I can’t answer that accurately but since my age is clearly stated on my profile (assuming anyone reads it) then I can comfortably assume that they have sought me out for whatever reason and that my age is no barrier.
Would you say being an older seller has certain advantages over younger sellers? If so, what?
Age is purely subjective, all sellers have their place and all are equally worthy. With 150 5 star reviews and a top 20 all time seller on PD I am here to destroy the myth that older sellers are at a disadvantage (except that they usually have lots of comfortable knickers and go to bed earlier).
Bluesky631