Venus Envy Needs Your Help
Donation protected
Wonderful VE customers, supporters, and community - it's hard to know when to ask for help. As an education-based sex shop and bookstore, we like being helpful a lot more than we like needing it. It's no secret that the past 15 months have been hard on everyone, including small business. We deeply appreciate all of your support and encouragement throughout the pandemic; thanks to you, our amazing customers and community, we're still here and haven't had to lay off any of our staff through the pandemic.
Even so, over a year of drastically reduced income has made weathering additional challenges even harder. On top of struggling with lockdown and sales losses we recently learned that we need to move. We've called 1598 Barrington Street home since 1999, but the redevelopment of the building is forcing us to move, and move quickly. We've found a new spot just down the street and we can’t wait to show you! Our new home has a wheelchair accessible entrance with an accessible washroom/change room equipped with grab bars and a wide door. We feel so excited about these changes that will further the accessibility of our space and improve binder shopping and event hosting! While we are extremely excited about our new location, the cost of moving and renovating is a huge and unexpected challenge that the past year has left us unequipped to deal with.
Through COVID-19, we also learned that our website was not working well for us. Online sales are processed by VE Ottawa - and although we are good teammates, we're not the same store. We’ve heard from many customers who thought they were buying local when they ordered online. To remedy this we’ve been doing sales over the phone and through our social media, along with offering free delivery. We've heard your feedback and we are building a new local website that will make ordering for pickup and delivery easier and more accessible.
We really debated asking for help, but we have been convinced by community members who know we are struggling and want to be involved and offer support. It's an honour to feel the love that our community has for us, and through all of your support Venus Envy has been around for 23 years. In that time we’ve worked to be a welcoming and inclusive space. We’ve loved being an active part of your communities by sponsoring events, partnering on educational programs, and working with you to build and dream spaces that include us all.
So now what? There are a few ways to help us through this chapter if you are able:
1. If you can/want to make a donation, visit our Go Fund Me. Our fundraising goal is 15K to specifically help us cover the costs of moving, renovating, and building a new local website to be launched later this summer.
2. We're having a moving sale! Any purchases you make now are at a great discount for you and help us cover costs (and pack/move less …looking at all those heavy books!).
3. Share these efforts with your networks! Share our posts and workshops with your communities! We love reaching as many folks as we possibly can.
Sale Details: 25% - 50% all in-stock products and books Friday, June 25 - Monday, June 28
Moving and Store Hours Details: New location 1727 Barrington Street, soft opening July 2nd, open hours 12 - 6pm daily
A bit more about VE! ✨✨✨
Venus Envy Halifax is an education-based sex shop and bookstore located in Kjipuktuk, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Founded in April 1998 by Shelley Taylor, Venus Envy has strived to be a safer space to explore desires and expand knowledge on sexual health and social justice topics.
We carefully curate a book and zine selection that highlights and platforms incredible authors who are often underrepresented in the literary world. From poetry to non-fiction, we carry literature that discusses subjects such as 2SLGBTQIA+ identity, sexual health and well-being, anti-racism and anti-colonialism, trauma and recovery, beautiful works of fiction that star queer and trans protagionists, and so much more.
We have an excellent and constantly growing selection of sex toys and accessories, including vibrators, dildos, butt toys, kegel balls, leather and rope, and more! Our online shop contains but a fraction of what we offer in person. And hey, we've been voted Best Place to Buy Sex Toys in The Coast reader's poll every year (from 1998 to 2012) until being put into the hall of fame in 2013!
Beyond books and toys, we also carry items for massage, safer sex tools like condoms and other barriers (internal condoms, dental dams, gloves etc.), lube, Pride gear, and gender-affirming items (binders, gaffs, packers, STPs and breast forms).
Finally, we strongly believe that one of the best ways to enjoy a healthy, exploratory (if you want) and playful sex life is to be informed. To that end, we offer workshops on all kinds of sex and social justice-related topics where people can ask questions and share their experiences in a safer, non-judgemental environment.
Recent News:
“We know our bodies well and what works”: people with disabilities help design prototypes for sex toys, read more at Halifax Examiner
Halifax project set to create accessible sex toys for people with disabilities, read more at Global News
Tinder and masturbating can help prevent the spread of COVID-19, read more The Coast
Halifax sex shop and bookstore celebrates 'brave' customers as it turns 20, read more at CBC
Venus Envy is turning 20, read more at The Coast
Even so, over a year of drastically reduced income has made weathering additional challenges even harder. On top of struggling with lockdown and sales losses we recently learned that we need to move. We've called 1598 Barrington Street home since 1999, but the redevelopment of the building is forcing us to move, and move quickly. We've found a new spot just down the street and we can’t wait to show you! Our new home has a wheelchair accessible entrance with an accessible washroom/change room equipped with grab bars and a wide door. We feel so excited about these changes that will further the accessibility of our space and improve binder shopping and event hosting! While we are extremely excited about our new location, the cost of moving and renovating is a huge and unexpected challenge that the past year has left us unequipped to deal with.
Through COVID-19, we also learned that our website was not working well for us. Online sales are processed by VE Ottawa - and although we are good teammates, we're not the same store. We’ve heard from many customers who thought they were buying local when they ordered online. To remedy this we’ve been doing sales over the phone and through our social media, along with offering free delivery. We've heard your feedback and we are building a new local website that will make ordering for pickup and delivery easier and more accessible. We really debated asking for help, but we have been convinced by community members who know we are struggling and want to be involved and offer support. It's an honour to feel the love that our community has for us, and through all of your support Venus Envy has been around for 23 years. In that time we’ve worked to be a welcoming and inclusive space. We’ve loved being an active part of your communities by sponsoring events, partnering on educational programs, and working with you to build and dream spaces that include us all.
So now what? There are a few ways to help us through this chapter if you are able:
1. If you can/want to make a donation, visit our Go Fund Me. Our fundraising goal is 15K to specifically help us cover the costs of moving, renovating, and building a new local website to be launched later this summer.
2. We're having a moving sale! Any purchases you make now are at a great discount for you and help us cover costs (and pack/move less …looking at all those heavy books!).
3. Share these efforts with your networks! Share our posts and workshops with your communities! We love reaching as many folks as we possibly can.
Sale Details: 25% - 50% all in-stock products and books Friday, June 25 - Monday, June 28
Moving and Store Hours Details: New location 1727 Barrington Street, soft opening July 2nd, open hours 12 - 6pm daily
A bit more about VE! ✨✨✨
Venus Envy Halifax is an education-based sex shop and bookstore located in Kjipuktuk, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Founded in April 1998 by Shelley Taylor, Venus Envy has strived to be a safer space to explore desires and expand knowledge on sexual health and social justice topics.We carefully curate a book and zine selection that highlights and platforms incredible authors who are often underrepresented in the literary world. From poetry to non-fiction, we carry literature that discusses subjects such as 2SLGBTQIA+ identity, sexual health and well-being, anti-racism and anti-colonialism, trauma and recovery, beautiful works of fiction that star queer and trans protagionists, and so much more.
We have an excellent and constantly growing selection of sex toys and accessories, including vibrators, dildos, butt toys, kegel balls, leather and rope, and more! Our online shop contains but a fraction of what we offer in person. And hey, we've been voted Best Place to Buy Sex Toys in The Coast reader's poll every year (from 1998 to 2012) until being put into the hall of fame in 2013!Beyond books and toys, we also carry items for massage, safer sex tools like condoms and other barriers (internal condoms, dental dams, gloves etc.), lube, Pride gear, and gender-affirming items (binders, gaffs, packers, STPs and breast forms).
Finally, we strongly believe that one of the best ways to enjoy a healthy, exploratory (if you want) and playful sex life is to be informed. To that end, we offer workshops on all kinds of sex and social justice-related topics where people can ask questions and share their experiences in a safer, non-judgemental environment.Recent News:
“We know our bodies well and what works”: people with disabilities help design prototypes for sex toys, read more at Halifax Examiner
Halifax project set to create accessible sex toys for people with disabilities, read more at Global News
Tinder and masturbating can help prevent the spread of COVID-19, read more The Coast
Halifax sex shop and bookstore celebrates 'brave' customers as it turns 20, read more at CBC
Venus Envy is turning 20, read more at The Coast
Organizer
Venus Envy Halifax
Organizer
Halifax, NS
