Looking for Love in Varied Places

Note: Sonia Ramirez co-authored this article.

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS - Valentine's Day is on the horizon, and many people are scrambling to find their loved ones the traditional chocolates, jewelry, perfume, or setting reservations for a romantic dinner. Then there are those individuals who may not have a Valentine and are looking for love in what some might consider "all the wrong places," or couples are looking to "spice things up" in a different way. With online services such as Tinder, Craigslist’s “Casual Encounters,” and other online services helping people find love or just ‘casual encounters,’ one local store is doing its best to promote love and helping others embrace a healthy sex life. This is not an easy task in a small city with a more conservative mindset.

The Love Shack is tucked away in a small fenced-in area off of Highway 87, just outside of San Angelo’s city limits. Inside customers can find games, clothing, accessories, and devices of various kinds to allow people to experiment in their intimate life. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner and the release of the R rated movie 50 Shades Darker on the horizon, store owner Rob Cromwell is excited to “have a lot more fetish-y stuff out this year than we normally do.” He added that he usually has “a lot of hearts and red stuff to sell,” but because of the 50 Shades of Grey trend, “this year is definitely more fetish, fantasy [oriented].”

But more than catering to a person's fetishes, the store aims to provide customers a safe place where they can find products and information regarding a variety of topics. The staff at The Love Shack is very open and willing to discuss any questions their patrons may have. Their customer-oriented service could be one of the reasons that the store has been able to stay in business for so long in the city.

The Love Shack came to San Angelo over a decade ago when Cromwell finished his college education in Atlanta. Before Craigslist or any sort of internet services, shops like Love Shack were the place to go for people to "hook up." For many people, sexuality was, and continues to be, a very sensitive topic, so shops like Love Shack became the logical place to find like-minded people with similar interests. Thus, the idea of having a board in which people could reach out to others was born - in a way, a pre-historic Craigslist.

Before, certain patrons had been resorting to leaving their contact information in the shop’s bathrooms; but to keep things “from being so shady and shifty,” Cromwell created the “Swingers Board.”  

The board is available to any patron who is over the age of 18 and has a desire to engage with other members in the community; however, it is not only for “swingers” as the name may imply. Patrons may leave their email and a brief description of who they are looking to get in contact with. The store does not permit people to post their names or telephone numbers to ensure that no one contacts those patrons in a negative or threatening manner. It essentially works as a profile description on any given dating site, even though some may be more explicit than others.

Even though the board’s name draws a lot of attention, the store's owner explained that most people “just come in, read it and laugh, and don't respond, but there are people up there who post their add and call us on a daily basis to see if there are any replies.” More often than not, it's seen “like a lonely hearts club” rather than an active dating network.

Even though the shop and its novelty items are considered taboo to many members of the community, the store takes age requirements very seriously. The merchandise is aimed towards the adult population and the staff cards everyone who comes in to ensure that minors are not exposed to something they are not mature enough to handle; a valid ID is also required to make a purchase.

For people like Cromwell, the taboo stigma that shops like the Love Shack have inherited seem a little unfair, especially because patrons of all walks of life enter the shop. Even though he would not provide specifics in order to respect and protect his clients' privacy, the Love Shack’s owner did comment that many of his customers do not exactly fit the stigmatized profile of those individuals expected to visit "those kinds of places."

“We really try to promote healthy sex--healthy sex in the physical and emotional [aspect],” Cromwell said. “We’re not giving you pills or anything, but we can take away the taboo feeling and let [our customers] enjoy knowing that they're normal like everybody else.”

Therefore, for people interested in shopping at the Love Shack for Valentine's Day, the store has a "cute complimentary service where gifts are neatly wrapped and placed in a gift bag." If just a small gift is wanted to add an erotic touch to an already purchased Valentine's gift, Cromwell recommends purchasing “some fun naughty candies, with a Valentine's X-rated twist.”

The main Love Shack store, with everything ranging from DVDs to massagers and more, is located at 5730 US-87. For those looking for just a massager or a quick gift, the Love Shack’s second destination is located at 1807 S. Lincoln St.