When an episode of Sex and the City showed Samantha (Kim Cattrall) attempting to return a “neck massager” because it failed to “get her off”, the ripple effect was astounding. This was 2002 and, although such sex toys had existed for decades, it was one of the first times we’d seen them, shamelessly, in popular culture.
As a result, sales of The Magic Wand – the microphone-shaped massager that Samantha appeared to be using – went through the roof. A similar product placement for The Rampant Rabbit would see sales jump by a claimed 700 per cent annually.
It’s been more than 50 years since The Magic Wand launched in America, initially marketed as a massager before word spread that it had other uses. To this day, the brand reports half a million sales a year. Now it’s available to buy in Australia – but it has some stiff competition.
In Australia, our sex toy trends tell us more about our country than the Census, with our shopping habits linked to our relationship status and even the state of the economy.
We buy more sex toys once we’re married, according
