Babeland Seattle’s staff, originally uploaded by jseattle.

In 1993, Babeland was just a new concept attempting to hit the sweet spot in Capitol Hill bedrooms. Twenty years later, their vibes have become all the buzz.

“Capitol Hill in 1993 was the hub of emerging Seattle culture,” says Rachel Venning, Babeland’s co-founder. “The neighborhood was packed with gay people, musicians artists, and creative people of all stripes. It was a great place to start a business that was based on a new concept: sex toys for women.”

While Pike/Pine has developed from the under-the-radar neighborhood Babeland moved into to the primetime corridor it is now, the sex toy store has maintained its steady growth while focusing on its values, Venning says.

“The creativity and revolutionary fire that led to us first opening Babeland still burns strong in the Seattle staff,” Venning says. “They are fierce advocates for sexual liberation and self expression.”

Babeland now operates three stores in New York – in SOHO, the Lower East Side and Brooklyn – but the original Capitol Hill store remains the only Seattle location. The company also does a growing percentage of its business online.

“It feels right to be in Capitol Hill,” Venning says. “Being in the gay neighborhood is big for us, because that’s a key part of our DNA as a business. Although the majority of our customers aren’t gay, we are a touchstone for the queer community in Seattle.”

No matter customers’ sexual preference, Babeland products are getting their fair share of use in Seattle bedrooms — and elsewhere. “Our bestsellers are the We-Vibe 3, the Jimmyjane Form 2, and the Minna Ola vibe,” she says. “We also sell great quantities of BabeLube, Seattle likes to keep it slick!”

The community is invited to celebrate the start of Babeland’s anniversary year with a party Thursday, complete with refreshments, trivia and a sex toy prize package worth $1,600.

20th Anniversary Kickoff Party
Thursday, March 21, 2013
7:00 PM, Free

Time flies when you’re having great sex. To celebrate our 20th Anniversary we want you to join us for an evening of revelry, festive refreshments, and of course: sex toys! Our lovable mascot, the Babeland Vulva, will share our top twenty tips for great sex and challenge you with sexy trivia and prizes. One lucky guest will win $250 worth of sex toys from our 20th Anniversary collection and everyone can enter to win the whole set valued at $1,600. So what are you waiting for? Raise a glass and help us toast to another twenty years of sexy shopping.

A larger, even sexier 20th birthday bash is planned for after summer around the time of year the first store opened in 1993 in the space now occupied by Sal’s Barbershop.

As for the next 20 years, Venning says Babeland plans to continue its slow growth as a shop dedicated to selling quality products while being an informative, encouraging place for those wanting to explore their sexuality.