SouthFlorida.com | City Link Magazine

If you've walked through the hazy, yellowed glass door of We-B-Joys in Oakland Park, chances are the Filipino biker behind the counter knows your name. If you've called more than once, Chito will see the number on call waiting, and he'll address you by name with a jovial "What's up?"

"In reality, working here is just like every other job, but it's fun. The customers are our friends," he says. "They come from Miami and West Palm Beach to shop here."

The store is a one-stop shop for all things taboo. From just inside the entrance, the place looks like one of those kitsch shops by the beach stocked with flip-flops, shirts and incense. But beyond those items lie black-light posters and scented candles, along with gag gifts. Beyond those stands a 7-foot wall that ends in a long row of beaded curtains. Chito stashes the good stuff behind those curtains.

A low table displays sex games and bachelor-party-worthy gifts. A long, L-shaped display holds sex toys of various makes and models. From massive, double-ended dildos to inflatable butt plugs, it's all here.

But, instead of a slew of each item, as found on the shelves of Hustler Hollywood, We-B-Joys offers only one or two of each cock ring or fleshlight.

Even an alternative market can have a golden era. We-B-Joys is the perfect example of the end of that era, though the downfall seems evident at other tobacco shops and sex shops around the county, too. "It started around 9/11," Chito says. "There's just been a drop in sales, and it never picked back up fully."

Many factors could be contributing to the death of the mom-and-pop sex-toy shops. It could be the economic hit since 9/11; perhaps people just aren't buying jumbo anal beads and leather whips like they used to. Or the big-time sex shops like Hustler moving into town could be stealing away business. "The Wal-Mart business model is a great business model, if you're the guy making the money off of it. Otherwise, they're just taking it from everyone else," Chito says. "Honestly, I wish I'd thought of it."

The phone rings, and Chito answers it with a booming, "Hello, Charlie."

Chito talks for a few minutes, makes some notes, promises something is coming and then hangs up. "See, that's a great example," he says. "He's been ordering here for years. He could get a lightsaber dildo somewhere else right away or get it off the Internet and save a few bucks. But he likes us, so he orders here. We're all friends."

Hustler, unlike We-B-Joys, is an international brand beloved by people of all ages. The Hustler logo is well-known and, some would say, trusted. A certain comfort comes with familiarity. The Golden Arches mean, "Here is a place where you can get a Big Mac," and around the world, more than 31,000 McDonalds offer a Big Mac that will look and taste exactly the same. Hustler has only 12 stores around the country, but they're similar in setup and products carried, and they have the benefit of a national support system represented by the iconic Larry Flynt.

Chito and We-B-Joys don't have that sort of support. But Chito says he has a loyal group of customers. Most of the customers avoid shopping in their own area, preferring to visit We-B-Joys from as far away as South Miami or West Palm Beach. For some reason, a certain stigma comes with buying large, double-ended, flesh-colored latex dildos or hand-blown-glass tobacco pipes.

"People get judged," Chito says. "I work here, I shoot pool, and I ride a Harley. That's a triple shot there." That logic, he says, explains why people travel to his shop. But it could also reveal why people go to Hustler. Much like the giant chain stores, Hustler offers anonymity. If you buy an inflatable butt plug at Hustler, you don't know the clerk, and chances are a different clerk will help you the next time you show up.

But for Chito, stalled sales haven't been the only problem. Another came knocking, warrant in hand, in 2003. One of Attorney General John Ashcroft's brainstorming sessions resulted in Operation Pipe Dream and Operation Headhunter. The nanny-state ventures are probably best remembered for finally taking down criminal mastermind Tommy Chong for selling drug paraphernalia -- more commonly known as bongs. In the end, he was sentenced to nine months in jail, the most severe punishment handed out during the operation.

"They came here and took everything," Chito says. He reached over and pulled a Polaroid snapshot off the wall. It showed the same shelves he was standing in front of now, but they were stocked with hundreds of pipes and giant, colorful glass creations.

"We had stocked up for Christmas, the place was full, and they confiscated it all." Similar stores in the area were also raided, and many lost entire inventories, bloated inventories due to the Christmas rush. "No one is really talking about getting the inventory back. They've got five years to press charges, so no one wants to make any waves."

In the meantime, Chito will continue to sell dongs and bongs for as long as We-B-Joys' friends keep coming.

We-B-Joys is located at 3565 N.W. Ninth Ave., in Oakland Park. Call 954/561-4741 or visit Myspace.com/webjoys.