Tampa Bay- [blogs.creativeloafing.com]- I was tipped off by a friend about a rare creature (maybe even mythical) in Tampa Bay – the tasteful sex-toy shop. And I’m talking tasteful, a quality not solely constituted by the confidence that you won’t stick to anything in the store (the floor, the walls, the packages, an employee…). I had dared to hope before – after all, NYC has Babeland – and been repeatedly depressed by the economic indifference to my need for a sex-toy shopping experience somewhat akin to a spa day.

Pandora’s Box is not your typical sex shop. From the view outside, you’d have no idea of the goodies hiding in the back room. It’s completely lacking in neon, there are no red X’s to be found, and sexual aids account for a mere 25 percent of its inventory (local zoning laws – only so much depravity per square foot in downtown St. Pete).

While the front of the store is business as usual, if your business includes art, hand-made jewelry, refinished antiques, and an aura-reading machine, the back is a treasure-trove of sex toys for those not of the straight male persuasion. No blown-up images of gaping vaginas, no creepy guy in a booth, in fact, no videos or books of any kind (it’s a different license). Pandora’s Box is a woman-owned, woman-run shop offering a choice collection of sex toys in a discreet, raunch-free environment. In short, it delivers the goods.

While not exhaustive, Pandora’s offers just about everything a woman needs for a well-stocked toy box: Pyrex dildos that could be works of art and Tantus’ Feeldoes, as well as more classic and economical choices like Pink, the lubricant designed for women (highly recommended), and pocket rockets (ditto).

Elizabeth Sturino and Mecca Foskey, are the mother-and-daughter team responsible for this Pro-Woman, Pro-Sex gem. You know I had to ask about that. “I’ve always felt that if my children were old enough to ask questions [about sexuality], they were old enough to deserve honest answers,” Sturino said. When asked about the impetus for their store, they both smiled.

Mecca told me about her first visit to a sex-toy shop, a story familiar to most intrepid female sex shop consumers: young woman walks into creepy sex shop filled with exploitative imagery and questionable clientele. The man behind the booth tells her, “This is a nice place, lots of women come here – there’s no jizz on the floor.” True story. Even better, the man offers to demonstrate how all the toys work, on her. Buying your first sex toy should be a powerful and liberating experience; it shouldn’t make you feel lucky for escaping unmolested.

Sturino decided to open the store with her daughter after she lost her husband, a community organizer for gay-straight alliances. She wanted to support herself in a manner that was consistent with her values, while addressing a real need in the community. “It’s about sensuality, more than sexuality.” Personally, I’m really excited that other people think sexuality is a value.

While the Internet has provided discreet on-line outlets, there’s no substitute for a hands-on approach. Sturino and Foskey have created a safe place where young women, 70 year-old ladies, and gay men can peruse sex toys comfortably. (Indeed, I witnessed two septuagenarians come in for their latest purchases: new red jelly vibrators. Let me tell you, it was a beautiful thing to watch these older women bounce with joy and anticipation, giggling like a pair of teenagers as they left the store with their discreetly packaged booty.) The proprietors of Pandora’s Box have taken a lot of time to research the toys in their store, I highly recommend that you go down and do the same.