Query for long-time escorts....how have the rules of the game changed?

[bnm73]

First, a brief introduction....and then some questions for discussion...

 

I was myself an escort years ago (as in the 1990s) in New England. I was moderately successful for several years, not needing any other supplemental source of income. I eventually found a steady job outside of sex work and left it a couple of decades ago.

 

These were, of course, the days before there were well-known websites where you would advertise your wares. (Hell, AOL was sending floppy discs and CD-ROMs in the mail every month to just about everyone in the US in those days.) This was before Craigslist, adam4adam, rentmen, etc. You had to find other ways to make yourself known and keep yourself safe.

 

While there aren't many people who continue escorting for decades at a time, I was wondering how some of the long-timers would compare escorting today (in 2018) as opposed to when they started years ago. Is there anything about the "old days" that they wish they could bring back? Have things changed for the better in the age of smartphones, etc.? What were things like when you started vs. how you do business today?

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Things have changed very little.

 

Those escorts who have cultivated a longterm, loyal clientele remain busy. I travel now as much (or more) as I did 10 years ago.

 

In starting this back in 2004, I never thought this would be a true career. I was wrong. It can be if you handle it (and yourself) properly.

[bnm73]

In starting this back in 2004...

 

Gee. That doesn't make me feel old at all. *chuckle*

[marylander1940]

@bnm73 Since have changed a lot since the early 90's yet haven't changed much @Benjamin_Nicholas since 2004.

 

Advertisement in the late 1990's on the internet wasn't the only way to find a guy and local papers or magazines: Bay Area Report, Washington Blade, were very common. Let's remember that Rentboy started in 1996 or 98 yet it had to compete with the printed ads till at least 2005ish. Cellphones weren't as common as now, some of them would charge extra if you were out of town (roaming) and they were also very expensive because instead of monthly payment the prepaid ones charged by minute.

Edited August 6, 2018 by marylander1940

[bnm73]

@bnm73 Since have changed a lot since the early 90's yet haven't changed much @Benjamin_Nicholas since 2004.

 

Advertisement in the late 1990's on the internet wasn't the only way to find a guy because of local papers or magazine: Bay Area Report, Washington Blade, etc. Let's remember that Rentboy started in 1996 or 98 yet it had to compete with the printed ads till at least 2005ish. Cellphones weren't as common as now, some of them would charge extra if you were out of town (roaming) and they were also very expensive because instead of monthly the prepaid ones were by minute.

 

1998 was toward the end of my time as an active escort....

 

I remember cultivating friendships, with bartenders, bouncers, etc., at the gay clubs. They would then point any interested parties my way when I was there. .I'm assuming that's no longer as important.

 

And the "call in to meet" party line services (Megaphone, I think one was called????) back in the day...

[marylander1940]

1998 was toward the end of my time as an active escort....

 

I remember cultivating friendships, with bartenders, bouncers, etc., at the gay clubs. They would then point any interested parties my way when I was there. .I'm assuming that's no longer as important.

 

And the "call in to meet" party line services (Megaphone, I think one was called????) back in the day...

 

You didn't advertise in a magazine or Rentboy? Not sure when exactly I've heard about it but the Blade was enough for me.

 

did you own a cellphone toward the end of your career.

 

One more thing I forgot to mention, cellphones weren't good for texting, or at least some didn't have that choice. I remember prepaid phones that till 2002 didn't include voice mail unless you pay extra for it.

[bnm73]

You didn't advertise in a magazine or Rentboy? Not sure when exactly I've heard about it but the Blade was enough for me.

 

did you own a cellphone toward the end of your career.

 

One more thing I forgot to mention, cellphones weren't good for texting, or at least some didn't have that choice. I remember prepaid phones that till 2002 didn't include voice mail unless you pay extra for it.

\

 

Well, as was said earlier, Rentboy didn't exist until the end of my time. And there weren't really any magazines (like Washington Blade) in New England that I was aware of at the time -- apart from the local weekly rag....and they often rejected ads for gay hookups in their personals column, to say nothing of trying to advertise erotic services. Unless you wanted someone else making arrangements for you and taking a cut of (or most of) your money, you had to be a little creative.

 

Remember the social context. This was a time of a certain amount of anti-gay hysteria. Clinton signed the "Defense of Marriage Act" in 1996. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was codified in law (signed by Clinton) in in 1993. And this was what passed as a "progressive" president at the time.

 

I don't remember having a cell phone at the time....I seem to remember that I didn't get one until I left the industry. I didn't see the expense as being worth it. Most of my contacts were not by phone. They were usually more fact-to-face. I did have a second (unlisted) phone number at my home for a while so that some trusted clients could call or leave a message.

[liubit]

I started my hiring career in NYC back in the early 1990s. The more technologically savvy escorts had a beeper at the time

[bnm73]

I started my hiring career in NYC back in the early 1990s. The more technologically savvy escorts had a beeper at the time

 

LOL. Beepers! I had one for a short while as an experiment.

 

One evening there was a car accident right in front of me. I stopped to see if anyone was hurt, and I had to argue for several minutes with a couple of people people that just because I had a beeper didn't mean that I was a doctor. I came very close to yelling at the people "I'm a hooker, all right?!" but thought better of it.

[BabyBoomer]

The more technologically savvy escorts had a beeper at the time

 

So did the drug dealers.

 

~Boomer~

[marylander1940]

One more thing about prepaid cellphones during the early 2ooo's. Calls from Canada would drain your minutes like crazy, it was so annoying.

[bnm73]

Any minute now, we're going to start talking about walking uphill to school (both directions) in waist deep snow, butt naked, with only a scrap of leather to chew on for lunch....

 

Pardon me while I go yell at some kids to get off of my lawn.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Any minute now, we're going to start talking about walking uphill to school (both directions) in waist deep snow, butt naked, with only a scrap of leather to chew on for lunch....

 

Pardon me while I go yell at some kids to get off of my lawn.

 

 

But we gotta make this subject appropriate:

 

BACK IN MY DAY, WE FUCKED UPHILL. BOTH WAYS! WITHOUT LUBE! AND LIKED IT!

 

AND WE DIDN'T MANSCAPE. MY CROTCH LOOKED LIKE THE CONGO!

 

 

 

[bnm73]

But we gotta make this subject appropriate:

 

BACK IN MY DAY, WE FUCKED UPHILL. BOTH WAYS! WITHOUT LUBE! AND LIKED IT!

 

AND WE DIDN'T MANSCAPE. MY CROTCH LOOKED LIKE THE CONGO!

 

 

Mine looked like I had Don King in a headlock. And spit was good enough for lube, dammit.

[BaronArtz]

I will say I miss the bars in NY where the boys for hire congregated ... Cats, Rounds, Stella. The clients checked out the boys 'live' and the boys checked out the clients. A few drinks were had, and you were off to the races. It was more honest and more straightforward.

[+ Keith30309]

[gallahadesquire]

 

Which one is Judas?

And where's the bread?

And shouldn't the central figure be a tad more Sephardic?

[+ Keith30309]

Which one is Judas?

And where's the bread?

Judas is still waiting on his Uber and the bread is in the unsealed, white envelope.

[bnm73]

I will say I miss the bars in NY where the boys for hire congregated ... Cats, Rounds, Stella. The clients checked out the boys 'live' and the boys checked out the clients. A few drinks were had, and you were off to the races. It was more honest and more straightforward.

 

Well, you certainly didn't hear "you don't look like your pics" in those days....

[gallahadesquire]

Just for comparison:

 

 

It is said that Judas is supposed to be the only disciple looking away (third from the right, in the blue). And there was an apocryphal figure to Jesus's right side, which was a female and subsequently overpainted. Thus the funny looking gap.

[bnm73]

Just for comparison:

 

 

It is said that Judas is supposed to be the only disciple looking away (third from the right, in the blue). And there was an apocryphal figure to Jesus's right side, which was a female and subsequently overpainted. Thus the funny looking gap.

 

From my understanding, Judas is the 4th head from the left. The one spilling the salt and the one with the money bag.

 

If you look directly behind that figure, you see a hand holding a knife....that belongs to no one.

[MikeBiDude]

From my understanding, Judas is the 4th head from the left. The one spilling the salt and the one with the money bag.

 

If you look directly behind that figure, you see a hand holding a knife....that belongs to no one.

[Rod Hagen]

I've been escorting for decades. I certainly don't miss having to advertise in print as well as online as I did in the beginning. I do hate the culture of NOW as opposed to the previous culture of SOON. Other than that, hasn't change much since late 90s. Neither have the rates, actually. In fact, there was a period in the early aughts where the rates were, on average (this is my sense, I didn't do a study), a bit higher than now. Escorting probably hasn't changed fundamentally in centuries :-)

[rvwnsd]

Things have changed very little.

 

Those escorts who have cultivated a longterm, loyal clientele remain busy. I travel now as much (or more) as I did 10 years ago.

 

In starting this back in 2004, I never thought this would be a true career. I was wrong. It can be if you handle it (and yourself) properly.

 

I've been escorting for decades. I certainly don't miss having to advertise in print as well as online as I did in the beginning. I do hate the culture of NOW as opposed to the previous culture of SOON. Other than that, hasn't change much since late 90s. Neither have the rates, actually. In fact, there was a period in the early aughts where the rates were, on average (this is my sense, I didn't do a study), a bit higher than now. Escorting probably hasn't changed fundamentally in centuries

 

Oh, great, Hagen and Nicholas are posting sensible shit. AGAIN. Next thing you know Slater will have a graph of revenue per milliliter of lube used quarterly since 1990 and demonstrate how the advent of polyurethane condoms increased business by 6.235%.

 

Can't you guys make us happy and say everything is different now just this one time?:D

[Smurof]

BTW, how dare you round to the nearest hundredth! And as a U.S. citizen I resent your confusing measurements, as it's ounces per season, not milliliters per quarter.

 

The biggest change from a long time ago is the introduction to the selfie, and we're much worse off because of it. I liked posing for head shots at JCPenney (yes, really).