best way to obtain some supplies

[Guest verymarried]

If I want to give some BDSM a try, and want to obtain some basic materials/tools, apparel, say like leather collars and harnesses, cuffs, leash, etc, how can I best obtain these items without spending too much - since I am not sure I will like them or use them again? Is there a used market? Is ebay a good way to obtain them?

[raulgmanzo]

A good way to try some BDSM might be to hire a guy who has a bunch of gear. You could play with things and get a feel for how you like it but also you might discuss different aspects of the gear and get a better idea of what you might want. The variety of items and variation in even seemingly minor but sometimes significant detail can be overwhelming at times.

 

Also going to a store and looking at the gear may start the wheels turning in your head and you may find yourself getting a clearer idea of what may turn you on. In my experience most fetish shops are pretty understanding that on a first visit you may have no idea what you want and may in fact not plan to purchase something right then.

 

Never bought anything on ebay but my guess is it would run the gamut from bad idea to great find.

 

If I want to give some BDSM a try, and want to obtain some basic materials/tools, apparel, say like leather collars and harnesses, cuffs, leash, etc, how can I best obtain these items without spending too much - since I am not sure I will like them or use them again? Is there a used market? Is ebay a good way to obtain them?

[whipped guy]

vm... I initially did exactly what Raul very wisely suggests... I hooked up with a guy who had a well-equipped play-space. I literally had an opportunity to sample and tryout every conceivable toy under the sun. Interestingly, it was only after he retired that I was forced to buy some of my own gear. Plus, nobody with whom I have hooked up with since has had any in the way of even a fraction of the accoutrement's that my original hire possessed!

 

In any event, when I was forced to make my first purchase I was fortunate to find some reasonably priced gear at several local shops... Unfortunately there are no "specialty" shops in my area, but I was able to locate a number of interesting items nonetheless... and some were quite reasonably priced. Not top notch quality perhaps, but still gear that was quite effective and practical as well.

 

Also, remember that common household items, etc. can serve double duty... clothes pins, a ping pong paddle, to name just two commonly found items. A bit of black spray paint can also help change the look of some of such items. Incidentally, my first flogger was actually homemade by using some black wired RCA jack to RCA jack stereo connecting cables and some black electrical tape...and it proved to be an item that delivers a sting above and beyond that of a standard leather flogger... so much so that I have only entrusted it to only the most experienced of players. Also a visit to Joanne Fabrics can lend itself to finding a way to construct a few imitation leather items on a shoestring budget... and ironically for those literally on such a budget, even shoelaces can be used to tie up one's cock and balls quite effectively as well! Still, I am an amateur in that regard... Raul is the Master of constructing gear form common objects... and good quality stuff to boot!

 

In any event take a look at the www.mr-s-leather.com website and do some window shopping to get ideas... The stuff is pricy... so you most likely will not be making a purchase, but the site in an invaluable tool to learn virtually all of what is possible in BDSM.

 

At any rate... vm... here's wishing you happy adventures!