Quote:
Originally Posted by Ace Johnson
I'm thinking the hey-day of this hobby is behind us with all the changes we're seeing.
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I understand your point of view, given the amount of time you've been around.
My start in this particular segment of the adult industry was 25 years ago, when I was very barely legal. (yep, I'm 43)
It was ads in the back pages of local papers, the yellow pages and word-of-mouth referrals which brought the business.
Yes, it was absolutely the Wild West, on both sides.
Screening was virtually nonexistent, with references a very rare occurrence.
Unless a buddy first took one for the team, it was always a crap shoot for the clients too.
I can't remember the number of times men were just grateful ANYONE showed up and didn't hustle him that they gave me far more than I asked... yes, finding a lady who actually showed up, was even close to what she claimed to be, and didn't pull a cash & dash could seem like searching for a needle in a haystack.
And you know what? There are men who actually MISS those days, citing THAT period as the hey-day of the hobby.
(To be perfectly frank, it's nowhere near that huge a risk now nor do I see it returning to such a situation anytime soon.)
As my fellow hobby dinosaurs can tell you, many of those back-page-ad papers were forced to require ID from adverterisers or they shut down completely.
And lots of folk began to say THE END WAS NEAR.
The powers that be are finally shutting it down, they cried.
Men figured except for Vegas, their fun was over.
Ladies stressed, thinking they'd have to turn to the streets or quit completely.
But then...THE INTERNET HAPPENNED.
Not too long after, escort ad sites & malls appeared. Close on their heels, review sites & message boards sprang up.
Whenever one would get shut down, or change drastically, the Chicken Littles again came out of the woodwork to warn us that our world was changing beyond repair.
It's not the same anymore, they said.
The hobby will never return to its glory days, they wailed.
Just like the first group I mentioned: perhaps for THEM, it never did.
Some people simply hate/fear change so much they will always see the new as something lesser, or worse, than what it was.
Obviously, that's not true for everyone.
In my opinion, advertising & verification venues for this biz are like the Hydra: cut off one head, two more shall grow in its place.
It may not happen instantly, but it does happen.
Social media is now an important part of this hobby for many. There ARE still ad sites around and there ARE still ways to to research the ladies.
Just like life, the only constant here is change. Being willing to adapt and able to keep an open mind TO those changes is key.
Well, that and a positive attitude, of course.