drip - Sex shop and educational collective

Our vision: a queer-feminist, sex-positive store in Cologne. A store where you can look at, touch or try on dildos, vibrators, masturbators, floggers, binders, tucking underwear and the like and get competent yet relaxed advice. A store for everyone that prioritizes the needs of queers. We sort toys according to function rather than gender or sexual orientation and avoid sexist, heteronormative representations. drip will not only be a store, but also a community space where ideas about bodies, sexuality, relationships and desire are questioned. For example, by hosting lectures and workshops and creating space for exchange, shared learning as well as community care.

What exists in cities like Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Freiburg, we now finally want in and for Cologne.

What exactly we will be offering:

Sextoys

Sorted by function rather than gender, made from safe materials and without toxic plasticizers, selected according to sustainability criteria (preferably vegan and fairly produced). All toys are unpacked on the shelves so that you can examine the size, material etc. at your leisure before buying.

Safer sex, menstrual and body care products

A selection of condoms in different sizes, dental dams, menstrual cups and underwear as well as various lubricants.

Products for sexual expression and reinforcement*

Products such as tucking underwear, binders or breast pads that can help you feel more comfortable in your body and express your gender the way you want to.

Literature, art, jewelry and decorative items

In addition to sexy stories, novels and non-fiction on sex, relationships, bodies and more, we also want to include postcards, art prints, pins and jewelry in our range.

Open, competent advice

We want to offer advice that suits you - without imposing assumptions about your body and/or your wishes. You can also come to our store with sensitive concerns - we won't judge you :)

Workshops and events

Workshop formats on topics such as safer sex, consent, disabled sexuality or BDSM, toy nights and readings are intended to create space for exchange and shared learning.

Our long-term goal is to make sexuality, kink and dealing with one's own body an everyday topic like any other. Without taboos and shame - for openness and respect towards all orientations and variations.

The structure of our services focuses on queer realities and perspectives. This means, for example, that we do not automatically assume that you are cisgender and/or heterosexual or ascribe (body) characteristics to you. It is also important to us that we sort all toys according to their function instead of "for men" and "for women". However, our store is open to everyone, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. You, your friends, your lovers - no matter how you define yourself. Bring your family if you want, there is no age limit.

Because Cologne, NRW and the Ruhr area urgently need more spaces where we can explore our bodies, our lust and our sexuality in a relaxed setting.

Our crowdfunding minimum is €25.000. After deducting taxes we need a portion of this to cover our expenses to date - for example, for demonstration materials, supervision appointments, bookkeeping courses, notary appointments, etc. Depending on the store space, we will incur medium to large conversion and furnishing costs and, in addition to an initial product selection (exciting!), there are also quite unspectacular purchases on the agenda, such as a cash register system.

With around €35,000, we could manage all of this and open with a fully equipped store including full shelves.

Our desired target of €50,000 would take some of the pressure off us to generate sales immediately. This would at least secure the rental costs for about 2-3 months and we could pay off start-up loans and debts to collective members.