Pantydeal Podcasts 2X02: Demystifying Fetishes: for Panty Lovers and New Comers

You may have been a member of Pantydeal for as long as you can remember. But the used panty fetish? You never quite… got it.

Fetishes are, by nature, strange. Different. So whilst we have all heard of sexual fetishes (and many, many of us have them), they are often misunderstood.

In our last episode, we talked all about boosting your sales when you think you’re done. So if this sounds relevant to you, take a listen here. We also promised in season 2 to explore more issues around sexuality, fetishes, and new perspectives. And this week we are fulfilling our promise! 

Used underwear fetishism and foot fetishism.

In this episode, we are talking to you about two common fetishes (one of which is very close to our heart!): the used panty fetish, and the foot fetish.

Pantydeal is of course built around the used panty fetish, but do any of you know much about the fetish itself? Or what a fetish is? Or about any other popular fetish objects? 

We have thousands of sellers on Pantydeal, but many of you might still be feeling unsure if panty selling is for you. And that’s because you haven’t researched enough! We are bringing this information to you.

Panty selling is misunderstood, and you might have experienced judgement for selling your panties, or you might be hiding your business from your friends and family. That’s why it’s so important to talk about this topic, explain the fetish and demystify it!

By the end of this podcast, you will be fetish gurus. Or, if you’re a member of the Pantydeal community, you will at least know a little (but hopefully a lot) more about the industry you’re involved in.

What is a sexual fetish?

You have a fetish if you get sexual excitement from an object that is not typically sexual. And fetishes tend to be fetishes if they are pretty extreme, meaning that the sexual excitement you get from this object is more than normal levels of excitement. Some fetishes center around objects (like feet, used panties, leather), whilst other fetishes are more psychological (like BDSM). 

People with a sexual fetish towards an object often believe they must have this object in order to orgasm, or that they will achieve greater orgasm if they have, or look at, this object. 

What makes these fetishes, fetishes, as opposed to just normal desires is because the object of their fixation is something that is not perceived as sexual by normal standards, and the fascination with this object is pretty intense or extreme. In other words, just because you really, really love butts, doesn’t mean you have a butt fetish. Why?

1. Because they are very common objects of desire that people who are attracted to the female sex are basically programmed to like. 
2. Because for it to be a fetish it would have to be a really really heavy love which took a normal desire to see butts to a whole new level. For example, if you had pictures of butts pasted all over your walls and all over your notebooks and you couldn’t think about anything other than butts, then it could maybe be classed as a fetish. But probably not. Because butts are still butts.

Fetishes are pretty mainstream these days.

Loads of people have sexual fetishes. In other words, loads of people are enjoying sexual pleasure in ways that are out of the “ordinary”. But what is “ordinary” sex anyway? A bit of light choking is now super common. Spanking, role-playing and bondage are all talked about fairly openly. And almost everyone not living under a rock (or who has watched Orange is the New Black) has heard of the used panty fetish. 

One 2016 study found that 75% of people have a sexual fetish. And that’s actually not a surprising figure when you think about just how many types of fetish are out there. This study also found that 61% of people said they felt there was a stigma attached to fetish. 

Many studies have tried to figure out why people have fetishes and where they come from. However, people’s desires, brains, and upbringings are all so varied it is impossible to say exactly where a fetish comes from. 

There is a theory that men tend to have fetishes more than women because in general men are more turned on by visual stimuli; that is, by what they see. This could be why men tend to watch more porn than women. 

The used panty fetish.

If you’re just starting to sell your panties on Pantydeal, you might have no idea about the used panty fetish. Many sellers join Pantydeal because they want to make money, or just have fun, or both! But the used panty fetish has been around for years and is one of the most common sexual fetishes out there. 

As with most sexual fetishes, this fetish feels a bit taboo. It’s often not talked about, not celebrated, and some people look down upon those who buy or sell used underwear. But that’s why it’s so important to talk about it!

Just like choking, spanking and role-playing are fetishes, so is the buying and enjoying of used panties - and sometimes selling too, if selling your used panties is a sexually exciting act for you!

Some surveys of thousands of people have found around 10% of people admit to having an underwear fetish, and as the thousands and thousands of buyers we have on Pantydeal shows, it’s a really popular fetish!

What does a used panty fetish involve?

Someone with a used panty fetish is someone who gets sexual excitement from used panties as an object. This can involve touching, holding and smelling used panties, sometimes just looking at a photo of them, sometimes watching somebody putting them on and taking them off.

For many used panty fetishists, the fetish begins in private in adolescence - stealing panties out of the laundry basket is more common than you’d think. Generally, the used panty fetish is part of a wider fetish someone has for undergarments - so that also includes stockings, bras, pantyhose, and even socks. 

The history of the used panty fetish.

The actual buying and selling of used panties began (and gained popularity) in Japan in the 1990s, and it was called Burusera. Burusera shops then popped up all over Japan, and vending machines selling used panties too! In these, fetishists could buy packaged and fresh used underwear from girls, often alongside details and even a photo of the girl who had worn them.

For decades private transactions and used panty selling have been taking place over the internet, and only in recent years have marketplaces like Pantydeal sprung up to enable buyers and sellers to connect in a simpler and safer way.

What’s sexy about a pair of used panties?

With a little imagination, anything can be sexy!

We’ll never know why certain things get people off. They just do! But with used panties, there is actually some pretty solid reasoning behind it. When you think about it, underwear is sexy. 

Most people love to look at their lover in their underwear. It’s not uncommon for couples to wear each other’s underwear as a kind of sexy game or foreplay. And leaving your used panties in your lover’s bedroom after a night of passion is exciting. But why?

Panties are really cute!

The fabric, shape, and design itself can be a turn on - think about all the beautiful lace and silk panties out there! 

They are worn next to intimate parts of our bodies.

Aside from being pretty, panties are sexy because of where they are on your body! We wear them under our other clothing, making them secret and hidden, and because of this, even sexier! They also cover and touch sexual, intimate and desirable parts of your body - your genitalia and your butt. 

It’s this part of panties as an object that most fetishists get off on. A pair of used panties holds the scent of a beautiful woman’s body and has been in close proximity to and intimate with her skin. And this is exciting to a fetishist! 

Being able to hold and smell used panties means they can fantasize about the woman who wore them, and feel close to the woman they desire through this pair of panties.

It’s all about pheromones… again.

Being turned on by smell is incredibly natural, instinctive and human. We feel physically and sexually attracted to people sometimes on pheromones alone. Pheromones, via smell, are how mammals communicate they are fertile and sexually ready. And there’s a reason the smell of your partner’s hair, sweat or skin is the most amazing scent in the world! 

What we smell can also be a strong trigger for our memory. Smelling a pair of used panties can simply remind some people of the act of sex, of their partner’s body or of an amazing time they had sex in the past - and all these things can cause sexual excitement. 

It’s for this reason that, as I briefly mentioned earlier, an underwear fetish doesn’t stop at panties. For the same reason that used panties are a turn on - the smell, their closeness to the intimate parts of an attractive woman’s body, their shape, color, and fabric - so are stockings, tights, bras, and other clothing items. 

If you’re enjoying selling your panties on Pantydeal, then experiment and think about other items you could sell! You never know what you might enjoy, and what your buyers might get a kick out of, too.

Used panty fetishes are pretty common.

In answer to many people’s second question: no, it is not strange or bad to have an underwear fetish. As long as there is respect and consent involved in a used panty transaction, there is nothing wrong with it. People who engage in buying and selling used panties are more often than not exploring their sexuality in an open way, seeing what gets them off and enjoying themselves. 

If you’re curious about it, try to find people to talk to in fetish communities, like Pantydeal! And, if you feel comfortable, share your desires with a partner. You never know what people are into and what they’re also curious about trying!

Foot fetishism.

Some of you might be thinking feet: gross!

I know my feet aren’t a part of my body I like to show off, but for some people, feet are a real turn on. People with a foot fetish get sexual pleasure and excitement from looking at, touching, holding, massaging or kissing feet. It can be the feet of someone they know, are in a relationship and attracted too. Sometimes it’s just the foot of a stranger in a photo.

Another name for foot fetishism is podophilia.

Feet are a very commonly fetishized object.

Alongside used panty fetishists, a foot fetish is one of the most common. One study found 1 out of 7 people had had a fantasy in which feet or toes played a big part - 1 in 7! And it’s more common in men than women.

Feet fetishes are actually kind of mainstream - even trendy! In 1982 a shoe store in New York opened that was actually called Foot Fetish. In 2005 a British comedy series called Kinky Boots was released, which was about a shoe store that catered to foot fetishists. And foot porn is now incredibly widespread and a popular category on porn sites.

Why do people have foot fetishes?

Pleasure by association.

Some studies say that a foot fetish is a learned behavior. Someone may have had a partner who stimulated their genitals with their feet and it led to a really great orgasm. This could lead to a desire for this experience to be repeated and then to a full-on foot fetish. 

Sexual submission.

Other studies suggest that those who adore other’s feet may have sexually submissive tendencies -- we all know the phrase worshipping at someone’s feet, right? And it’s not uncommon for those with a foot fetish to ask a partner to treat them like an actual footrest. (Which, if I’m the one lying back and enjoying myself actually sounds kind of wonderful.)

Feet are also really cute!

As with panties, a part of this fetish can be explained quite easily. To some foot fetishists, feet are just beautiful! In the way that to others, boobs are especially beautiful, or hair, or eyes. A foot fetish just takes this adoration to the next level. 

Feet are pleasure centers.

If you just like to have your feet fondled, you’re not alone. Feet are a powerful sensory body part - we have around 200,000 nerve endings in the sole of each foot. And this is why foot massages are so common and so enjoyable - because our feet are full of pleasurable potential!

Any type or part of a foot can be attractive to a foot fetishist.

Some foot fetishists will have favorite parts of and favorite types of feet. Some prefer large feet, dainty feet. Perhaps toes with a certain shape or toenails cut in a certain way. Some prefer clean feet and others dirty... some polished and others unpolished toenails. The options are endless!

And to some foot fetishists, objects like socks, shoes, and tights become objects of desire and arousal due to their association with feet. For many, the smell of feet alone is a turn on! Often, the more potent the better…

The ways people enjoy a foot fetish varies depending on the extent of their fetish and how much they allow themselves to explore it - and presumably, the willingness of their partners! 

For others, it is common to enjoy incorporating feet into sex - for example by using feet (or, presumably, toes) for stimulation of the genitals or other parts of the body. Some people use toes for penetration!

Curious about foot fetishism? Try it out!

If you’re curious about exploring a foot fetish but the idea of toe penetration freaks you out, don’t worry, you only ever have to go as far as you’re comfortable with! If you are curious, again (and as always), talk to others and your partner. 

Start with massage and other gentle sensation play and see where it takes you and what you enjoy! There’s so much to explore!

It feels like we’ve covered a lot in this episode, but we’ve only scraped the surface of fetish! Hopefully, you now feel clued up about what fetishes are, how varied they can be, and how common they are. And hopefully, if you’re in the panty selling industry, you now understand the used panty fetish more, as well as your customers!

As usual check our magazine and our YouTube channel for regular updates and info on all things sex, fetish, and panty. And if you have a fetish or you’re simply curious and want to know more about a fetish, let us know! Write to us at pr@pantydeal.com and your ideas can be featured in our next episode.

See you soon!