Playtime 4 Chico

Paul Fink is the owner of PlayTime4You, a nearly 4,000-square-foot warehouse off Highway 32 dedicated to the sale of “adult novelties,” which includes anything from lingerie to outlandish sex toys and a host of confusing and sometimes unidentifiable sex-related objects in between. Fink’s store boasts the largest selection of adult films in town, with more than 1,000 videos on the floor at all times. The 32-year-old former Centerfolds bouncer believes his business is providing a valuable service to Chico, but has continually dealt with the negative connotations associated with working in the sex industry.

What was being a bouncer like?

Overall, I never had any problems. You’re dealing with a lot of customers who come there for different reasons—sometimes you have someone who just wants the company of a female, some of them just want to see the females, some have never been on a date or anything like that, so this is their comfort level, and others just want to get out of the house for some entertainment.

Where did you get the idea to open PlayTime4You?

They had a little store while I was working at Centerfolds, but it was really my parents who gave me the idea. They were like, “Why don’t you get out there and try it?” My brother and I share ownership, but he’s serving in the Army in Korea. He had the financial backing, and I had the knowledge of how to run the business.

Do you have a hard time donating to charity?

We try to help the community as much as possible, but it has been hard being the kind of business we are. I hope people are starting to see we are trying to be a clean business just like any other. Of course people are excited [about a donation] when they don’t know who we are yet, but when we let them know it’s grown-up novelties, then people will say its not a good fit for them. We just move on and try different avenues.

What would you say to someone who hasn’t been in the store yet?

We would like for people to come check it out and just realize we’re here to help. We don’t have a big neon lady dancing on our sign. We’re here to educate and help people, to put that spark in couples’ lives so they’re not out there looking for something else when maybe it’s just something missing in the bedroom.

What surprises you about running the store?

I’m still surprised by what people come in and ask for. Even though I’ve been in the industry for nine years, it’s still shocking to me what people are looking for that I’ve never heard of.