The Side Job: Maartje sells sex toys

Who: Maartje Meyboom (21)
What: Educator and seller of sex toys
Why: She recommends sex toys to everyone
Hourly wage: €10 – €30 per hour (commission based on sales)

You’ve got to make ends meet somehow. We can all borrow from Uncle Duo, but there are also students who earn money in unusual ways. In this series, we put some interesting side jobs in the spotlight. This time we meet Maartje Meyboom (21), a Bachelor’s student of Biotechnology, who sells and explains sex toys.

‘You don’t need a lot to study. Just a laptop, basically. But you can make it a lot more chill with things like a separate mouse or keyboard, for example. So you buy them. That’s the way I look at sex toys. I work as a freelancer for Willie Homeparty. They get bookings and I visit people in their homes as a consultant, and put on a fun night. It’s a bit like a Tupperware party.

I am never uncomfortable talking about sex

I take along a big suitcase full of sex toys. It contains all kinds of things like vibrators, lubricants, cock rings, butt plugs, jerk-off eggs and bondage rope. I talk about what the toys are, how to use them and my own experiences with them. The articles are passed around the group, often accompanied by a lot of laughter and shrieks. The groups are usually very curious and hyper. I leave feeling like I have made a new group of girlfriends. An added benefit of this side job is that I get to try out the new toys in the range. I’ve got to know what I’m selling, of course.

I booked a consultant once myself, with my flatmates in Duivendaal. I found it very interesting and that’s how I ended up with my employer. I never feel uncomfortable talking about sex, although I sometimes notice embarrassment among others in the group or people I know. I don’t talk much about my work with my in-laws, for instance. I had a very free-thinking upbringing. Sex takes a lot of practice, I was advised. Now I can share my knowledge with others during a consultation. I also give jerking-off workshops. And on my insistence, a fingering workshop is offered now too. I want to help reduce the orgasm gap. I am very feminist about that.’

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