“There are tons of competition! Other sites, other models, other personalities, other content. I always felt that in general, we help each other.”
YourMissMetal (or MissMetal on different sites), is a 27 year old woman who has led a double life for over a year. She sells her used underwear online. MissMetal also loves photography, reading, experimenting with new cuisines and discovering “new worlds inside our planet”. She considers herself a very shy and introverted person in real life, but on the world wide web? “Well that’s a completely different story”.
How did you start selling your underwear?
“I started selling underwear a few months after starting web-camming, as the camming site offered the opportunity inside the same network.”
Do you feel that this job is positive for you, or is it just some extra cash?
“Selling underwear alone is not economically positive as it involves so much more of you. But when a purchase is effectively made, it certainly pays out. You need to establish a certain connection with the client (even if only visual), so it’s extra cash at the end of the month. I think of it as passive income.”
When you are photographing your underwear to put on sale, do you feel any fear of extreme perversion from those who buy it, or is it a natural feeling?
“I don’t feel any fear at all, either this idea grows into you and you love it, or I don’t advise you to do it. It’s natural, and all I think about is trying to make it perfect for potential clients to enjoy the underwear.”
Have you received any criticism (positive / negative) regarding items you have sold?
“As far as I know, buyers were very satisfied with the items they have bought. Packages are discreet, safe, and preserve my scent. The negative part was only the mailing part, which can be a bit slow, but that’s not the fault of either of us.”
Are you a self-employed woman promoting professional blogs or websites, or do you work for agency(s)?
“I work for an amateur agency, that doesn’t work a lot on promoting models, which basically means I promote myself on the most important social medias.”
How does the selling process of used underwear works? Is your identity preserved?
“Identity is always preserved at its best, as the user pays in the cam site currency. After that, the user must give me an address (to preserve his safety, it’s usually a P.O. box). I wrap the item and send it only with the buyer’s address, no sender’s address.”
Do you have access to who buys your items, or is it a mystery for you?
“I only know the virtual name of the buyer, unless he wants to share some more information.”
Do you feel that those who work in the sex industry are more sensitive to dangerous situations?
“Those in this industry need to have a hard shell to protect themselves, and the exposure is at a maximum. So, yes, it can get you exposed to dangerous situations. If you follow a few safety rules of your own, and never share personal information about yourself, the exposure won’t be complete. It’s the online world, you always need to protect yourself.”
Is out there a lot of competition? If so, is it a healthy one?
“There are tons of competition! Other sites, other models, other personalities, other content. I always felt that, in general, we help each other.”
Do you have male colleagues or are you aware of any?
“I know there are male models who sell their underwear, I’m just not aware of where or who they are. I guess women are predominant in this industry.”
Is this a gender job, made only for male pleasure, or do you feel empowered and pleased too?
“I love what I do, it’s definitely empowering. As the people who you deal with are real and treat you with kindness.”
Have you ever felt threatened, physically or emotionally?
“Not at all. But I always play safe, because of me and because of the people who surround me that are important. I will never put them at risk.”
How do agencies provide safety in protecting your identity?
“The agency gives you its address, so you can put their address when sending the package, but they only accept US address as sender, but without sender’s address the package is still delivered.”
What was the most surreal request you got while working in the sex industry?
“I can’t think of any right now, they all seem normal to me.”
Is there any happy moment you will never forget about this sexual world?
“Being missed and having people that really care about me, always make me happy.”
How much is it possible to get for selling used underwear?
“Selling a simple piece of underwear can get me to earn 25€ up to 75€. It all depends on how much is the underwear worth, and what’s involved in between. The price adds up if the client wants extra spoils, like wearing the underwear on a specific interaction, or how many days I will wear them. It’s passive income, but when it comes, it is worth a lot.”
Do the people close to you know that this is one of the industries where you work?
“My closest people only know the basic parts about this activity, I try not to get into details, so I can protect them.”
In your professional and personal experience, why do you think there are people who want access to used underwear? Do you think it’s a purely physical entertainment, or it could be more than just that?
“If someone wants another person’s underwear, to me it’s more than physical. Lust is an emotion too. It’s a desire, it’s the urge of wanting a part of someone you desire so much. Love and relationships can be messy and complicated, that’s why the online world is a fantasy world, it provides you with a fantasy: that love can be perfect. And it’s an addictive feeling. So it’s not just physical, it’s very emotional.”
James Altucher once said: Life is cold. People stay warm through the intimacy of a story. Do you feel that you are, somehow, selling warm stories?
“Of course, warm and perfect stories. I actually read early on this week, that the online love is usually called “Liquid love”, and it makes perfect sense to me. It’s not a solid love, it’s a love that slips through your fingers while flowing naturally. Nothing else, but warmth, can help you escape the real life.”
In the UK, it is legal to sell used underwear. Royal Mail does not currently list used underwear (included spoiled underwear) in its list of prohibited goods. Both selling and buying used underwear is perfectly legal as long as the transaction is fair and equitable. Agencies will often create a contract for its users to sign regarding the split of the profits made. Agencies have a legal obligation to confirm the age of the people selling and receiving the goods.
