CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Fredrick Guss, 32, didn’t realize that when he embarked on his journey into leather and BDSM it would end up not only changing his life, but also his bank account.
According to Guss, most of his early purchases when he started in the lifestyle turned out to be both wrong and costly.
“I got my rope from Home Depot. I bought a few thousand feet or heavy nylon cord, only to find out it was all wrong. The people at the dungeon actually laughed at me. It was humiliating.”
Guss then acquired cotton rope, which was later deemed inadequate. Next hemp and finally jute.
“Just when I thought I was done on with rope purchases, the woman I tie up all the time says to me, ‘I love that rope, I bet it would look great in red!’ So there goes another $200. Red jute. Fuck me.”
It wasn’t just rope that caused the new dominant financial pain. His first flogger, bought from a local sex shop was also unsuitable for real dungeon play.
“So I buy one flogger, a real nice one and then I find out you need two, because apparently two handed technique is required. Then it is cow and then elk and then latigo. . . . It never ends.”
Guss ended up selling his car and his collection of ceramic cats, which he had been collecting for almost ten years, to help fund the purchases.
“And of course everyone told me I needed a violet wand. $600 and I never use it.”
The upside, for Guss, is what he expects to save on clothing. “I read somewhere that people give you leather clothes to wear, so I am hoping to make some money back on that part of it.”
Photo credit: Frank Carroll cc: by nc
