August 17, 2005 Double the Pleasure Today's match-up pits Tinseltown's pleasure pushers head to head. These raunchy retailers are vying for Single Shot's top title of supreme saucy sex seller. In the first corner, weighing in with big brand recognition and prime Sunset Strip location, we've got the L.A.-based Hustler Store. And in the other corner, a New York transplant, The Pleasure Chest. Both carry a dizzying variety of sex toys and videos, but these two contenders are clearly coming to the ring from opposite ends of the spectrum. From the extreme to the extremely timid, they cover it all. The Hustler Store is Disneyland for Adults, complete with cafe. With its sparkling white interior, it defies the adult store stereotype. Couples wander hand-in-hand through stacks of Hustler T-shirts. Sure you can buy whips, but also scented candles. Chain mail lingerie, but also silk. At The Pleasure Chest, the paraphernalia will either turn you on ... or terrify you. A straight jacket. A leather mask with rough holes for eyes and mouth. That same mask with animal ears. More straps and whips than an equestrian tack shop. The biggest surprise here: loads of gear for heteros, despite its Boystown location (across from WeHo's famous Tomkat Theatre). Hustler's got the edge on DVD selection, but the Chest may take the point for slightly lower prices. The winner? Well, the store on the Strip's good for tourists and brave/crazy folks on first dates, but the Pleasure Chest goes the distance. Stage a rematch, and see them both for yourself. Hustler Hollywood 8920 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood 90069 Tel: 310.860.9009 The Pleasure Chest 7733 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood 90046 Tel: 323.650.1022