Sean C. Morgan
A Lebanon couple opened a shop selling tobacco and adult novelties on Main Street March 30.
While preparing to open, letter writers and members of the community voiced concerns about the “adult shop,” but owner Larry Eckert wants to let the community know that what he and his wife, Michelle, have established is not an “adult shop.”
While only adults are permitted inside the store, it doesn’t sell pornography.
“Adult stores are adult stores,” Eckert said. “This is a store you have to be 18 to walk into. Interestingly enough, ‘adult store’ never crossed our minds.”
The shop’s inventory includes cigarettes, cigars, rolling papers, glass pipes, pipe tobacco, tie-dyed shirts, adult novelties, lingerie and jewelry.
The adult novelties are the types of things sold at Pure Romance passion parties, Eckert said, items for bachelorette and bachelor parties, lotions, pheromones and adult toys. He said Michelle once was a consultant for Pure Romance, a direct sales company that sells products in-home parties, similar to companies such as Tupperware or Mary Kay.
The glass pieces they sell in the store are high-quality, he said, and include products made by local glassblowers.
He also stocks German glass, he said. “I know it’s better than the Chinese glass.”
The Eckerts plan to expand their line, including traditional tobacco pipes, flavored pipe tobacco and more lingerie selections.
About once a day, Eckert has had someone coming in looking for pornography because customers must be at least 18 years old, he said, but his store doesn’t stock it.
Eckert, 50, worked in quality control at Entek Manufacturing for 23 years, he said. Michelle works at the Liquor Store in Lebanon. He has lived in Lebanon since the early 1970s.
He opened the store to create a job, he said, adding that he’s just a small businessman trying to make his way. He located the business on Main Street because space was available there and the rent was attractive.
“There’s nothing like it in this town,” Eckert said. “They’re on Main Street in every city.”
And they’re popular, he said.