Cam Artists Talk Selling Wares in New York Times Article

LOS ANGELES—Cam stars share their experiences in selling everything from underwear to cookies to their online fans in a recent article in the New York Times. In the Sept. 26 “The New Unsexy Marketplace” article, Mz. Kim, a fetish artist and cam girl who is popular on AVN Stars, told writer Anna Seligson that she has sold a pair of socks for $850 and pantyhose for $1,500 more than once to fans. “I know it really does seem so ridiculous when you think about it,” she said in the article. “The way that this really works is that the person has some sort of attachment to you. They have a sort of love for your persona, your look and your brand.” She explained that despite the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, her business is booming due to the pandemic: “Many of my clients are home and need guidance, understanding and a reassuring, strong voice,” she wrote in an email, adding that “another reason for business being up may be that the subset of men who are now forced to stay home simply have more opportunities to play.” To read the full story, click here. Alec Hardy, a Budapest-based cam artist, told Seligson that he left his day job to work full time in chatrooms and cam sites and has now expanded his work by creating content, writing sex toy reviews and by earning affiliate commissions. Sean Dunne, director of the documentary Cam Girlz, said women have been monetizing the fact that many men today feel especially lonely: “A lot of these guys just want to feel like they have something going, like they have a girlfriend and that someone is paying attention. Women have monetized that aspect.”    But for Mz. Kim, she cautions that it’s not all fun and games. She warned that you will lose friends. Your family may be less than supportive. Anything you post online could be there forever, possibly jeopardizing future job opportunities and you’ll also need to take many measures to protect your privacy. But in the end, she told her fans on AVN Stars, she enjoys sharing her experience with a new audience. “Back in January, when I was about to teach a long workshop in Las Vegas about sex work, a NYT reporter contacted me to learn about online SW. She flew out to attend my class, and fast forward past AVN, the beginning of COVID and several online classes later... et voila,” she said. “I'm really proud of being a part of this story, and how much of what's in the story is information that I tried to convey about this fascinating industry.”