Fetish as a business model: Swiss online shop sells worn panties, socks and used tampons What it's all about "It's a fetish, age or status doesn't matter" My 20 minutes

Anyone who follows the jungle camp on RTL knows how much money you can make by selling used laundry . Because the participant Tara Tabitha, who has meanwhile been eliminated, chatted from the sewing box: On a platform she sells worn socks and shoes and earns not that bad. A business that, as she says herself, is booming.

The 32-year-old Lara* from Zurich, who founded the first Swiss webshop Sububis in October last year, sees it the same way. On the online platform, women and men sell used clothing such as bras, panties, boxer shorts and socks as well as used tampons and pads.

"Anonymity was not guaranteed during the payment process"

“It is a lucrative business that is in great demand in this country. I keep hearing from acquaintances who receive inquiries on social media as to whether they want to sell their underwear," says Lara. That gave her the idea of ​​offering this professionally so that the seller can remain anonymous and never have direct contact with the buyer. "Anonymity was not guaranteed during the payment process and that put many people off, although they are not fundamentally averse to the business," she explains.

A friend told the 32-year-old that she was stalked by the buyer after the sale via Instagram. That scared her so much that she stopped selling it. "I thought to myself that there could be a better and more serious solution to this," says Lara. The aim should be to protect both parties - both the seller and the buyer should be able to remain anonymous. This is how Sububis came about.

"The demand for pads and tampons is there"

At Sububis, which means underwear in Latin, all orders are processed via Lara. The sellers therefore do not come into contact with the buyers. But she doesn't want to sell herself: "That would be too intimate for me, too close. I want to make a clear distinction. If I knew who would get my clothes, I felt like I was giving too much away."

A total of seven women and men sell their worn underwear on the platform, which has been online since October 2021. "It is going very well. We have several orders a day, I'm already recruiting new subabes," says Lara.

Panties and socks sell best. Underpants cost 79 francs on the platform, you can get worn socks for 29 francs. So far, the webshop only has male buyers. A customer usually orders several products at once, as the 32-year-old explains. The demand for a larger portfolio, such as worn pads and tampons, is also there. “The pee, i.e. urine, is brand new – many of our customers want that too. Of course, not all Subabes are willing to do this, but some are - they are free to decide."

"I wanted to know what it's like and how it feels"

43-year-old Clara* has been selling her worn underwear on the platform for three months. “It's a real adventure for me. I really wanted to try it and I really enjoy it,” she says. It was primarily curiosity that made her contact Lara. "I wanted to know what it's like and how it feels," explains the Austrian.

It is important to her that she has no direct contact with customers and that the additional effort is kept to a minimum. Lara was able to give her that with her platform. There Clara had earned 600 francs in the last few months. "It's a very good extra income. I don't have to do anything I wouldn't do otherwise." It doesn't feel weird either: "I find it more reprehensible when someone looks at me in the pool and has fantasies!"

"As soon as I take off my underwear, it's over for me"

However, knowing that someone is ordering her laundry doesn't excite Clara: "It's a job. Someone orders something and I fulfill my target - that's it. As soon as I take off my underwear, it's over for me." What happens after that doesn't matter to her.

Nevertheless, the IT woman does not announce her part-time job. Although she is not ashamed, she still doesn't want to tell everyone about it. “If things keep going like this, I will definitely do that. Let's see what else is coming!"

*Names are known to the editors.

Ms. Schiftan, selling used lingerie no longer seems taboo.

Maybe not a taboo anymore, but I still don't think the topic has caught on in society. However, the fact that it is talked about in the jungle camp at prime time certainly helps. Actually, it's nothing new: In old romances - whether in literature or in film, it was "only" about the handkerchief instead of laundry - the need to have objects of the desired person was always there. To experience closeness and security through smelling and tasting is something very human, a human need. Anyone who has a corresponding fetish combines these sensory impressions with sexual arousal.

Who are the people offering used lingerie?

You can't tell. But one thing is clear: For the majority, this would not be an option because it is very personal and you can smell your “everyday life” on it – the buyer comes very close to you.

And who are the people who buy used underwear?

You can't say that in general terms. It can be a 17-year-old who wants to have some kind of contact with a woman for the first time, but it can also be a 50-year-old single who wants some kind of intimacy. It's a fetish, age or status don't matter, there are a lot of factors involved.

Pads and tampons that are worn are also offered on the website.

It doesn't matter what's being sold. Ultimately, it's all about marketing, because there's a fetishized demand for almost everything. There are also people who want to marry the Eiffel Tower. So you can potentially eroticize anything and make money with it. But it is understandable that it seems very strange to outsiders if you don't know it yourself or if such fetishes are alien to you.

What are the risks of selling your own worn underwear?

Before you sell your worn underwear or get into the business, you have to think it through carefully. You are selling something of yourself and you have to be aware of that - not everyone would be able to handle it. And of course it has to work technically, because I recommend that everything remains anonymous. There are always people who don't know the difference between reality and wishful thinking and come up with funny ideas. That's why, for example, the seller's address should remain anonymous.

National Councilor Meret Schneider was repeatedly harassed by a person who wanted her worn underwear.

Asking someone else who doesn't offer it - of course that's not possible. This is a clear border crossing. Just because you're in the public eye doesn't mean everything is allowed. I recommend only asking if the other person also offers such a service, such as on a website.

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