Tapelenders

The prices were ridiculous. They clearly want the customers to go purchase online or find other avenues. If they had any competition they’d be screwed.
Some products are double then what you find online.
Being a small business owner, I want to buy in other small businesses but I will not be a supporter of a good business model that’s poorly run.
The stars are for the nice guy who greeted me.

Been shopping here for years; gone way down in selection/​variety & customer service. Topping it off today I went into exchange the size small underwear I bought at a charity auction last Wednesday night. After waiting for about 10 minutes the clerk informs me that per owner (Mark) there are no exchanges allowed. Too bad the model didn’t come with the prize.
In response to Chris L’s comment: the model had on underwear beneath the garment. I have had no problem with other stores making exchanges under these circumstances from other such charity auctions.

So I’m out for Sunday-​Funday and decided to stop in and check this place out as they were the only ones open this early. I remember it being bigger, but they still pack a huge amount of stuff into the small space! Harnesses, toys, underwear, gifts. Don’t even get me started on the underwear section — it’s huge! Friendly staff showed me around and answered my random questions.
I definitely recommend going next door and checking out the other store they own called ES when you’re done as well.

Well, after a month I finally heard from the owner. Not by phone, not apologetic, but on Unilocal.I have watched dozens of shops close on Cedar Springs over the past 30 years, and it is not because the clientele do not have the money to support these stores. For some reason all the stores on Cedar Springs have owners and staff with such horrible customer service skills and attitudes that they close one by one by one. It is only a matter of time before the same fate awairs Tapelenders. How much easier would it have been for the owner to return any of my phone calls, and made me a happy customer again.
What the owner does not mention is that I was in the wholesale business for years and use to sell ornaments, candles, and fragranced botanicals to Tapelenders. I would literally ship thousands of dollars of merchandise to the store with the agreement that Tapelenders would pay their bills. I never asked them for a hold on their credit card to receive the merchandise. I always tried to support and help our neighborhood businesses.
Also, your manager is not telling you the truth. I was never given an option of leaving any other form of deposit beside that of my credit card and drivers license being copied. Isn’t it a shame that you lost a long standing customer because you would not simply pick up the phone and make a call.

Great selection of products, fair prices, and very kind and sweet staff. My girl-​friend (not girlfriend) and I were walking around Cedar Springs and Oak Lawn shopping and we got outright hostile attitudes from many of the shops we went in. There seems to be a ‘boys club’ vibe to many of the stores where a pair of women get stared at or completely ignored while we shop. We are not a couple (just best friends) but people always assume we are. Tapelenders were incredibly nice and helpful to us; none of the attitude we experienced in other shops earlier that day. They have our business for sure, even if all we were buying were trinkets.

OK so I’ve mocked this place in the past for it’s eclectic collection of tacky rainbow knickknacks, lube, and porn. But you know what – this place has none of the «gay attitude» that seems to ruin many places in the gayborhood. They have a great selection of current flicks and in an age where your choices are Netflix or RedBox because no other place is around, you have no reason to go anywhere else.
They’re super friendly (even telling us the closest place we could go to find a new release they didn’t yet carry. Wow.)
We will definitely make this our neighborhood rental spot.
(from our 2÷23÷13 visit)

I love this place… really friendly staff… love the novelties, pride items… didn’t venture into the flix, but might next time… I went in for the window items, which on that day were music note and treble clef book ends and various sculptures… reasonably priced…

Under new management!
If you haven’t been in a while, I suggest a new visit. They’ve changed owners and have gotten a facelift inside and out. Product offerings have been updated.
Friendly staff.

I like Tapelenders a lot! In fact, I rent movies about twice a week, and they have a great selection. Sometimes I wonder how they stay in business. They have very liberal extended hours being open until midnight every night, and they seem to fall prey to the patrons of surrounding gay nightclubs. If you need to return a video anytime after 9pm, forget it, b/​c all the alcoholics and drunks have taken all the parking in the back for the retail business owners, AND the local bars, and plan to «camp out» at their watering holes ’til closing. They offer some of the best GLBT titles in town, and are always getting new titles. Their gay pride offerings are a little stale… circa 1982? They have awesome gift ideas, some of the most beautiful glassware, kitsche, and novelty light fixtures I’ve ever encountered. Excellent aromatherapy section, and a selection of hanging glass votive candle holders that no one else can rival. An awesome assortment of sex toys, videos, condoms, birthday cards, calendars, «coffee table boox», and accessories. If you can’t find it, they’ll order it. It took about 2 weex, but they secured a limited edition dvd of Torch Song Trilogy for me, and called me when it came in. I recommend them!!!