Gay Porn Magazines

[kgmets]

Interesting post Foxyman regarding purchasing VHS tapes. You said that you paid £30.00 in 1981. I looked up the equivalent in US dollars and it said $38.95. In New York City, new gay porn tapes retailed for $79.00 or $89.00. I was lucky to have plenty of bookstores in the city that rented the tapes for two or three days which was enough for me. I did buy a few of my favorite William Higgins tapes as "go to" material for jerk off sessions, but usually at a discounted price later on.

Here are a few examples of 80's gay porn tapes that I remember watching and wacking off to. lol

I like your taste. Those were really good VHS tapes. It seemed back then that the unwritten rule was any young blond twink model was destined to bottom.

 

[Jaybifla]

This was my go to. I had seen all types of clips over the years from friends, but this was the first film I actually purchased. I think it was $90

 

[Foxyman1961]

This was my go to. I had seen all types of clips over the years from friends, but this was the first film I actually purchased. I think it was $90

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Yes this one rings a bell for me. Back in the 1980s in the UK although there was a gay scene, because of section 28 brought in by Margaret Thatcher's Government to curb the teaching of homosexuality in schools, many of the mags and videos were sold underground I.e. in back Street shops which Soho in London was famous for. Also there were a few pubs and clubs in London such as Heaven and Brief encounter where you could go and meet and in some there would be a shop to buy mags and videos, but there were the exception to the rule. Most pubs that were gay were always frightened that they would be raided by the police, especially if they were showing any porn. I remember I found a pub in the late 80s in Bethnal Green, which is in the East End of London called the Britannia or the Brit as it was called locally. It was fairly progressive for it's time in that the Brit didn't open till 9pm and would be open till 2am in the morning, most pubs at that time closed by 11pm. It also showed videos mainly music of bands like Bros or similar versions (very tweeky and not that good a sound, but all very good looking boys). The gay couple that ran the Brit were unusual in the fact that they were openly gay and were mixed race, which at the time of the growing popularity of the National Front a very right wing group that had popular support in the East End was very daring. If you stayed right to the end of the night they would put on a porn film to get what remained of the customers in the mood for picking up, however usually there were only a few locals left and these were men in there 50s. I remember films like the ones mentioned being shown. However they had to be careful because police would raid pubs that they believed were encouraging lewd behaviour by showing porn. I was in there one night when this happened and 20 cops turned up and raided the premises, however on this occasion they had made a big mistake in that the publicans had been tipped off that this was going to happen and had hidden all their porn films and replaced them with Disney films. I can just imagine the look on the cops face when they opened the video box to find instead of An American in Prague but Alice in Wonderland. Also they had pre warned all their customers not to engage in anything that could get them arrested so all anyone was doing was talking and having a drink, so the police went away empty handed. Sadly the Brit is not with us anymore, knocked down and part of a housing estate now, but I still have happy memories of this East End icon.

 

[tampa24]

Thanks for sharing that story Foxyman. It gives us a glimpse into another perspective of the world.

 

[tampa24]

This was my go to. I had seen all types of clips over the years from friends, but this was the first film I actually purchased. I think it was $90

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That's an absolute classic also. I'm curious about how recently or how long ago you purchased it for that price. I've wondered if the prices of some of our 80's favorites ever came down or got more reasonable.

 

[tampa24]

Interesting post Foxyman regarding purchasing VHS tapes. You said that you paid £30.00 in 1981. I looked up the equivalent in US dollars and it said $38.95. In New York City, new gay porn tapes retailed for $79.00 or $89.00. I was lucky to have plenty of bookstores in the city that rented the tapes for two or three days which was enough for me. I did buy a few of my favorite William Higgins tapes as "go to" material for jerk off sessions, but usually at a discounted price later on.

I'm guessing that £30.00 in 1981 Britain was a tidy sum for the average working man. It probably felt like something closer to $80 (or more) in today's money.

I remember back in college that a much wealthier friend and classmate of mine in our circle of gay friends had a large collection of videos such as these. But by the mid to late 80's these videos were selling for around $50. Plus tax. In 1986, 1987 dollars of course. (Or more possibly, if you were paying for shipping. For struggling college students that was a small fortune back then. And even now $50 a pop for a video is no small luxury. lol

 

[Foxyman1961]

I'm guessing that £30.00 in 1981 Britain was a tidy sum for the average working man. It probably felt like something closer to $80 (or more) in today's money.

I remember back in college that a much wealthier friend and classmate of mine in our circle of gay friends had a large collection of videos such as these. But by the mid to late 80's these videos were selling for around $50. Plus tax. In 1986, 1987 dollars of course. (Or more possibly, if you were paying for shipping. For struggling college students that was a small fortune back then. And even now $50 a pop for a video is no small luxury. lol

My first wage was the princely sum of £48 a week and out of this I had to give my Mum £15 for board and lodging, put at least £10 a week away as savings and spent £12 on travel to work, plus another £5 for my lunch, although my Mum did in the beginning make me sandwiches but once I was old enough to go into pubs, pub lunches became the norm for me. So it left me very little to go out with or even spend on things like videos. So I had to save up for a long time to get one, hence when I did buy one at £30 I treated it like gold dust and was mortified that the video chewed the tape eventually even though I had been watching this tape for some years by then. How things have changed with the internet, now I rarely watch a porn movie more than once unless it is especially good. Happy days as they say.

 

[tampa24]

Thanks again for sharing all that Foxyman. Yes. With the internet I too am relieved not to have to spend $50-$100 for DVD's just to be able to watch some gratifying porn. lol

 

[dt3212]

i miss them dearly.

I was thinking back to the "prehistoric" pre-internet and even pre-VHS days when gay magazines were the main source of whack off materials. These were a few of my favorites. Does anyone have others that they recall?

And I always loved to read stories and this magazine and it's whole family of offshoots were a favorite of mine.

And this one will show just how old I am, lol. When I was in high school, I used to see this one at new stands and I would go to a stand far from home, for fear that somebody would know me when I purchased these small magazines. And of course they were always in a plain brown paper bag, usually scotch taped shut.

I really like combination of stories , pictures, and articles about everything and anything. Also it saved a lot of printing out pictues and downloading videos, Broke Straight Boys is great love some of the guys and the interviews. but it might be a old guy thing but i miss the magazines..alass like many other things they are gone. we have the internet for lots of things so it is a good trade