A new survey out of Indiana University found that 53% of women and nearly half of men have used a vibrator at some point in their lives.

The New York Times reports that "The researchers attribute the widespread use to easier availability and a cultural shift away from the bad ol' boy, Triple-X-rated sex toy industry. Vibrators are now sold at Wal-Mart, 7-Eleven and CVS; new Internet sites for sex products feature middle-aged models and aim at mainstream couples. Several companies market sex toys to women as young as sorority sisters and as old as postmenopausal golden girls through Tupperware-style home parties."

Did they just say Tupperware-style home parties? With the job market in shambles, "business opportunities" are generating strong interest, but as I recently wrote, they tend to be badly overrated and over-sold.

The sex toys party plan companies may be the more legitimate cousins of MLM. If you think it might be something worth looking into, there are actually a bunch of companies: Pure Romance, Passion Parties and Athena's Goddesses, along with a number of other smaller companies.

For things to look out for when evaluating these kinds of opportunities, be sure to check out Jon M. Taylor's 12 Tests For Evaluating a Network Marketing (MLM) "Opportunity". (It's a PDF File, so it may take a minute load.)