I'm an OnlyFans creator who sells personal items like my underwear. Here's how I promote myself on Reddit and Twitter to find buyers.
- Rebekka Blue has been in the adult-entertainment industry for just over a decade.
- She began selling personal items online on the side after people asked for them.
This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Rebekka Blue, a 29-year-old OnlyFans creator, about items she sells online. She uses a pseudonym for privacy reasons. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I've been in the adult industry for just over a decade, starting out as a stripper when I was 18. I found out what cam modeling was in 2014. I felt it was a much safer option that I could do virtually. I would use concealer to cover certain tattoos to avoid exposing my identity.
At the strip club I was introduced to the concept of selling weird items online, and I found my first few clients. There are some men who find pleasure in pheromones and smells.
I started out on Pantydeal, an underwear-selling marketplace. At the time I didn't think of it as a business opportunity.
I told only a few friends about it. I was honestly a little ashamed of it, and I didn't want my family to know.
I started to get weirder requests, like a burp in a bag or items I'd crushed with my biceps
I realized I could create more income on the side of cam modeling. The products I sell are so low investment.
In 2020, when I launched my OnlyFans, I started to kick things into high gear. I already knew how to fulfill orders online through Shopify and was familiar with online sales, retail, and customer service — I'd resold items on eBay and Etsy before I got into the adult industry.
I thought if I have 50 pairs of panties that aren't really going anywhere, I could sell them used at $50 a pop. I could get a 20-pack of panties for $10 on Amazon.
I've sold my saliva for $10 and my used tights for $32. I charge more for my underwear, depending on how many days of wear the buyer wants. Some clients even want me to work out in them.
I also offer to ship items overnight, send a handwritten note, or vacuum-seal the item so the smell is retained.
I save my bags of trash and even my clipped toenails when I'm getting a pedicure — plus the flip-flops I use during the appointment.
The process of selling my items usually starts on OnlyFans. When I get new fans and subscribers, I tell them about who I am and what I offer.
I've also promoted the items on Reddit, Twitter, and Discord, and I've used hashtags in line with my niche to increase my exposure. I followed creators I admired and sellers who were doing well, looking at how they were taking their photos, writing their bios, and communicating on social media.
There's a risk with promoting these items on some platforms
Some policies say you can't sell or promote adult products. My TikTok has been banned three times, and my Instagram has been banned before.
So you have to use coded language; on TikTok I use emojis for sexual words. Cash App and PayPal can also flag an account as being linked to sex work and prostitution and suspend it.
Another risk of working in the adult industry is exposing your identity. Having a history of sexuality on the internet can hinder specific opportunities. I use a pseudonym, a separate email, and a VPN to cover my IP address, and I ship from a PO box to help keep me safe. I cover the webcam on my computer so that no one can spy on me.
I get a lot of positive reactions on TikTok. A lot of young women are interested in financial freedom. They like that I'm unapologetic and authentic about something so taboo.
I've had a lot of luck with auctions on sites where selling personal items is allowed, and I do one almost daily. (Editor's note: Blue preferred not to disclose which specific sites.)
I prefer to be paid directly because it means a platform isn't taking a percentage.
About 20% of my OnlyFans income comes from selling items, and the rest comes from images and videos. I have regular customers who purchase items from me weekly or monthly. But sometimes you get a client with a large budget who requests an item and then never purchases from you again.
I decided to be more open about who I was online 6 months after starting OnlyFans
I think OnlyFans helped normalize online sex work. I started to become more open about it because I knew I wouldn't hit the numbers I strived for unless I promoted it to my large social following.
I'd just been telling my longtime customers who knew me from camming about my OnlyFans, but I started casually mentioning it in captions on my more personal social pages.
I finally was at a point where I was fully confident in my skin, and I gradually told more of my family and friends about what I did.
I started "The Slutrepreneur Podcast," where I interview anonymous creators and other women who sell their underwear online.
In November 2021 I published a book called "Slutrepreneur Secrets." Each chapter is a different lesson — the book talks about setting yourself up for success, pricing and safely selling weird things on the internet, getting reviews, and maintaining your reputation.
The book made me realize I could retire from using OnlyFans and selling my items one day and start teaching.