I wanted to make money by selling my dirty panties, big mistake.

One night, while browsing Facebook, I stumbled upon an article titled: "Girls, your dirty panties are a gold mine!" The practice itself isn't new: the market for soiled underwear exploded in the early 2000s and even led Japan to impose an age restriction on this type of sale. Even today, the internet is teeming with specialized websites—which I can understand, having once been broke enough to consider reselling just about anything I owned. It was with this mindset that I clicked on the link, discovering that you could earn up to 300 euros per pair of panties. That was all it took to convince me to give it a try.

When I proudly announced to my friend Lisa* that I was going to sell my worn underwear, she simply said, "Do you think you're in Orange Is the New Black ?" She wasn't entirely wrong. I was already picturing a kind of seedy version of Craigslist: an ad, a picture of my panties

A quick description, and voilà, the deal was done. Of course, I figured the buyers wouldn't be laundry fanatics, eager to help out. But the idea of ​​strangers using my lingerie to fulfill their fantasies didn't bother me that much. I did ask my boyfriend's opinion, though, and he couldn't care less. My mind was made up: I was finally going to breathe new life into the panties, hopelessly stained by my period and languishing at the bottom of a drawer.

A quick search for "sell dirty panties" later, I discovered that many sites primarily offered cam shows. I finally chose vends-ta-culotte.com (VTC for those in the know), drawn in by its pastel design and apparent innocence. Right from the start, a notice clearly stated that "paid in-person meetings are strictly prohibited." This only reinforced my belief that I was only going to sell panties—naive as I was.

VTC then asked me to fill out my profile: a description, fields like "Do I smoke?", "My origins", "What makes me so wet?", and "The style of my little pussy", not to mention photos. It reminded me of Adopte un mec (Adopt a Guy), but much more intrusive. The private section required proof of identity to become a "Verified Girl": a copy of both sides of my ID card, plus a photo of myself holding it. Luckily, nothing was mandatory for selling. Paranoid about exposing my real identity on a site where I was going to sell my panties , I skipped this step and created an alter ego: "Lola Massou", with a matching Gmail address.

Very quickly, I had to revise my illusions. At first, I thought I'd just post pictures of my panties. But to hope to sell my scent, I first had to sell my image. Many girls posed completely naked, even with a sex toy. There was no way I was going to go that far, but I ended up playing along, setting my limits: no faces, never without underwear, no webcam shows. Only the sale of panties and thongs.

A problem quickly arose: I'm a clean freak, especially when it comes to my private parts. I had to force myself to wear the same underwear for several days, or even, at the height of sales, to forgo any protection at the end of my period. Unsurprisingly, this industry is anything but idyllic: the golden rule is "the stronger the smell, the better it sells." According to the co-founder of Vends ton slip (Sell Your Underwear), 72% of customers are aroused by the scent.

Added to this was another disillusionment: messaging was essential. To make a sale, you had to talk about yourself, describe what you liked about selling panties, detail the possible scents, feign interest, and feed the fantasy. Some clients even wanted to become friends—exactly what I wanted to avoid. But Lola, my virtual alter ego, helped me invent what was necessary and maintain my distance.

Little by little, I expanded my shop: tights, stockings, bras… I also raised my prices, between 15 and 30 euros depending on the time spent "preparing" the item or its original quality. I added more photos, even showing my mouth. My boundaries were disappearing. Then came the special requests: soiling a pair of panties according to precise instructions. One man wanted me to wear the same pair for a whole week, with photos of the fabric's internal evolution. He offered 90 euros. I refused. I was starting to get fed up: too many forced conversations, too much energy wasted on strangers I didn't care about.

A sense of unease also crept into my relationship. My boyfriend claimed not to disapprove, but I clearly sensed his sadness, stress, and a touch of jealousy. He nevertheless insisted on letting me make my own choices.

One evening, Jean* asked me for a ShowCam. I had never agreed to it and had no intention of starting. He then offered a Skype audio session only, three minutes to hear me breathe, for 30 euros. I accepted. For the first minute, nothing, then soft moans. Nothing more than a form of virtual sex. At the end, I asked him if he had ejaculated. He answered yes.

That night, I decided to delete my profile. After selling about twenty pairs of underwear in two months, I felt as dirty as my panties.

To avoid ending on too bleak a note, I decided to write this article. To gather more testimonials, I opened a new account on VTC and contacted about thirty profiles. Very few replied. Members are rather tight-lipped when it comes to explaining their attraction to buying or selling used underwear. One mistook me for a cop, another for an undercover pervert. I did, however, manage to get a few testimonials and speak with Paul*, nicknamed "the Concierge," one of the site's three founders.

He explained that he had discovered the Japanese phenomenon of "Burusera" five years ago. The idea stuck with him, and he discussed it with two computer-savvy friends. "We were having drinks, and we decided to create Vends ta culotte (Sell Your Panties). That was in February 2011, and it didn't exist in France yet." Given its success, they launched vends-ton-slip.com in 2012.

According to him, the site wasn't meant to become so explicit: "We thought the women would limit themselves to underwear. Then we saw they were also selling sex tapes and photos, so we adapted." Over time, the founders themselves became panty enthusiasts, to the point of sometimes buying on their own platform. He also recounts how some members met, became friends, and even got married. "The site allows people to confide in each other. Many can't talk about their fetish with those around them. 'Sell Your Panties' is their private space." For some sellers, the site even has a positive effect on their self-esteem.

I also spoke with Sophie*, a 26-year-old student who, like me, came out of curiosity and for easy money. "I thought I'd sell a pair of panties at best, but in the first month I earned over 2,000 euros," she confided in me. "Most of them are just looking for someone to listen to them. Many want shows and don't care about the underwear."

Immediately, I thought of men like Jean, who would never buy panties but come for everything else. "I'm mainly interested in people and their motivations," Sophie continued. "But as a result, I quickly got 'eaten alive.' Even though I try to maintain perspective, some requests are… surprising: baby onesies, scat or urine enthusiasts, euphemistically referred to as 'caviar' and 'champagne.'" She says she doesn't enjoy the activity at all: it's just a side job, not without a slight feeling of guilt about exploiting the loneliness and vulnerability of some men. "I bring them a little happiness, and they bring me some at the end of the month."

Perhaps that's the real secret to the dirty underwear business: remaining impassive and playing a role—unless it's your own fantasy. Yes, our panties can be gold mines, but you have to dig deep and be willing to get your hands dirty before you see any of it.