The store was originally known as Book Circus when it first opened in 1960 as a newsstand and bookstore. Even before the Stonewall Riots and the subsequent gay liberation movement, the West Hollywood area had a large enough gay population to make selling male physique magazines and the like profitable.
When the owner of Book Circus ran into financial difficulties, the Masons paid $500 to take over the lease. Despite their lack of retail experience, the couple hired the Book Circus manager to run their store. They did, however, change the name to Circus of Books, a name change that was subtle enough to indicate the store had new owners while remaining the same store.
Poppers, Lube, Toys and more!Est. 1960, Reimagined in 2020. Circus of Books boasts the largest lube selection in WeHo, poppers, sex toys for men and women, large selection of coffee table books, cards, amazing t-shirts, jocks, Huntees Pop Up Store and much more. The Gallery @ Circus features noteworthy art by local LGBTQ artists. Brands include: Boneyard, Rascal, Nasty Pig, Cellblock 13, Timeteo, Rico Starr, Tom of Finland, XR, Blush, OxBalls, Huntees, JO, Wet, Swiss Navy, Gun Oil, Fleshjack, Tenga + over 2500 items.
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