Part of the Gay San Francisco Guide — bars, events & things to do.
San Francisco, California
Castro's vintage gay memorabilia shop — 'We Buy Gay Stuff' since 1996.
Auto Erotica is less sex shop, more living archive. Owner Patrick Batt has spent nearly 30 years curating vintage gay magazines, activist memorabilia, and artifacts from shuttered bars — all from a Castro storefront on 18th Street that once housed Drummer magazine's headquarters. The red door with the neon phallic symbol and the sidewalk sign reading "We Buy Gay Stuff" set the tone. Inside, the focus is 1960s and '70s gay publications, framed vintage ads, and collectibles that document decades of gay culture. Contemporary items share shelf space, but the real draw is material you won't find anywhere else. One of the last stores of its kind in the country, Auto Erotica survived a 2021 community fundraiser and remains a Castro institution — equal parts retail and time capsule.
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