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Dolls In Window Of Property = Secret Brothel?

Jepra Peld

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I did a search for this but couldn't find anything. On another forum recently there was a discussion about how to recognise a secret brothel from the outside and something that was mentioned more than once was having dolls displayed in the window.

Has anyone else ever heard this? I don't have any dolls in my window now but at my last home I did, though it was second floor flat so not sure how visible they were. However, I did used to get random people buzzing at my door at strange hours.

Was this a coincidence or was I unwittingly advertising my wares?
 
Interesting, thank you. Makes more sense that the dolls would be advertising the availability of the prostitutes.
 
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A similar story is told about the Red Onion Saloon in Skagway, Alaska ...

The Red Onion Saloon was originally a whorehouse, but throughout its lifetime it has served more than its purpose. The building had white paint and dark trimmings when it was originally opened. It had two stories and a storefront window. The first floor was and is currently a saloon. The second floor had 10 small rooms referred to as cribs, where the madams would entertain their “guests”. The brothel opened in 1898 and the ladies serviced the gold miners in the area for a fee.

The men who passed through had a unique way of ordering something personal from the girls. There were 10 dolls behind the bars representing each of the 10 ladies on the second floor. If the doll was laid flat on her back, it meant she was “busy”. If the doll sat upright, it means that the lady is available. The Red Saloon was also one of the classiest dance halls in town.

SOURCE: https://www.hauntedrooms.com/red-onion-saloon-skagway-alaska-haunted-ghost

Once again, the dolls seemed to have been used for advertising the availability of specific prostitutes rather than the brothel overall.
 
There's a similar UL in Hong Kong. Chinese foot massage is very popular here, and the places are usually advertised with an LED sign depicting a foot (of course). Quite often the foot has a smiley face in the middle. The story goes that the smiley face indicates that the foot masseurs also provide other services. (While some sketchier massage parlours providing sexual services is not news in China and Hong Kong, the thing about the secret code in the LED sign is almost certainly not true)
 
The only such signals l’ve ever heard anecdotal evidence for were:

a) A box of Omo detergent in the window as a signal to a wife's fancy man: “Old Man’s Out”, and;

b) Pampas grass in the front garden as a signal that “swingers live here”.

Dolls? Nothing.

maximus otter
 
I've heard the pampas grass rumour before. The Omo one is new one for me though.
 
This is wierd!

In the small town in the north-east of England where I grew up, I remember in the 1980's (when I was in my late teens) two women who started attending the local nightclubs/discos. One was probably in her mid 40's or so and could probably be best described as 'blowsy', the other though was about 25 or so and simply stunning. Tall, with long blonde hair - she looked a bit like a young (Mama) Michelle Phillips.

I was in a disco with a friend when I mentioned these two women, and he said that they were a mother and daughter pair of prostitutes who worked out of a house in W------- Crescent in the town. He told me that apparently if you visited the house and there was a cuddly penguin toy in the window then one or both were available!

I walked past the house a few nights later (purely in the interests of research you understand), and sure enough there was a stuffed penguin toy in the front window.

I am sorry to say that I am unable to confirm whether these women actually did practise the 'oldest profession' though. I've kept an open mind about what my friend said until seeing this thread - so apparently there might be some truth in it after all.
 
I've heard the pampas grass rumour before. The Omo one is new one for me though.

The packet of Omo soap powder in the window was a postwar joke. 'Omo' stood for 'Old man (ie husband) out' and was a signal for the the lady of the house's fancy man to pop round.

Dunno if it ever really happened but my mother's generation would nudge each other and giggle just at the sight of a display of the stuff!
 
There's a similar UL in Hong Kong. Chinese foot massage is very popular here, and the places are usually advertised with an LED sign depicting a foot (of course). Quite often the foot has a smiley face in the middle. The story goes that the smiley face indicates that the foot masseurs also provide other services. (While some sketchier massage parlours providing sexual services is not news in China and Hong Kong, the thing about the secret code in the LED sign is almost certainly not true)

But how about this one (spotted the other day)?
a984cbc8-4a20-404f-964d-00044ab07264.jpeg
 
I've heard that if you pass a house and it has windows and/or doors it is full of prozzies. I mean why else would someone have windows or doors in their home?
 
I've heard the pampas grass rumour before. The Omo one is new one for me though.

Feels a bit UL to me. I mean even if you are a swinger you're not going to turn up to a house with a bush in the front garden and ask for a shag on the off chance are you?

I'm guessing that the internet would be quite useful in hooking up and before that magazines and telephones and before that letters.

At the very least you've got to arrange a convenient time and there's there the couples kinks, which are going to vary a great deal between different couples are looking for in prospective partners.
 
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