Late last month, in a post published on the long-running site’s discussion forum, AbbyWinters.com owner Garion Hall announced his company had “recently made the difficult decision to stop making new shoots,” and would be “sunsetting” the site “over the next year or so.”
Hall cited three main reasons for winding down the site: “lack of profitability,” “lack of the right models” and “time for a change” for Hall himself.
“In the last year we made a significant financial loss, and the next 12 months are looking similar,” Hall wrote. “We had a few projects in the pipeline to increase our sales, but I am not confident they are enough. Unfortunately, some have been cancelled now (though the new Tour is going ahead).”
In the announcement, Hall added the company “never properly recovered from moving to Europe in 2010.”
“The loss of our backbone of regular Australian models is what we built our reputation on,” Hall wrote. “I think we (and especially the models) did a good job over the last 13 years, but we’re finding it harder and harder to find the ‘right’ models every month.”
As for the sentiment it’s time for a change, Hall noted “it’s been 23 years now, and I don’t look forward to abbywinters.com work like I used to.”
Moving forward, AbbyWinters.com will continue to update on a reduced update schedule, with content already shot but not yet published to the site.
“We have a bunch of shoots made but not yet released, that we’ll be releasing over the next year or so, at a reduced update schedule or two releases per week from July 1, 2023,” Hall wrote, adding a note has been published on the site’s signup page “so it’s clear to new subscribers.”
Launched in 2000 by Hall and the site’s eponymous creator, the site was born of Winters’ disappointment with “the quality of amateur content available on the net.”
“She saw sites dressing awesome amateur models up in silly heels and lots of make-up and was disappointed that these sites had missed the appeal of amateur models in the first place – that they are amateur,” according to the company’s own telling.
For many of those who were part of the online adult industry at the time of the site’s launch, AbbyWinters.com is a brand we remember fondly from those days – not least because some of us made good money sending the site traffic.
I always felt it was the authenticity of the site and its content, as much as any other aspect, that made it convert so well. It was all presented without pretense and minimal ‘marketing.’ The images, the models, the site, they all spoke for themselves. Whatever the appeal, the site clearly resonated with the surfers I was sending its way, earning it lucrative and long-term spots on ad consoles and within email newsletters published by a major affiliate program I was helping to run at the time.
While Hall may not look forward to the work the way he used to, it’s clear from the text and tone of the announcement he’s saying goodbye to the project with more than a little wistfulness in his heart.
“Thanks to all our models who shared their lives and sexuality with us over the last 23 years,” Hall wrote. “I reckon we’re all amazed and blessed in equal measure for their courage and openness. Thanks to our staff and contractors, especially those who have worked with us over the last six years, since we ‘decentralised’ from our office… And finally, thanks to our customers who have made this possible. Without you, we are nothing.”
For more information on the winding down of the site (and the reactions of some fans to the news) read the full announcement and discussion thread on the AbbyWinters.com forum.
