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From the world of Stuff magazine and six-pack abs, this group often gets the cold shoulder. Youth rules at bars, and they admit they're no spring chickens.
The Atlanta Singles Expo aims to help middle-aged bachelors and bachelorettes who are all dressed but lack the place to go.
Last weekend's dance/information event at Westin Atlanta North at Perimeter targeted those who are 40 years old and older —- and available.
Hundreds of singles gladly paid $25 for the event.
Dozens of vendors and their booths aimed at the lonesome —- from a single-parent club and a ski club to a Jewish singles group, "Soulmate" seminars and bottled anti-aging nutrients.
The scent of Chanel No. 5, long-stemmed roses and carved roast beef filled the hotel basement. The women had dressed for the occasion —- lots of black and sheer, their necks and shoulders bare. The men, in pressed shirts, stood nearby, drinks in hand, watching.
"This is the rhythm of the night," wailed the dance song the DJ was playing. A disco ball swirled.
In the banquet hall, lines formed before cubed cheese and salsa chips.
"I don't go to bars. That's the wrong place to meet anybody," said Jay Dunlap, 41, a Lawrenceville divorced father of three. "That's why I'm here."
Expo organizers were happy to hear that.
"A lot of baby boomers are choosing pets over love. It's sad but true," said expo organizer Dollie Villa, 57, who is single herself. "We've aged out of the bar scene."
The Singles Expo has been around for six years and takes place in spring and fall. The event is put on by Villa, who owns a singles event organization called Dollie's Party Book for Singles, and another single, Libby Shields, 49, owner of the Travel Time travel agency.
Californian transplant Teddy Molinari, who attended the Singles Expo, said popular dating/social networking Web sites aren't so helpful.
"They want to go to bed with you right away," the 69-year-old woman said. "They want flashy gals with a beautiful figure. But they [the men] look like old used cars."
Nonetheless, local Web site owners showed up at the Expo to tout their methods to rescue the lonely.
"I'm your love life agent," said Christie Williams, 30, of Alpharetta, who owns The K.I.S.S. Agency. "Either you could date about a year and find out he doesn't want any kids or we could weed out those for you."
Relationship therapists, including a hypnotherapist and an astrologer, promised help, too.
Therapist Benita Esposito was there with her "Relationship IQ" true-or-false quiz. An excerpt:
You should always tell the truth, even if you have an affair: True.
I'll never pick a person like my "ex": False.
"They end up attracting somebody who's dysfunctional like their father or their ex-husband or their ex-wife. And they can't figure out why," Esposito said. "It might help to look at your own deceptions."
Two ladies from the American Laser Centers offered solutions to hairy legs and lumpy thighs.
How about laser hair removal, cellulite reduction or skin rejuvenation?
"Oh no! I'm not saying you need that," said Lucy Christopher, a clinic manager. "It just takes what you've got to a whole new level."
Some are still rusty in the game of love.
"I haven't dated in 40 years," said Shelly Malkin Bloom, 59, a Realtor who recently ended her 38-year-long marriage. "This is a difficult transition."
"I want to play with people my own age."
Funny thing about that was Molinari, the 69-year-old, said the guys at the Expo reminded her of guys in high school. They just sort of stood around.
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