Page 54 - AVN February 2017

FEATURE
A TRUE ICON
Eldorado Trading founder Larry Garland passes
IN MEMORIAM | By Sherri L. Shaulis
distribution company Eldorado Trading Co.,
unexpectedly passed away January 15 while
attending the ANME trade show in Burbank,
California.
Paradise of Paradise Marketing. The pair had
been friends for decades, as both are 40-plus
year veterans of the adult pleasure product
industry.
with the most humility, with the most
L
Larry Garland, the man who founded adult
“I have lost my best friend,” said Dennis
“We have lost a guy with the most integrity,
intelligence,” Paradise said. “When you wanted
to better yourself, you went to him.”
“I’m unbelievably saddened by Larry’s
passing,” said Tony Rios, CEO of AVN Media
Network. “He was loved by everyone, and for
good reason. He was always a champion for
AVN. He was always on the side of bringing
everyone together for the betterment of the
industry. He will surely be missed.”
Garland, who founded Eldorado Trading
Co. in 1974, was known to speak as fluently
about Chinese labor disputes as he did about
normal pH levels in the vagina—and just
about everything else in between. Eldorado
Trading began in Garland’s basement, where
he originally worked with Native American
jewelry. The business transitioned into the
smoke shop market, and eventually into
pleasure products and the adult industry.
Garland was always known to put his
employees and customers first, and became
a friend to practically everyone he met. He
was always gracious with his time, his humor
and his generosity. He was a staple at every
trade show, often sitting on panels, sharing his
54 | AVN.com | 2.17
knowledge, experience and words of wisdom with seasoned veterans and newbies alike.
For the past several years, Garland held fundraisers and food drives for the Community Food Share program,
helping put Thanksgiving dinner on the table for thousands of Colorado families in need.
In addition to the numerous awards Eldorado Trading Co. has earned throughout the years, Garland himself was
also recognized with induction into the AVN Hall of Fame and the “O” Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Pleasure product manufacturers knew and respected Garland, and they grieved along with the Eldorado team.
Pipedream Products chief Nick Orlandino posted a photograph of Garland on his company website with the quote “A
legend, my mentor and old friend. Godspeed LG!”
CalExotics founder Susan Colvin (pictured above with Garland and his wife, Wanda) told AVN, “I’ve known Larry
Garland for 24 years, and he was a true entrepreneur. He had a keen business sense and an incredible drive to succeed.
Eldorado has been one of our main distributors because of Larry and everything he put into his business. He has a
tremendous staff, and I know they will honor his legacy by continuing to strive for greatness. I will truly miss Larry
and his many years of friendship. My heart goes out to his wife, Wanda, his children and everyone at Eldorado.”
Doc Johnson’s Ron Braverman also shared his feelings. “Larry Garland was a special person, and an innovator
of our industry. Not only was he a valued business partner to myself and Doc Johnson, he also became a very dear
friend,” Braverman said. “We extend our heartfelt sympathies and deepest condolences to the Garland family. Larry’s
energy, business acumen, enthusiasm, and his love for his family, community and the industry will be missed but will
continue to influence us. He will always be in our thoughts.”
“I am so shocked and saddened,” said Paul Fishbein, founder of AVN Media Network and Plausible Films, who had
known Garland for many years.
Fishbein said one of his most recent experiences with Garland was last January.
“We shared a taxi together and talked about the Broncos playoff run,” he said. “Larry was one of the nicest, warmest
people I’ve ever known in the business.”
Theo Sapoutzis, current owner of AVN, echoing the sentiments of everyone at AVN, said Garland, “was the nicest
person ever. Whenever I was talking about the novelty industry to people not in the business, I would tell them about
Larry and what a remarkable person he was.”
Added editor Sharan Street, “Simply put, there’s nobody on the AVN staff who hasn’t been touched by Larry
Garland, whether it was listening to him on panels at our shows, interviewing him for stories, working with him as
a Free Speech Coalition board member, or just talking with him at parties. It’s an immeasurable loss to the industry.”
The Eldorado staff issued a statement: “Eldorado is deeply saddened to announce the sudden death of its founder
and CEO Larry Garland. Larry was a true icon in the industry and was recognized as an innovator who received
numerous industry awards, both personally and for his company. His legacy is apparent and evidenced by the
immediate outpouring of support from the countless people whose lives he has touched.
“The Eldorado family is devastated by this news, but is rallying together to preserve his legacy. We are dedicated to