Page 32 - AVN Intimate Winter 2013

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FEATURE
Made in the ‘Shades’
No trends roundup would be complete without some thoughts on the effects of the Fifty Shades of Grey craze.
What hath E.L. James wrought? A bonanza for manufacturers and retailers who jumped on the bandwagon of the
book that made power exchange part of the mainstream sexual vocabulary.
The biggest seller in the wake of Fifty Shades is “Kegel balls/Ben-wa balls/vagina balls,” according to Strano.
“Fifty Shades of Grey has sent this down the interstate at 150 miles an hour and everybody’s asking for them.
We can’t keep them in stock. I’ve been saying Fifty Shades is the gateway book.”
LELO introduced bondage accessories a few years ago, before the Fifty Shades phenomenon, Faro said, “so we
were in the right place at the right time, already having these things in place. Ours are designer-based, with
Italian silk, high-end and sophisticated. They’re non-threatening, so they’re great for people who want to
experiment in the bondage arena but don’t want to feel scared. Couples gravitate to our lines because of that.
We also had a sophisticated Kegel strengthening product, our Luna Beads, and we saw a 400 percent increase in
that product alone. We introduced two new versions after that, our Mini Luna, which is geared more toward the
woman 30 and under, which is the target demographic for Fifty Shades, and we just introduced Luna Noir, which
is more of a sleek, sophisticated version of our Luna Beads that come in smoky grey and black colors. We’re
giving our consumer some choices on which version of these beads they want to go into.”
Garland said, “Sportsheets’ Sex & Mischief line had a huge surge in sales. Also Pipedream’s Fetish Fantasy has
really hit the mark,” Garland said. “Those two lines have been phenomenally successful for us. Along with
anybody’s and everybody’s ben-wa balls. Everybody’s selling ben-wa balls like crazy right now. It’s great.”
“Sportsheets were on their game even before the book came out,” Airs said. “The winners are ben-wa balls,
because people have an awareness of them now. I remember when nobody could sell ben-wa balls and they were
at the bottom of the discount bin in every store.”
“Like everybody else, [CalExotics] have sold—and are selling—a lot of ben-wa balls and orgasm balls,” Duffie
said. “I would say that our balls are probably one of our top sellers. The light fetish play gear that we have is
doing well. We have the Bound By Diamonds, that’s become really popular. Our Extreme Pure Gold has a couple
of whips and masks and things, and the Tantric Binding Love has been doing very well. That falls in line with
the whole phenomenon that the books have put out there.”
What to look for at ANE: Icon Brands’ whips and paddles, Pipedream’s Fetish Fantasy line at Eldorado
booth, NS Novelties’ Sinful collection, Dr. Clockwork’s electrosex accessories.
From top down, some of the big winners in the ‘Fifty Shades’ craze: Sportsheets
(which debuts new packaging in January); Pipedream’s Fetish Fantasy line;
LELO’s new Indulge Me kit. Above, right: Bondaids’ soft bondage cuffs, available
from Entrenue; one of Icon Brands’ discreet Book Smart kits.
Kit and Kanoodle
Manufacturers have offered a variety of kits
recently. Yes, some have been Fifty Shades-
related, but some not. Part of the reason: when money
is tight, kits make consumers feel that they are getting a sweeter
deal.
“Kits are doing well. It’s a great niche, particularly at the holiday season and for
Valentine’s,” said Garland. “You get a little more bang for your buck when consumers are
buying them as gifts.”
Duffie pointed out that CalExotics carries a lot of kits. “Our Amour kits came out a year,
year and a half ago, and it’s really designed for this time of the year,” she said. “The
packaging is white and it’s got red hearts—not specifically intended for Valentine’s Day,
but it does lend itself to that. It appeals to the person who might be shopping for a loved
one, but doesn’t want to walk into a store and buy a double-headed dildo and say, ‘Here,
Honey, happy birthday!’ One has a little teddy bear and vibrating panties, so you can say
‘Look, it’s a cute little teddy bear. This isn’t scary.’ That’s one of our top lines. In our Posh
line we paired butt probes with silicone performance rings. You can get two different
product lines in one package and do a little experimentation.”
Airs mentioned one standout: “Icon Brands has kits that are disguised as books that are
extremely clever. They’re really well done. They have just the right mount of product in
them to start out with,” she said. “They’re funny, they’re cheeky, they're really well priced.
They have lube and an assortment of toys. They're really accessible. They're not heavy-duty
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32 INTIMATE SUPPLEMENT | WINTER 2013