Page 16 - AVN Intimate Fall 2015

FeaTure: NS NOVELTieS
By Sherri L. Shaulis
Safe Materials, Sane Prices
Lavi Yedid on what keeps NS Novelties moving
When Lavi Yedid joined NS
Novelties as the manufacturer’s
managing director, there were
skeptics. And in 2011, when NS
Novelties announced the company would
release more than 100 new products in less
than a year, the cynicism grew. But now,
looking back, it’s almost as if there was never
any doubt that Yedid and his staff would
grow NS Novelties into the powerhouse it is
today.
NS Novelties was only four years old
when Yedid came aboard.
“That’s what my life is,” Yedid told AVN.
“I enjoy new experiences, and they have
helped me to grow through my years. With
NS Novelties, I knew I would be able to
really create some unique experiences.”
Yedid has just finished a stint at Doc
Johnson, where he helped keep the company
among the top adult novelty manufacturers
in the world. When he arrived at NS Nov-
elties, he came with a philosophy that had
proven successful for him.
“I have learned that I get attached and
detached from products all the time, and to
let myself do that,” he said. “I am always
excited about the prospect of creating and
presenting new ideas and products, but I
understand that some sell, and some don’t.
“If there is a ‘motto’ that NS Novelties
and I share it is to unload marginally selling
products quickly and remove them from the
line,” he continued. “Twenty years ago, you
knew that a good percentage of any items
your novelty company created would have
16 | INTIMATE | FALL ‘15
a long shelf life. Today, if an item is still selling
well in three or four years, then you know you
have a really big hit.”
When it comes to creating new items for NS
Novelties, Yedid, for the most part, single-
handedly designs every item in every collection
for the company. He tries to have a reason or a
story behind every collection and every piece
in that collection. If there is not a good reason
to create a product, then it simply will not get
made.
“As for reasons why, there are a multitude,”
he said. “It could be that we could make some-
thing similar to an existing item, but at a better
price point. Maybe we can make it out of better
materials. Or maybe we can make an item that
performs much better than an existing item on
the market. Sometimes we just tweak an existing
item to really improve the performance.
“All over this industry, we are all pretty much
just making variations of the same vibrator or
the same dildo or the same cock ring,” he
continued. “But every one in a while, someone
comes up with something that is truly original.
And that’s exciting and energizing. But at the
same time, it doesn’t mean that it will sell well.”
But through all of the experimentation, Yedid
said, some things have become non-negotiable
for him. An example is that NS Novelties no
longer manufacturers anything from PVC,
instead using TPE, which is better for the body
and can be sold at a reasonable price point.
NS Novelties’ packaging is another thing
Yedid is proud of. He designs the packaging
for every collection, which in most cases either
features a see-through window or an actual-size
photo of the product so buyers can see what they
are getting.
Since that creative spurt of more than 100
SKUs in 2011, NS Novelties has steadily and
consistently released more collections and items
into the adult novelty marketplace. At the most
recent ANME, the manufacturer unveiled new
items in its popular Sinful and Renegade lines,
and also dramatically expanded its Colours
and Jelly Rancher collections. Among the more
unique items unveiled, however, was the Opus,
a new G-spot stimulator that is designed to
resemble the curve of fingers so the piece can
really hit the right area, Yedid said. The
rechargeable vibrating stimulator is made of
silicone and comes in cream or pink.
For more, visit NSNovelties.com.
Show and Tell The NS Novelties team at the ANME Founders Show, with
displays devoted to the Luxe and Renegade lines. Photos by Boots Bryant