Page 42 - AVN Intimate Winter 2017

SHOW By Sherri L. Shaulis
The Class of 2018
A trio of pleasure product pioneers enter the AVN Hall of Fame
Sam Boltansky of Komar Co., Joel Kaminsky of Good Vibrations and Bruce Murison of Standard Innovation are the eighth class of
Three giants in the pleasure products industry make up the Class of 2018 inductees into the AVN Hall of Fame – Pleasure Products Branch.
inductees into the Pleasure Products Branch of the AVN Hall of Fame. They represent the distribution, retail and manufacturing segments of
the pleasure products industry.
The induction officially takes place at the 2018 AVN Awards Show, slated for Saturday, Jan. 27 in The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.
The AVN Awards are presented by MyFreeCams.com.
Sam Boltansky was one of the first
people who helped to get pornography
and sex toys out to the masses, but he
paid a price for doing so during some
turbulent times in the country.
Boltansky ran the family-owned and
operated Komar Co., which in 1960 was a
U.S. distributor for the U.K.-based Penguin
Books. Komar Co. was moving 2 million
copies of Lady Chatterley's Lover annually from
a brick building in Baltimore. While federal
judges prevented the U.S. government’s
attempts to block distribution of the book in
America, it didn’t stop officials from trying to
go after those who distributed pornography.
Boltansky was among those accused of illegally
distributing obscene material and having ties
to organized crime.
Boltansky fought the law, however, and
eventually won an acquittal in 1972 of a federal
obscenity prosecution. He continued fighting
for the First Amendment, and even mounted a
legal campaign to ensure prison inmates had
proper access to pornography.
In addition to his work in adult and fights
for the First Amendment, Boltansky also was a
local real estate developer and philanthropist.
Boltansky sold his interests in the Komar
Company in the early 2000s. He died in 2002.
Good Vibrations CEO Joel Kaminsky
Rondee Kamins, who had purchased the
business from her father, Mel Kamins. Prior to
that, he had been with the Adult Superstore in
San Francisco.
Kaminsky has long loved the industry,
particularly the pleasure products side, and
has been witness to changes not only in
manufacturing processes, but also the real
landscape.
“From a positive standpoint, I’m excited
about the plethora of quality products that are
being introduced into the marketplace,” he
continued. “Healthy competition has driven
the market upwards. Body-safe materials
are now a must, as is consideration for the
consumer. Rechargeable vibrators are gaining
more wall space versus battery operated. Dildos
are available in more colors, shapes and sizes.
And gender expression products are now
gaining more space as well. Manufacturers of
products are providing more support in training
and in offering warranties and considering
consumer feedback in the manufacturing
process.”
Founded in 1977 by Joani Blank, Good
Vibrations came to be known as an outlet for
entrepreneurial people to make high-quality sex
toys. At one point, Blank transformed the store
into a worker-owned and operated cooperative.
In 2006, some years after Blank had left Good
Vibrations, the store returned to a more
traditional business structure and then sold itself
in 2007 to GVA-TWN. Kaminsky purchased
Good Vibrations outright in 2008 and hired
Jackie Strano to run operations.
“I’m honored to be recognized by AVN,”
Kaminsky said. “How many people get to
receive an award for merely doing what they
love? I’m most fortunate.”
Good Vibrations, a premier retailer
Joel Kaminsky is currently the CEO of
trusted for more than 30 years to provide
high-quality products, education and
information that promotes sexual health,
"How many people get to receive an award for
the pleasure products industry a
Bruce Murison helped to revolutionize
decade ago with his invention, the
We-Vibe. The idea for the vibrators
pleasure and empowerment. But his history in
the industry stretches back to his teenage years.
“My first jobs were seasonal, during school
merely doing what they love? I’m most fortunate.”
designed to be used by couples and worn by
women during lovemaking was the result
of a conversation between Murison and his
breaks, working in the warehouse in the 1960s,
—Joel Kaminsky
wife, Melody, while brainstorming possible
and later on full time after graduating college
“I love this industry and remain optimistic
inventions.
in 1975,” Kaminsky said. “I started as a store
and hopeful that it will continually
The idea of creating a sex toy started as a
supervisor of 10 stores in the Cleveland/Akron
improve. That said, I have a lot of concerns
joke between the duo, but soon led to years of
area. I would go on to run or operate stores for
about the ease of purchasing low-quality ‘look-
research, development and hard work to create
the next 30-plus years in eight different states
alike’ items from the China marketplace. Many
something that could reach an untapped market:
along with Australia until purchasing Good
of these are sold on sites such as Amazon,
couples.
Vibrations 10 years ago and then along with
eBay and the like,” he said. “This can result in
“Melody and I had been working in the
Babeland in August of this past year.”
potentially new customers developing a low
semiconductor manufacturing industry for
In the early 2000s, Kaminsky did double
opinion toward the industry, or worse, in an
Nortel when the tech crash hit Ottawa in the
duty, serving as CEO of both Good Vibrations
unhealthy physical reaction. We have chosen to
early 2000s,” Murison told AVN. “My job was
and General Video of America–Trans World
stay true to vendors that we know have strict
about to vaporize and change would soon to
News, where he worked alongside his niece,
quality control. ...
be upon us. I had been inventing since my
42 | INTIMATE | WINTER 2018