BURBANK, Calif. — The 25th anniversary of the international pleasure products trade show, the American Novelty Manufacturers Expo, took place July 11-13 and it did not disappoint.
Gathering for the first time since the January 2020 show because of the pandemic, the enthusiastic crowd of retailer, etailers, distributors, writers and many more, got to hold products in their hands, taste the new flavors of lubricants, and be in the company of the adult pleasure products family.
Featured companies included ANME Founders CalExotics, Nasstoys, and Doc Johnson with other large booths presented by Satisfyer, Blush, Sportsheets and three rooms full of smaller manufacturers, some for their first time at the show. For the first time in two-and-a-half years, many products made their appearance to touch and feel since products released during the pandemic had been restricted to virtual tradeshows.
Highlights of the show included the many new lines from CalExotics such as their male-oriented Admiral line and the expansion of the California Dreaming line, complete with a dedicated booth specifically to feature their expanding styles. They also showed off their new personal care brand, LuvMor, with natural ingredients that pair with the massagers under the same name. Susan Colvin, Cal’s founder, was also honored with a lifetime achievement award during the annual awards dinner on the last night of the show.
Nasstoys released a wall full of new products, perfect for any gender. Their booth featured them within their wide range of distinct designs which allowed buyers to increase product offerings in their stores.
Doc Johnson presented their color-coded, “In A Bag” line, with opaque bags holding varied treasures for vulva owners, penis owners and couples. The clever packaging makes a statement that no other company has done before: eco-friendly and extremely travel friendly.
XR continued to impress buyers with the depth of products they are known for, which is now more than 1000 SKUs. Their larger sized and intricately sculpted Creature Cocks were one of their more popular lines at the show.
SHOTS presented a large wall of their full line, including the new GLOW harnesses and products, catching the eye of buyers when shown in their darkroom-lit display room.
Longtime lubricant manufacturer, ForPlay, reintroduced their spermicidal lube which has seen a spike in demand since the repeal of Roe.
Wicked Sensual Care rolled out their new flavored lubes in their Simply line, which are all sugar free and use Stevia as their sweetener.
One of the many highlights of the show was the new, soon-to-be-available line from Channel 1 Releasing (home to Boneyard Toys and the well-established Rascal line), Scruffy, plush dog toys in the shape of popular sex toys, complete with squeakers! They call it Plushie Smut for the Naughty Mutt!
Icon Brands released the hefty Darth Invader dildo, which made its debut as a 3D printed prototype at the show. Needless to say, the packaging is worth the price alone!
Long time lubricant company, California Fantasies, the sole manufacturer of the 40-plus year brand, ForPlay, featured new sizes of products as well as bringing to attention their spermicidal lubricant, which has gained popularity with the recent Roe decision.
Hott Products continued their dominance with their creative and zany novelty items which join their unique vibrators and dildos that were rolled out especially for this show.
New York-based Sub Sensuals premiered their one-of-a-kind, magnetic nipple and clit jewelry for the first time at ANME. Boutique owners were impressed with the depth of variety of their unique designs.
Screaming O released a remote-controlled, dual purpose bullet vibe, which can tune into its own radio frequency so when using the remote in a room with other My Secret O, one won’t turn the whole place into a vibrator frenzy! Not that that would be a bad thing!
Wicked Sensual Care debuted a new line of flavored lubricants, all sugar free and sweetened with stevia. Featuring several unique flavors such as salted caramel and pear, these pure and lightly flavored lubes with add plenty to the market.
While foot traffic seemed to be lighter than in previous years, the buyers were enthusiastic, and the vendors pleased with the orders for those in attendance. It’s almost back to normal in the pleasure products industry and everyone can’t wait to meet again at the AVN Adult Novelty Expo in Vegas in January!
