LOS ANGELES—Nick Mahler, founder and owner of online adult store Dallas Novelty—whose motto is “Sex Is for Everybody”—has passed away, his sister Amanda confirmed in a Facebook post today.
“I just wanted to let everyone know that my amazing, wonderful, terrific brother Nick Mahler passed away in his sleep last night,” Amanda wrote. “We are all completely numb and in shock so please give us some time to answer you. Nick was the best man I ever knew, my best friend, my constant companion. I will miss him every minute. I love you Nicky.”
Mahler launched Dallas Novelty in 2003 with the mission of creating a pleasure products company that caters to adults with physical disabilities. Mahler suffered from a rare and debilitating genetic disorder called Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP), an auto-immune condition that slowly turned his muscles to bones.
“I have had to be creative all of my life to be able to do things able-bodied people can do easily,” Mahler told Men’s Health in 2018.
He started several other businesses before turning his attention to the pleasure products industry.
“From a door greeter at Walmart to breeding Basset Hounds, over the course of Mahler’s life, he always had the entrepreneurial spirit to pave his own way,” a Dallas Novelty company bio states.
A perennial nominee for Best Web Retail Store at the AVN Awards, Mahler built Dallas Novelty into a go-to destination for adult toys with more than 17,000 items in his inventory.
In announcing his 2021 AVN nomination, Mahler remarked, “Being a disabled-owned business, we have some additional hurdles, but you wouldn’t know by looking at our success in the adult business, thanks to our stellar reputation with all of our distributors, craftspeople and vendors. Congrats to all of our fellow adult stores.”
Jared Guynes, a Texas-based digital advertising consultant, paid tribute to his longtime friend Mahler in a heartfelt post on Facebook.
“I just got the word that our friend Nick Mahler has passed away. I am absolutely heartbroken and shocked,” Guynes wrote. “Nick was such a character, he was so supportive and kind. Hilarious. Original. He attended everything I did, from my 30th birthday party to my stadium events to my marketing classes. He attended again and again.”
Guynes continued, “Nick didn’t let his disability define him. Even in his specialized chair, he was a larger-than-life character, outspoken and quick-witted. He constantly shocked me with jokes and sharp remarks that had my class attendees in stitches. He was seriously terrific. He will be greatly missed.”
