For the first time in its nine-year existence Erotica L.A. introduced a Gay Marketplace to its mix of XXX and lifestyle exhibitors. Though unfortunately (and inadvertantly) competing with L.A. Gay Pride weekend (Erotica’s Convention Center dates were booked before Gay Pride organizers announced the dates for their West Hollywood events), more than a dozen gay products companies set up shop in the Marketplace adjacent to the “Romantic” and XXX sections of the hall.
Though gay consumer traffic is low, most exhibitors report benefits in business-to-business contacts and simply the added exposure the event gives them in the sex-products industry.
One theme that was echoed by many exhibitors was, “Everybody has a gay friend.” Indeed. Tom Settle of COLT Studio Group reports significant giveaways of their DVD sampler to both straight and gay attendees. And Alec Wilder, Associate Publisher of IN Los Angeles, says he “can hardly keep the table stocked” with copies of the special Gay Pride issue of his magazine, they are snapped up so quickly.
Going one step further, Mike Zillion of CyberBears, says there is great interest in his company’s DVD display by women — “because our men are real guys, like their boyfriends and husbands.”
In addition to COLT — which has a serious display of its immensely popular novelties lines in addition to DVDs — and CyberBears, gay video companies that have booths in the Marketplace include Channel 1 Releasing, with VHS and DVD displays of its titles as well as its special editions dildo packs; Control-T Studio, which covers all bases with gay and straight spanking and fetish movies; and Internet-based StraightCollegeMen.com, which has a new sample disc (DVDs will be available soon) featuring the four boisterous gents company owner Matt brought to the show.
As well as an impressive display of Gold Diffused Medical Glass dildos and probes, Dr. Joel Kaplan’s booth offers a “male enlargement” system that includes an electric pump, and instructional DVDs in various areas of sexuality.
Koala, whose imaginative designs for male swimwear, erotic wear, and extreme fetish wear make it one of the most popular of the “pouch-and-pleasure” companies, is on hand with some new bodywear and a line of erotic and fetish DVDs.
Another wide-ranging products display is California Exotic Novelties’ whose wall of toys also includes several high-quality lines of dildos, plugs, and cock rings.
Among newer companies are Boy Butter, Love That View, and Muffy Rout Productions. Boy Butter’s samples of its unique formula jack-off lube are going like the proverbial hotcakes. Love That View’s motto, “See What You’ve Been Feeling,” is a catchy description of its lightweight, portable, acrylic mirror that provides a view of solo or couples’ sex action without the danger of glass mirrors. Muffy Rout’s big product is a “lesbian dating board game,” Pocket of Pleasure, which has already received a publicity boost by being recommended in Christmas and Valentine’s gift guides.
Erotica L.A. continues through today at 6:00 p.m.
