LAS VEGAS— The seminar room was packed Thursday as attendees of the 2011 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo and AVN Novelty Expo listened to panelists give tips on buying and selling adult toys and novelties.
Sex educator Jamye Waxman [pictured] led panelists through discussions on a variety of topics, including what colors are best sellers and what products are flying off the shelves.
“Tried-and-true classics such as the Hitachi Magic Wand, the We-Vibe and any style of rabbit vibrator were listed by everyone as perennial sellers.
“Even now, we get people who come in wanting a rabbit vibrator,” said Sarah Tomchesson of the Pleasure Chest, a retail chain with stores in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.
“They see that episode of Sex and the City and they want one.”
But newer items are also doing well, especially those that focus on sexual health, panelists noted.
Alicia Relles of manufacturer Je Joue noted that the company’s G-Ki, a vibrator designed specifically for G-spot stimulation, benefited greatly from their educational campaign “The G-spot Does Exist!”—which was aimed at dispelling the myths surrounding that sometimes elusive spot and teaching retailers how to discuss and sell the piece to their customers.
Suki Dunham of OhMiBod, a company that creates vibrators that function with mp3 players, noted that education is a key for their products, too.
“Many times people see us as a niche product, but it is a vibrator born out of personal experience,” she said. “I was listening to my music and using my vibrator and thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if these were together?’ When we explain how people have a personal connection to their music, and our products can take that to a deeper level, then they get it.”
Consumers are even educating themselves more these days, noted Tomchesson.
“We are using our manufacturers more than we ever have before to educate our staff, because they have the tools and the resources for that more than we do,”’ she said.
Kim Airs of home party company Brown Bag Party and Larry Garland of distribution company Eldorado concurred, and suggested retailers use every resource available to them.
“Work with your distributors because they can do educational workshops, provide you with POP displays, and more,” Airs said.
Other tips were directed at manufacturers—avoid colors like green and neon orange (pink, purple and black are colors that consistently sell well).
The AVN Adult Entertainment Expo and AVN Novelty Expo are currently under way at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas. AEE runs through Sunday, while ANE ends Saturday.