ANME Show Wraps, Marks 20th Anniversary

BURBANK, Calif.—The ANME Founders Show—which this year celebrated its 20th anniversary—has wrapped its two-day run at the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel.  Once a warehouse show for the Big 5—CalExotics, Pipedream Products, Nasstoys, Doc Johnson and Topco Sales—ANME has evolved into a twice-annual showcase for the founders and other manufacturers. This time around, Pipedream Products showcased several new additions to various best-selling lines, including the ever-popular Fetish Fantasy Series Collection. Coming soon are hollow strap-ons that have the added stimulation of remote-control vibrations, explained Brian Sofer, digital marketing director for Pipedream. He noted the Fetish Fantasy Extreme line will also see new mega masturbators: The Fuck Me Silly Bubble Butt and the Phat Ass White Girl. The Bubble Butt masturbator weighs an impressive 32 pounds, and is sculpted so it can be used belly-up for missionary position, or flipped over for doggie style. “We also added new SKUs to the King Cock line,” Sofer said. “There are about 12 news SKUs, and they are dual density for the first time.” Pipedream also introduced new novelty—in the truest sense of the word—products. The Wanachi Mega Massager, which is billed as the world’s largest vibrator, was on display, as was the Wanachi Micro Massager, the smallest version of the vibe ever made. Also drawing attention were the new Princess Lay-Her blow-up love doll and the Schlong Bong. “Nick [Orlandino] saw it in Ted 2, and thought, ‘Why not make that?’” Sofer said.  In the Topco Sales booth, the Twerking Butt—which made its debut at the ANME Founders Show last July—continued to draw crowds, as did the manufacturer’s newest app-driven vibes and masturbators, some of which can be paired together to bridge the physical distance between lovers in long-distance relationships. Also among the new items was the Handyman Stroker. “It’s a masturbator that vibrates, and has sensors the help increase the vibration intensity with any increase in the user’s hand motion,” said Kim Airs, sales rep for Topco Sales. Also new this show for Topco were plan-o-grams, many of which include wall skins, to make it easier for retailers to set up a Topco destination area in their stores, Airs said. “They are designed for many of our best-selling collections, some of which have been repackaged for a cleaner, crisper look,” Airs said.  Among the lines featured in the plan-o-grams and repacks include Climax, CyberSkin and Average Joe. Nasstoys—the only one of the Big 5 manufacturers not located in Southern California, but rather headquartered in New York—showed off new items to their new and popular Surenda line of pleasure products, including Silicone Cuffs that boast one-piece construction. Also new from Nasstoys is a Travel Pump Kit, which features a traditional pump, stretchy and textured cock rings and more, all of which are packaged together in a traditional shaving kit bag for easy storage and transport. CalExotics—the manufacturer that unveiled its new name and rebranding campaign a the last ANME Show—revealed its new collection called Inspire, which features various sexual health products for women and which will support the Living Beyond Breast Cancer organization. “The line features dilators, Kegel exercisers, a remote-controlled breast massager and more,” said Nichole Grossman, director of social media and marketing for CalExotics. All Inspire products are waterproof and made of silicone. The powered items are USB rechargeable and boast 10 functions of vibrations, pulsation and escalation. A portion of the proceeds from Inspire product sales will benefit Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a charity that provides programs and services to people whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer. CalExotics founder and CEO Susan Colvin has long been a supporter of the organization. Also creating buzz at the CalExotics booth was the Luxe, a touch-sensitive vibrator. The Luxe is a phallic-shaped piece that is harness-compatible, and is equipped with special sensors in the shaft that increase the intensity of the 10 functions when touched. The Luxe features a self-contained wireless design coated in silky-smooth silicone. The piece is USB rechargeable. In the booth for Jopen, CalExotics’ sister company, reps showed off the new Vanity Special Edition products. Each of the four products is a sleek and sophisticated take on a rabbit-style dual stimulator. The pieces are waterproof and boast seven independent functions. Also new for Jopen is the Callie collection of vibrating massagers. The pieces features fluid shapes, white silicone and faux jewel accents to add a touch of elegance to intimate play. The collection initially offers a mini massager, mini wand, dual massager and vibrating wand. Doc Johnson—which this year will be celebrating its 40th anniversary—had a host of additions to existing lines, as well as a new product debut.  In the American Bombshell collection, Doc Johnson released a new color for new pieces: the bright red items are called Cherry Bombs, explained Sunny Rodgers, director of marketing for Doc Johnson. Also new is the Booty Bling collection of silicone anal plugs with jewel accents in the base. Collections that will see new additions in the coming weeks and months are Mood, OptiMale and Platinum, among others. The newest products at the Doc booth that garnered plenty of attention were the Buzz Liquid Vibrator and the Tryst. Buzz Liquid Vibrator is an odorless scent designed to heighten a woman’s sensations when applied to the clitoris. Made in the USA in an FDA-approved facility, the gel subtly stimulates, and its effectiveness increases the more it’s used. The formulation is sugar-, paraben- and glycerin-free. Each bottle contains about 70 applications and boasts a three-year shelf life. “The Tryst is our first foray into a more ‘luxury’ item,” Rodgers said. “It is a multi-erogenous massager.” The Tryst features “ears” that extend from the base and come together again, creating a circle. The tips of the ears can be used for nipple stimulation or clitoral stimulation. The piece can circle a penis or vibrator and the ear tips and the base can help stimulate the clitoris and/or the perineum.  “The Tryst can be a cock ring, a nipple massager, a lay-on … it can be used by men, women and any combination of couples,” Rodgers said. “It can be used internally or externally. The possibilities are almost endless.”