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Vintage Pricing

post #1 of 13
5/21/09 at 4:59pm
Thread Starter 
As I'm making the jump from "noobie" to "collector", here's a big question I keep wondering:

What should vintage perfumes cost?

Some that come up here ofter are Vintage Guerlains, but also, what about pre-90's formulations and other older classics?

What are some guidelines?

Under $XXX = super deal - snatch it up quick
$XXX - $XXX = fair price
Over $XXX = don't bother unless you need it NOW!

Obviously it'll vary by frag and by age, but what should I be looking for as I wander through antique and/or junk stores?

Are any such holy grails that any price is fair?

What do you say we start a reference list???

Thanks to all!
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post #2 of 13
5/21/09 at 6:08pm
I am sure there are probably lists out there similar to what antiques dealers use. I have never seen one, but I go by condition of the bottle and juice, relative rarity, and what I am willing to pay. Sometimes I watch eBay auctions to see what typical prices end up being for certain things that come up often.
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post #3 of 13
5/21/09 at 7:17pm
Politely disagreeing here with Asha -- on the contrary, I am not so sure that there are lists of such.

On the topic: all depends! Demand <--> price. How rare and how vintage are the Guerlains we are talking about? During the course of several years, I have owned 7-8 versions of Mitsouko in different formulations, where $100 per one bottle that I gladly paid was too much for another bottle.

Another example: today I was going through my samples and de***ts and found a generous gift from Miss Tao in a deep blue velvet pouch-- Coty Rose de Jaqueminot -- one is from the 50s (we think!) and another one is the 80s re-issue. Both are vintage by modern standards, but I would price them differently even for the same size bottle.

And also I got one more point to ponder: from a newbie to a collector? Are you serious? I suppose, I have been and will always be (I hope!) the intermediate stage -- the user and the enjoyer!
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post #4 of 13
5/21/09 at 7:21pm
It depends on what you want, how common a rarity it is; meaning it is rare but how many people want it. I happen to be lucky, most of what I like is rare, but few people have ever heard of them, therefore I may only be bidding against one other person. Most times I am the only bidder.
Guerlain will always cost top dollar, everyone and their relatives knows about Guerlain. Same for Caron, Patou, and many other popular houses. Nina Ricci on the other hand is always available for reasonable prices, L'Air du Temps especially; vintage L'Air du Temps is pure heaven mind you.
Many pre-90's fragrances will be quite reasonable if you take away the bottle-collector-factor, find the plainest bottle filled with the most juice, always a sure way of knowing you may be the only bidder.
I could go on and on about this subject, actually I could write a book.
One of the best places to find scent are in consignment shops, I have found more wonderful buys than I could tell you; one in particular was a vintage Coty Paris half-ounce of extrait mint for only $4, or $5 (forgot exactly) but a phenomenal deal.
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post #5 of 13
5/21/09 at 7:30pm
TWolf, I am pretty sure there is at least something of a list for bottle collectors...we all know that some people only care about the container!
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post #6 of 13
5/21/09 at 7:32pm
Yeah, you are right! Glass by any name is just glass!
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post #7 of 13
5/21/09 at 7:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Asha View Post

list for bottle collectors...we all know that some people only care about the container!

Oh no!!!! I am getting the vapors!!! I feel faint!!!! Oh to live in such a cruel and soul-less world
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post #8 of 13
5/21/09 at 7:34pm
Brielle, would you please post here about Coty in Lalique as compared to Guerlains? Pretty please?
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post #9 of 13
5/21/09 at 7:44pm
Don't worry, Brielle--I am wearing Tom Ford Amber Absolute which is enough to wake the dead
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post #10 of 13
5/21/09 at 7:44pm
Anything for you Twolfie.
I had been reading through a stack of vintage magazines in a consignment shop (1919-1940's) and saw that the prices for Coty fragrances were always far higher than either Guerlain or Caron fragrances, substantially so. Even Tabu by Dana was very pricey, it was actually the most costly one of all. This was all the way through one of the last magazines from the mid 40's.
I would rather have a vintage Coty in Lalique any day over a Guerlain scent. As the saying goes, "You get more 'bang' for your buck." I think that is the saying. And it is the truth. I could probably win (or find) a Coty extrait, vintage, sealed, MIB for a tiny fraction of the cost of a Guerlain and some vintage Coty scents are so superior to Guerlain scents, well one could see how Jacque's wife preferred Coty scents.
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post #11 of 13
5/21/09 at 7:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Asha View Post

Don't worry, Brielle--I am wearing Tom Ford Amber Absolute which is enough to wake the dead

Lovely scent, and a powerhouse also . Yes, yes, I am coming round. Thanks
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post #12 of 13
5/21/09 at 8:02pm
If any newbie needs an explanation as to the meaning of the magical phrase "Coty in Lalique", please PM me.

Thank you, Brielle! Veddy veddy inteddesting. :toppie:
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post #13 of 13
5/22/09 at 1:27am
As someone who hasn't really ventured into the vintage yet, but is thinking about it, I would love to see a FAQ on here with tips on buying vintage scents. I know it wouldn't be fair to ask one person to write it alone, but is there a way to edit together a pile of info and put it up?
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