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How Much Money Is Your Fragrance Collection Worth

post #1 of 54
12/5/09 at 6:08am
Thread Starter 
How much money since becoming interested in Fragrances have you spent on your hobby and how much is your current collection worth?

Also how many bottles do you have and is there a limit you will not go beyond?

I own about fourteen bottles and have spent about eight hundred pounds, ouch.
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post #2 of 54
12/5/09 at 6:17am
I'm going to stick my head in the sand and ignore this thread, just like I did the other one about quantity... I'm far from extreme, but I still don't really want to know. Ignorance is bliss.

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post #3 of 54
12/5/09 at 6:31am
I shudder to think.
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post #4 of 54
12/5/09 at 6:31am
I sold off about 60% of my collection, mostly designer stuff, and used to the money to buy 4 Amouages, 1 Guerlain Parisienne and 1 Mazzolari. So the value to bottle ratio has risen, but the amount of bottles has decreased.
If I had to replace my collection I'd say it would take around $3000.
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post #5 of 54
12/5/09 at 6:36am
around $900, just started collecting a month or 2 ago
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post #6 of 54
12/5/09 at 6:40am
Hmmm...let's just say I've decided to make a list of their values (or at least what they sell for new) for my husband and daughter just in case they have to deal with my estate.
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post #7 of 54
12/5/09 at 7:03am
A rough estimate would lead me to an approximate figure of about 1750 $, but then again it could always be more or less. Probably less, since: a) I do not own ALL of the frags I have spent my money on any longer, for various reasons- like using them up, giving them away or even loss and/or deterioration, mainly of the bottle or the spraying mechanism, not the frag itself and b) also due to the fact that a tiny fraction of my scents came as gifts- never asked or requested, not even suggested in the slightest way- from friends and relatives who know certain things about my fragrance passion.
But then again, my (entirely self-financed) "Christmas collection" has yet to arrive, most likely about 5-6 designer frags (neither mass-market nor niche and half of them backup bottles of some of the frags I already have), which might set me back
an additional figure around 250-300 $, at most.
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post #8 of 54
12/5/09 at 8:37am
I've probably spent close to $4000 USD for the entire hobby combined since starting this Summer. But if my recent sell-off activity is any indication, and the value is worth what others would pay for it, then it's worth much, much less than what I spent. I've spent at least a thousand on samples from Luckyscent, TPC, Scentmonkey and various niche houses directly in the past year.

I've toned down my spending dramatically but now I desire higher-end niche fragrances from Montale, Amouage, Creed etc. So I'm buying fewer and spending less overall but I'm spending much more per bottle than my initial spending spree. I was buying everything that smelled good until I calmed down.
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post #9 of 54
12/5/09 at 8:51am
Would love to hear what Maz24 has to say.

I have about 12 bottles right now, worth about $400.

This doesn't seem like a good topic for BN because the people here seem pretty meek, I doubt they'd answer...
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post #10 of 54
12/5/09 at 8:55am
My collection is almost worth the amount I learned from them.
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post #11 of 54
12/5/09 at 8:59am
I indulge myself. I have spare cash, and love to spend it. Ever since starting this hobby, I'll estimate that I spent an average of 23 dollars a bottle. That leads to a rough estimate of 3 grand, or three months pay, spent on fragrances. For the amount of joy this hobby gives me, that's pocket change.
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post #12 of 54
12/5/09 at 9:47am
The cost of happiness is money well spent as regards fragrance. Who says you can't by happiness?
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post #13 of 54
12/5/09 at 9:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by N_Tesla View Post

The cost of happiness is money well spent as regards fragrance. Who says you can't by happiness?

This is exactly why I prefer blind-buying. I like the thrill of the hunt, endlessly researching fragrances before pulling the trigger on a bottle at a great price. Getting that bottle in, sniffing it, and seeing that it's absolutely wonderful is such a great feeling. I just blind-bought Minotaure and Nemo, two scents I would have a tough time sampling before purchasing, and am extremely pleased with each of them. That's what it's all about, as far as I'm concerned.

EDIT: For a more extreme example, I blind bought The Dreamer. From Perfumania. With a tester sitting right in front of me. Even the SA asked if I wanted to spray the tester first. Nope! I'd done my research and knew I'd like it.
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post #14 of 54
12/5/09 at 9:52am
Replacement cost - approx. $7000. I'm sure I've spent triple that on all the things that have come and gone over the years though.
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post #15 of 54
12/5/09 at 9:54am
  • KMF
  • offline
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ONE MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!












































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post #16 of 54
12/5/09 at 11:55am
Price of 30+ bottles and 50+ samples/decants = US$1200

Knowledge gained and enjoyment = PRICELESS
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post #17 of 54
12/5/09 at 12:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Royal View Post

This is exactly why I prefer blind-buying. I like the thrill of the hunt, endlessly researching fragrances before pulling the trigger on a bottle at a great price. Getting that bottle in, sniffing it, and seeing that it's absolutely wonderful is such a great feeling.


What he said!

This is a new hobby for me, so it's my current entertainment and will probably remain so for a while. Whatever I've spent has been actually less than what previous hobbies cost me, take up less room or require less effort. The enjoyment factor is beyond measure.
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post #18 of 54
12/5/09 at 12:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 30 Roses View Post

Hmmm...let's just say I've decided to make a list of their values (or at least what they sell for new) for my husband and daughter just in case they have to deal with my estate.

That is a great idea!
I envision you doing this, not on an excel spreadsheet, but in a beautiful journal or notebook with comments on about what scents you wore at family occassions, just to make it a special memory book for them.
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post #19 of 54
12/5/09 at 5:29pm
7 bottles ......350 usd I think
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post #20 of 54
12/5/09 at 8:08pm
I have also streamlined and consolidated dozens of more common designer scents into a couple of Amouages, a Malle, my favorite discontinued Jil Sander Scents...some Cuiron...

And then there are the vintages...

I am thinking in the 5000 USD ballpark...perhaps?
Though I suppose if I were pressed to 'liquidate', I would be very sorely disappointed indeed...
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post #21 of 54
12/5/09 at 8:27pm
I'd probably need over US$2k to replace my whole collection.

But if I were only to buy things that I like say because I lost my whole collection, 1 full 100 ml bottle each, I'd only have 5 fragrances worth about US$450.
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post #22 of 54
12/5/09 at 9:19pm
Money is odorless.
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post #23 of 54
12/5/09 at 9:37pm
in the past year I've probably spent much more on postage swapping frragrances than acutally purchasing them... shipping overseas costs me about 20 bucks a bottle, and even domestic shipping priority can run over 10 bucks... my collection is starting to dwindle as I've found my HGs are all in pretty much the same family, and it makes it much easier when deciding what to buy
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post #24 of 54
12/5/09 at 11:17pm
i have about $150 worth on 4 bottles, but gave one to my brother, so technically 3 bottles left
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post #25 of 54
12/6/09 at 2:24am
What a wonderful way of putting it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by AromiErotici View Post

My collection is almost worth the amount I learned from them.
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post #26 of 54
12/6/09 at 2:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Hunter View Post

How much money since becoming interested in Fragrances have you spent on your hobby and how much is your current collection worth?

Also how many bottles do you have and is there a limit you will not go beyond?

I own about fourteen bottles and have spent about eight hundred pounds, ouch.

Who cares.
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post #27 of 54
12/6/09 at 2:39am
Oh, terrible thought. A few thousand US dollars without a doubt.
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post #28 of 54
12/6/09 at 3:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Griff View Post

Money is odorless.

With all due respect, I have to disagree. Ever taken a sniff at a crisp 50-dollar note? (not that the denomination should make any difference...)
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post #29 of 54
12/6/09 at 4:02am
allot!
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post #30 of 54
12/6/09 at 4:24am
I am not ready to do this calculation. The best moves I have made so far are to buy used bottles when available and to stick with non-niche scents as there are so many to sample before I even think about going to the expensive stuff.

So in this case, ignorance is bliss. However, I do know that this hobby is less than my other hobbies, such as audio, music collecting and motorcycling.
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post #31 of 54
12/6/09 at 10:34am
6 months, ~$2500 in bottles and ~$500 in samples.
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post #32 of 54
12/6/09 at 11:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diamondflame View Post

With all due respect, I have to disagree. Ever taken a sniff at a crisp 50-dollar note? (not that the denomination should make any difference...)

I am sadly, completely anosmic when it comes to the fragrance of money. Which explains a lot.

And I did once tally up the fair market value of my collection on a legal pad. After I came to, I burned the legal pad and vowed to never, EVER do that again.
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post #33 of 54
12/6/09 at 12:54pm
Less than $200, even with the addition of YSL L'Homme coming soon.
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post #34 of 54
12/6/09 at 1:46pm
30+ bottles

I'm guessing they're worth about $400

Money well spent in my opinion. You could never put a price on how my collection makes me feel.
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post #35 of 54
12/6/09 at 3:49pm
Well over $1000AU. Which is a little bit worrying since I just started collecting these less than 3 months ago.
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post #36 of 54
12/6/09 at 7:15pm
960 + = lots.
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post #37 of 54
12/6/09 at 8:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMF View Post

ONE MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!













































LOL Winner.
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post #38 of 54
12/6/09 at 8:31pm
I thoroughly did the math in the other similar thread, it was a bargain for sure, something like 22% of it's retail value. Retail value was stupid high.

I've since willingly overpaid for 16oz of Windsor, so my thriftiness has met it's match.
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post #39 of 54
12/6/09 at 9:03pm
Started about 3-6 months ago, have about 15 bottles and 100 samples with 15 on the to get list and 30-50 more to sample in full. Probably about $500 spent at this point, with the expectation to spend about another $500 before I'm content for a while... with that base of 20-30 bottles I'll probably just keep sampling until something really grabs me or my larger decants run out and I buy a FB
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post #40 of 54
12/7/09 at 8:12am
*eyes glaze over and sees self to the door*
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post #41 of 54
12/7/09 at 6:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diamondflame View Post

With all due respect, I have to disagree. Ever taken a sniff at a crisp 50-dollar note? (not that the denomination should make any difference...)

Trust me, I know ALL about it, working at a bank and all. Plus, I work nowhere near a gentleman's club, yet you'd be surprised at the various odors that come attached, to those bills. We even had a bill that must have been dropped in a vat of perfume, three envelopes and inside a plastic sealed bag later, and it could still be smelled clearly.
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post #42 of 54
12/7/09 at 6:59pm
$519.44 for 7 100ml bottles. I'm not sure about samples.. maybe $30? For about 6 months that I've gotten back into this hobby
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post #43 of 54
12/7/09 at 7:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by knit_at_nite View Post

That is a great idea!
I envision you doing this, not on an excel spreadsheet, but in a beautiful journal or notebook with comments on about what scents you wore at family occassions, just to make it a special memory book for them.

Thank you for that idea! I might still write it on a computer document...but definitely will include the where and when stories!
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post #44 of 54
12/7/09 at 7:24pm
50 + 100 + 50 + 50 + 40 + 20+ 40 = $350 give or take. Though I do have some money saved up after selling a couple bottles for a bottle of Vetiver Extraordinaire, if that counts
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post #45 of 54
12/7/09 at 8:24pm
I suppose I could spend a couple of hours trying to tally up what I've actually spent (or been given) over the last 40 odd years. Or I could attempt to calculate the current resale value (which would likely be very much higher- I once found black bottles of Joy (new) for $6 each. I bought them all.) I probably should, if only to purchase a bit of insurance on them.

But my collection? Is priceless.
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post #46 of 54
12/7/09 at 8:42pm
Lets put it this way, i've spent around $3778 on my Oriscent oud oils alone!
I can't remember the exact cost of all of them, but that is a close estimate.

I am afraid to add in the rest of my collection.
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post #47 of 54
12/7/09 at 9:45pm
My collection belongs in a Mastercard commercial
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post #48 of 54
12/8/09 at 1:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tott View Post

I'm going to stick my head in the sand and ignore this thread, just like I did the other one about quantity... I'm far from extreme, but I still don't really want to know. Ignorance is bliss.


+1

The only value I place is on how each individual one makes me feel. Monetary worth ??? - couldn't give a rat's.
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post #49 of 54
12/8/09 at 1:16pm
Since my girlfriend and I got into an argument about this last night I happen to have totals handy, not including the frags I bought her that are also in my wardrobe.

Total spent, 2.5 years: $495
Replacement value: approx retail $1100
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post #50 of 54
12/8/09 at 1:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by decillisjl View Post

in the past year I've probably spent much more on postage swapping frragrances than acutally purchasing them...

+1 Me too!
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post #51 of 54
12/8/09 at 1:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by N_Tesla View Post

The cost of happiness is money well spent as regards fragrance. Who says you can't by happiness?

LOL. Well said, N_Tesla.
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post #52 of 54
12/8/09 at 4:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Griff View Post

I am sadly, completely anosmic when it comes to the fragrance of money. Which explains a lot.

And I did once tally up the fair market value of my collection on a legal pad. After I came to, I burned the legal pad and vowed to never, EVER do that again.

Griff I know you have an amazing collection, you should probably keep it stored in Fort Knox.
I would estimate my current collection to have close to $10,000 in resale value. Thats just a wild guess.
Amazingly I just heard from a Basenoter that they own 6,000 full size bottles!
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post #53 of 54
12/9/09 at 3:46am
2-3 grand (rough estimate) since February... And I have every single one of you to (blame) thank :brolly:
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post #54 of 54
12/9/09 at 4:00am
Started 2 years back and it is around 2000 AUD.
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