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What Would You Do?

post #1 of 37
7/5/10 at 10:17pm
Thread Starter 
One day while picking up litter along the beach at low tide, I spotted a bottle half buried in the sand muck. I rescued it and took it home. After cleaning it up, I found a magnifying glass and was able to read Chloe. It appears to have never been opened. the cap is a bit rusted and likely will not come off without damaging the bottle. So, I have not opened it. I look at the bottle and can't help but wonder who lost it and how? Was a woman on a boat ride and it fell from her bag? Did it survive Hurricane Katrina possibly becoming lost from a home or store that was destroyed? I am sure one day the temptation will overcome me and I will be unable to stop myself from opening it. But, for now--it remains a survivor. I may take photos and put it on ebay with the story. I may give it away as a gift to a very special person. For some reason it seems too special and sacred a peculiar way to open and use. What would you do if you had found this special bottle of Chloe?

I am such a dork. I tried to post the pictures here, but was unable to. You can find the pics here
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post #2 of 37
7/6/10 at 12:42am
I am way too curious to not open it! Who knows? Maybe floating around in the ocean, being sloshed about by waves, and being buried in sand has caused an unusual evolution of the fragrance, sort of a mutated version of Chloe. I would have to compare it to a new bottle of Chloe just to see how it differs. Are you familiar with Chloe?

I do understand your reluctance to open it, but I couldn't resist.

noggs
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post #3 of 37
7/6/10 at 5:54am
I would open it!
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post #4 of 37
7/6/10 at 6:29am
Even if I wouldn't open it, I could hardly fight me urge to actually do so!
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post #5 of 37
7/6/10 at 7:23am
Open it.

If you were a wine enthusiast and you found a vintage Bordeaux buried in your back garden, you would pretty much have to drink it, wouldn't you?

At worst, it smells terrible; best case scenario, you have stumbled onto a sort of liquid ambergris. You will have a little less uncertainty in your life, in any event, which is surely worth the hassle.
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post #6 of 37
7/6/10 at 7:52am
Open it! And take pictures for us!
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post #7 of 37
7/6/10 at 7:54am
It's unanimous! OPEN IT!!
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post #8 of 37
7/6/10 at 7:58am
  • kbe
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....
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post #9 of 37
7/6/10 at 8:04am
  • kbe
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I say don't open it.

For me the anticipation is often more fun than the doing.

I was dropping off a box of donations to a local Salvation Army thrift store years ago. As I was leaving the store I decided to take a quick look in their 'boutique' area. There a very well made but somewhat shopworn old violin propped up on a wall shelf caught my eye. After I lifted it down I managed to use the overhead lighting to peer into the body of the violin through one of the curving sound holes on it's face. With the right twist I could read through the dust and written (long ago I would think), in Latin calligraphy, in black ink, directly on the inside of the backpiece on the bare wood (no label) and very similar in style to that on this authentic Guanerious Del Jesu label:. Mine is dated 1734 with the 17- in block script as the rest of the inscription but the -34 larger and in flowing cursive style similar to but slightly larger respectively than the -29 in the pic . For $20 of course I had to buy it!

Now, I know this is a fake or at least the odds against it being real are so overwhelming as to be nearly infinite, so I just leave it sitting on my shelf and occasionally look at it and think..what if? MUCH more fun than knowing absolutely for sure it's a phoney.
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post #10 of 37
7/6/10 at 8:06am
Suzi - the suspense is killing and it's all very interesting.
kbe- a fab story !

Me- I would probably take pictures first and then open it .
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post #11 of 37
7/6/10 at 9:44am
I would open it and release the genie!
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post #12 of 37
7/6/10 at 3:22pm
I wouldn't open it, especially since you say you cannot do so without damaging the bottle. Exposure to sun, rust, and possibly other elements has likely turned the contents, and not in a good way. I'd get a sample of Chloe so you know what it's supposed to smell like, or would have smelled like to its original owner, and enjoy musing about what kind of person she might have been. This bottle has a story, a history, and some mystery. I'd definitely leave it intact.
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post #13 of 37
7/6/10 at 4:50pm
Thread Starter 
I have huge experience in self discipline:-) . I think Chloe should buy it back, unopened.
Quote:
Originally Posted by noggs View Post

I am way too curious to not open it! Who knows? Maybe floating around in the ocean, being sloshed about by waves, and being buried in sand has caused an unusual evolution of the fragrance, sort of a mutated version of Chloe. I would have to compare it to a new bottle of Chloe just to see how it differs. Are you familiar with Chloe?

I do understand your reluctance to open it, but I couldn't resist.

noggs
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post #14 of 37
7/6/10 at 4:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by petruccijc View Post

I would open it!

What if I detest it? It would be so disappointing.
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post #15 of 37
7/6/10 at 4:54pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emlynevermore View Post

Open it.

If you were a wine enthusiast and you found a vintage Bordeaux buried in your back garden, you would pretty much have to drink it, wouldn't you?

At worst, it smells terrible; best case scenario, you have stumbled onto a sort of liquid ambergris. You will have a little less uncertainty in your life, in any event, which is surely worth the hassle.

You have a valid point; but for now-I think the mystery is appealing.
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post #16 of 37
7/6/10 at 4:57pm
Thread Starter 
Ok. I finally got around to taking pictures, but I could not post here. I edited my original post and added the spot where I could manage adding photos. If you go there, you will see the bottle is precious in its weather beaten state. I cannot open it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mimi Gardenia View Post

Suzi - the suspense is killing and it's all very interesting.
kbe- a fab story !

Me- I would probably take pictures first and then open it .
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post #17 of 37
7/6/10 at 5:12pm
Thread Starter 
That could be a solution. I need to find out what the scent is like. It appears to be a plain Chloe version, without any thing else added to it. The novice research that I did could put it anwhere between 1975 and the 90's. I think it is not the perfume, rather the bottle that should be applauded. One can only imagine what it has been through. Perhaps I will keep it for my "survivor" mascot. Even if it did not survive Hurricane Katrina, to have survived at all is spectacular. If you look at it--it is beaten, but not broken--a life lesson many people experience.[/U]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heartwood View Post

I wouldn't open it, especially since you say you cannot do so without damaging the bottle. Exposure to sun, rust, and possibly other elements has likely turned the contents, and not in a good way. I'd get a sample of Chloe so you know what it's supposed to smell like, or would have smelled like to its original owner, and enjoy musing about what kind of person she might have been. This bottle has a story, a history, and some mystery. I'd definitely leave it intact.
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post #18 of 37
7/6/10 at 5:19pm
Suzi - I had a look at the pictures . Well ,you must do what you feel is best. It is a keepsake .
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post #19 of 37
7/6/10 at 5:28pm
Well, now, you do have an interesting bottle, whereas if you open it you will have only a not-so-old fragrance, which may have turned anyway. You can probably find a bottle of vintage Chloe on eBay to satisfy your desire to know what it would have smelled like, while keeping your bottle intact.
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post #20 of 37
7/6/10 at 5:29pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mimi Gardenia View Post

Suzi - I had a look at the pictures . Well ,you must do what you feel is best. It is a keepsake .

Mimi, thanks for your opinion. Even if it is a $9.99 bottle of cologne. It is a survivor, and a keepsake. I wouldn't trade it for a case of new Chloe. Well... I might be motivated to trade it for something. Nawww.
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post #21 of 37
7/6/10 at 5:31pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by 30 Roses View Post

Well, now, you do have an interesting bottle, whereas if you open it you will have only a not-so-old fragrance, which may have turned anyway. You can probably find a bottle of vintage Chloe on eBay to satisfy your desire to know what it would have smelled like, while keeping your bottle intact.

Good idea. Do you think it is vintage? Could I just buy the same on-line or maybe in a store?
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post #22 of 37
7/6/10 at 5:40pm
Thread Starter 
KBE, I agree with Mimi, your violin story is a treasure. I will not open it. Members here have given me alternative solutions to satisfy my curiosity about the fragrance. I would like to find out the age of the bottle just to get an idea of what it has been through. It may have been dropped by a local recently, or dropped by someone far away as early as--1980? It may be possible to narrow it down to Hurricane Katrina, maybe not. Mystery.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kbe View Post

I say don't open it.

For me the anticipation is often more fun than the doing.

I was dropping off a box of donations to a local Salvation Army thrift store years ago. As I was leaving the store I decided to take a quick look in their 'boutique' area. There a very well made but somewhat shopworn old violin propped up on a wall shelf caught my eye. After I lifted it down I managed to use the overhead lighting to peer into the body of the violin through one of the curving sound holes on it's face. With the right twist I could read through the dust and written (long ago I would think), in Latin calligraphy, in black ink, directly on the inside of the backpiece on the bare wood (no label) and very similar in style to that on this authentic Guanerious Del Jesu label:. Mine is dated 1734 with the 17- in block script as the rest of the inscription but the -34 larger and in flowing cursive style similar to but slightly larger respectively than the -29 in the pic . For $20 of course I had to buy it!

Now, I know this is a fake or at least the odds against it being real are so overwhelming as to be nearly infinite, so I just leave it sitting on my shelf and occasionally look at it and think..what if? MUCH more fun than knowing absolutely for sure it's a phoney.
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post #23 of 37
7/7/10 at 3:05am
This version of Chloe is still available at many drugstores and low-end retailers like Walmart and Sears. Despite what the Directory says, I'm not entirely sure that it's really discontinued. A 1 oz bottle should cost about $20. I doubt you'll find testers, but I could be wrong. My curiosity is piqued enough that I'm going to stop by my local pharmacy soon and see if they have one available to sniff.

I'm glad you're keeping the bottle intact. I appreciate your perspective that it is a symbol of survival. It would be a shame if something that has survived the perils of nature for who knows how long should so easily become irreparably broken due to simple curiosity. Chloe is common enough. This bottle's value is in its testament of endurance.
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post #24 of 37
7/7/10 at 10:50am
Thread Starter 
Thanks to you and everyone that participated, I was able to come to the same conclusion myself. I will be looking for the very same issue to sample. If I wear it (from a new bottle) I will visualize the experience of finding the subject bottle. When I wear it, and I hope I will want to, it will be a reminder that I, too--am strong, resilient, and a survivor. It will bring the quiet assurance and confidence one needs for interviews and tackling tough negotiations. A "Si Se Puede" Spirit. SO, the original stays as is and we are off to find me a replica. I will appeciate references. Again, thank you so much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heartwood View Post

This version of Chloe is still available at many drugstores and low-end retailers like Walmart and Sears. Despite what the Directory says, I'm not entirely sure that it's really discontinued. A 1 oz bottle should cost about $20. I doubt you'll find testers, but I could be wrong. My curiosity is piqued enough that I'm going to stop by my local pharmacy soon and see if they have one available to sniff.

I'm glad you're keeping the bottle intact. I appreciate your perspective that it is a symbol of survival. It would be a shame if something that has survived the perils of nature for who knows how long should so easily become irreparably broken due to simple curiosity. Chloe is common enough. This bottle's value is in its testament of endurance.

PS: I would love to develop a profile of the woman who would wear this perfume; can you guys help with that?
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post #25 of 37
7/7/10 at 11:53am
Thread Starter 
I have been browsing Chloe comments. What an eye opener! It seems that the perfume is matching my vision. I ordered a tester. I believe I snagged teh right one. By the shape of the bottle and the cap, I believe it was the original 1975 Karl L. version. It seems that about 95 of the commenters are intensely loyal to this particular 1st production which seems to no longer be in production as first released.
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post #26 of 37
7/7/10 at 5:03pm
I think you should try to return it at TJ MAXX.
(My grandmother would.)
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post #27 of 37
7/7/10 at 5:30pm
Thread Starter 
Now, that is an idea. It would be fun. I would be afraid they might take it. I am attached, now.
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post #28 of 37
7/9/10 at 3:14am
What an interesting story
I would have to say that while the cap is quite corroded from the pictures the bottle itself doesn't appear to carry enough wear for it to have spent any significant time in the ocean. We live in coastal South Carolina and recently my husband dropped his scratch resistant/shatter proof/etc glasses into the surf. When we located them a minute later (okay, maybe two minutes, but not longer than that as he was near the edge of the water) they had moved a few feet in and just that little bit abraded the lenses.
I realize that glass is tougher but it probably would have taken on a frosted appearance on the high points even after just a short time. Perhaps this was a bottle forgotten on the beach during what she hoped would be an evening of romance?
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post #29 of 37
7/9/10 at 7:39am
Thread Starter 
The bottle was partially buried in the sand muck one encounters at low tide. Perhaps the muck acted as a weather protector?
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post #30 of 37
7/22/10 at 9:44pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heartwood View Post

This version of Chloe is still available at many drugstores and low-end retailers like Walmart and Sears. Despite what the Directory says, I'm not entirely sure that it's really discontinued. A 1 oz bottle should cost about $20. I doubt you'll find testers, but I could be wrong. My curiosity is piqued enough that I'm going to stop by my local pharmacy soon and see if they have one available to sniff.

I'm glad you're keeping the bottle intact. I appreciate your perspective that it is a symbol of survival. It would be a shame if something that has survived the perils of nature for who knows how long should so easily become irreparably broken due to simple curiosity. Chloe is common enough. This bottle's value is in its testament of endurance.

Heartwood, did you find a sampler? I ordered one online,but it arrived without the bottle cap (it was a tester--we have to learn the hard way, don't we?). The bottle looks more round than the one I found. I don't think it is the same. The scent of the replacement bottle is acceptable; but does not seem to have the character described in comments and reviews at other places.
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post #31 of 37
7/22/10 at 9:48pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by zygote View Post

What an interesting story
I would have to say that while the cap is quite corroded from the pictures the bottle itself doesn't appear to carry enough wear for it to have spent any significant time in the ocean. We live in coastal South Carolina and recently my husband dropped his scratch resistant/shatter proof/etc glasses into the surf. When we located them a minute later (okay, maybe two minutes, but not longer than that as he was near the edge of the water) they had moved a few feet in and just that little bit abraded the lenses.
I realize that glass is tougher but it probably would have taken on a frosted appearance on the high points even after just a short time. Perhaps this was a bottle forgotten on the beach during what she hoped would be an evening of romance?

How would we visualize where it came from? It was found at Long Beach Harbor, Mississippi (just post Katrina, Pre-BP Calamity). But, that does not mean it was lost locally, though it could have been.
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post #32 of 37
7/22/10 at 10:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hillaire View Post

I think you should try to return it at TJ MAXX.
(My grandmother would.)

*cackling with laughter*

Yeah - I had one of those, too.
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post #33 of 37
7/22/10 at 10:48pm
Thread Starter 
I know you did not intend to insult me. It is not the fragrance so much as the find that is special. There are many women out there who are intensely loyal to the original Chloe; there are also some men who claim to be addicted. Thank goodness people have different tastes, otherwise it would be a very dull world. ...Manufacturers wouldn't need to make so many versions of everything to try and please. Out of curiosity--would your grandmothers also return a bottle of, "Beautiful" or "First" (Old version Van Cleef)? I am learning from you guys. I am not a perfume specialist, as I am sure you can discern. I am quite allergic/sensitive.
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post #34 of 37
7/23/10 at 11:46am
What a great story Suzi! I have very little impulse control and would open that puppy immediately
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post #35 of 37
7/25/10 at 9:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suzi View Post

Heartwood, did you find a sampler?

I'm so sorry, but I've had quite a bit going on and haven't been able to test Chloe. This is likely going to be the case for a while longer, so I won't be able to explore this fragrance anytime soon.
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post #36 of 37
7/26/10 at 4:22am
well i am a little touchy about any such antique thing. i would keep it safe to me and would not use this one at least. Who knows one day, i would meet the owner of the bottle dramatically and i would give it back
i do not feel it bad to open and use it because its not mine but because it might relate to some special person at the boat which was stuck in a hurricane.
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post #37 of 37
7/26/10 at 8:46am
I would definitely keep it! Forget the eBay or present thing. I would also leave it unopened. As it is it makes for a marvelous mystery. Opening it takes away from that. And what a fun story to tell...anyone, not just perfume addicts!
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