I finally bit the bullet and bid on some vintage Shalimar extrait on eBay. The package I bid on was unopened, with little information provided about it in the listing, but I took a chance on it and won the auction. It was listed by someone that must've been clearing out his mother's estate or something because he had sold few things on eBay and then all of a sudden had a bunch of old women's fragrances and cosmetics, all posted with starting bids at $0.99 no reserve.
Anyway, I received the package the other day, and to my surprise found that the vintage bottle I purchased was the Presentacion/Presentation Avion that I had seen referenced so often in articles about vintage Guerlain!
"A very rare presentation, called the Presentation Avion (airplane transportation presentation), used this style of box and was offered on the Air France Paris-New York flights, starting in 1960.
The box was slightly different in the fact that instead of laying down inside the box, the bottle would stand up snugly inside a small plinth, in which the box lid would slip over, making a cover. The stopper was not inside the bottle itself but was inside a tiny cardboard box which was included in the presentation box.
The perfume was sealed with a cork covered in a thin plastic seal. These bottles were made by both Baccarat & Pochet et du Courval. Look for their logos on the base, an entwined HP or the Baccarat symbol."
I can't tell you how shocked I was, though I was disappointed too, because I was eager to have some old extrait to wear, and I obviously can't open this one! Also, I am not sure I am into holding onto it, when I know there are collectors out there who would enjoy having it far more than me. I really just want some great old extrait to wear!
The problem is, I have no idea what it's value is, and how best to go about selling it. I am worried that an eBay auction may not reach the right audience. Can anyone point me in the right direction for finding out what the real value of this bottle is and/or where I could get it appraised or best list it?
Here are some photos... I haven't been able to find any other images of this packaging online, just the clamshell style.
Thanks for any help you can provide!
Anyway, I received the package the other day, and to my surprise found that the vintage bottle I purchased was the Presentacion/Presentation Avion that I had seen referenced so often in articles about vintage Guerlain!
"A very rare presentation, called the Presentation Avion (airplane transportation presentation), used this style of box and was offered on the Air France Paris-New York flights, starting in 1960.
The box was slightly different in the fact that instead of laying down inside the box, the bottle would stand up snugly inside a small plinth, in which the box lid would slip over, making a cover. The stopper was not inside the bottle itself but was inside a tiny cardboard box which was included in the presentation box.
The perfume was sealed with a cork covered in a thin plastic seal. These bottles were made by both Baccarat & Pochet et du Courval. Look for their logos on the base, an entwined HP or the Baccarat symbol."
I can't tell you how shocked I was, though I was disappointed too, because I was eager to have some old extrait to wear, and I obviously can't open this one! Also, I am not sure I am into holding onto it, when I know there are collectors out there who would enjoy having it far more than me. I really just want some great old extrait to wear!
The problem is, I have no idea what it's value is, and how best to go about selling it. I am worried that an eBay auction may not reach the right audience. Can anyone point me in the right direction for finding out what the real value of this bottle is and/or where I could get it appraised or best list it?
Here are some photos... I haven't been able to find any other images of this packaging online, just the clamshell style.
Thanks for any help you can provide!
