Raising Frag money.

Depends on how bad you want it. Time to start selling those Xbox/PS3/Wii games on eBay if you're wanting to make this a true hobby.

Here's something to keep in mind: If a big part of why you wear scents is to be stylish and appeal to women (a perfectly acceptable reason, imho), you don't have to spend that much. Really! Sure, when you have money, it's fun to buy things like Aventus, L'Air Du Desert Marocain, Bleecker Street, or Chergui, but you can do just as well if not better in terms of getting compliments with scents that cost a fraction of the price. Perry Ellis Red costs $15 and many here claim it's better than Acqua Di Gio, which happens to be the internationally best selling compliment magnet. Curve costs 1/10 as much as Aventus and it gets me more compliments (I own both). Want something on the sweeter side? Hanae Mori H.M. is really worth sampling and can be had online for quite a bargain. I think I got it on Amazon for $30. Bvlgari Black is highly regarded and it's a bargain online!

So... if you're broke, become a master of the bargains. Only you will ever know how little you had to spend

Good luck!

Steal testers from department stores.


They're just sitting there, ripe for the plucking.

Write to companies and request some samples...see this rather long (12-page) thread:
http://www.basenotes.net/threads/206...ies-Now/page12

They do not need to be told your age. Be specific in your requests-- name the scents you wish to try.

lmao!

I used to do this when I was so much younger lol

I'm going to say something you will hate to hear...if you don't have the option to find a job or sell off things you don't need you'll have to wait. I went through the same thing when I was younger for other hobbies. You just have to take advantage of what comes your way. Ask for them as gifts, or ask for money when the time comes. You might be surprised how or when an opportunity comes up to make some cash, when it does be ready to pounce. You're young though, you'll get your chances.

Depending on your personality either stay away from this website as it will make the need for the new to grow stronger, or if you can handle it stay here and learn.

Make priorities for your next buy. One nice aspect in your situation is how much you're going to appreciate your next purchase or acquisition.

One last thing to scratch your itch, go to the store and try them out. Give full wearings from their testers, enjoy it the free way.

You could even ask for samples from the store, or if you're at all interested in niche there are houses that will send out free samples upon request (there's a whole thread about it here careful though, you don't want to get hooked too early and have the more expensive stuff out of reach...)

Hope that helps.

Buysblind, you always put a smile on my face with your...unique comments!

In all seriousness OP, we've all been there and done that. Talk to your parents and see if they will pay you for doing chores. I used to wash the cars so I could buy video games at your age. My parents would pay me 4x more than they would have at a car wash, just because I was being responsible.
I'm not going to tell you to mow lawns, I hate when people say that. We live in a society where that is no longer expected nor do people see it as "practical" in many areas. Do chores for your family members and tell them exactly what you want.
You can also invest in some 5ml atomizers, decant them, and sell away (do this with popular frags that people actually want to try). Mind you, some fragrances aren't worth decanting (shipping = $2 per decanted atomizer, atomizers will cost you about $13/10 lot, you get the point).
You can also sell bottles you really do not want. If you're doing this for the purpose of reviewing, that is probably the easies way. Swap if need be. Go to the giveaway thread and see if what you are looking for is up for grabs (do NOT request anything, if it's there, it's available, if it's not there, it's not available)

you can return them back to the store after couple of days of testing

lol

-Sample at dept stores.

-Request samples by phone, email, letter, etc. Have no shame in asking and remember you have nothing to lose.

-Made trades to sell the full bottles of stuff you dont use anymore. The few trades I've done, I made very generous offers that were probably one-side in favor of the other person. I did this because I knew these bottles sitting here that I never use deserved a new home and would give me an opportunity to sample stuff I couldn't otherwise sample in stores (e.g., LIDGE, PURE MALT).

If you pay for decants, get 1-5 ml size decants. It's all you need to know if a bottle is full bottle worthy or not.

STAY AWAY FROM FULL BOTTLES AND BLIND BUYING if you are on a budget. If you finish youre decant, only then should you reward yourself with a full bottle.

request samples from basenoters, there are people who have massive amounts of liquids organize some meeting in Las Vegas , condition everyone brings 3 favourite frags...
something like that
but my recommendation is stay away from good scents! its an expencive addiction few can resist!....better make reading books as a hobby lol

Maybe make a blog with your reviews and get vendors and other people to advertise on it?

Constantly sample at stores. Also, if you get a sales associate to talk to you, explain the situation. I would be willing to bet they'll let you walk off with some samples, and maybe even tester bottles when they're cycling them or something, as long as you a decent enough guy.

I don't think dept shops do.

Perhaps just purchase used bottles from here and ebay ?

Honestly, 2 years until you are 16 is worth the wait. In the meantime, perhaps you can test out more fragrances. Or learn more on the whole fragrance thing. You'd be surprised at how quick time goes by.

Back in the age of dinosaurs, I had a paper route at your age and rode my bike. It gave me the money I needed to buy LPs. I know newspapers are not the major information source they once were, but I do still get the morning paper delivered. Is that an option for you?

Any 14 year old who has Royal Oud in their rotation is doing just fine.

You should get in on the Men's giveaway thread.

Get a paper route, rake leaves, shovel snow etc. Usually, household chores do not require a work permit.

And, certainly do not take anything suggested here, which involves illegal activity, seriously. Some folks cry for an audience, and I wouldn't want an impressionable, young man to get the wrong idea.

I feel ya man. I'm far from a young teenager anymore, but I recently made a big decision to go from a decent, steady paycheck to going independent with my own business (yeah, I know, I'm nuts). I went from actually having a fairly decent amount of free spending cash for things like frags on a monthly basis, to basically having none until I start making enough money again. So, while I still very much enjoy this hobby as you do, I've definitely learned to change my approach and get more creative. I've also learned to prioritize. With the little money I do still have, I find ways to get cheap samples or decants (I know ebay is risky, but if you're smart about it, you can minimize the risk of bad purchases), or find ways to swap bottles, decants or samples and it only costs shipping fees. I've even traded up some bottles or samples of some stuff I actually did like, or find ok, but decided I'd much rather have something else in it's place.

Doing this still allows you to continue testing and learning more about fragrance and what you like and don't like, and still keeps you "in the game" so to speak. It's been working for me, anyway, and I've found I tend to appreciate the great frags I do have even more now, while also appreciating the opportunity to continue sampling others. If I happen to come across some that I really want a full bottle of, then it goes on my "to buy" priority list and I'll continue working hard until I'm able to afford it. If I still want it at that time, again, I know for sure I'll appreciate it even more when I finally do get my hands on it. Just keep working at it, get creative, and have a little patience. You've got MANY years ahead of you to enjoy & grow with this hobby. Have fun with it!!!!

Ya being broke sucks I know. Do you have Sephora near where you live? They are always good for a few free samples. Nordstrom usually is too.

When I was 14 I delivered newspapers. Started with the free flyers that didn't pay much, then subscriptions. After you get familiar with the neighbourhood, the tips start coming through.

If you want something, find the means to get it. Don't sit around complaining about your limitations.

Totally agree with the comment made by L'Homme Blanc Individuel. Their is no need to spend a lot of money in order to purchase fragrances that will get you complimented. You can purchase many frags which smell great and will get you many compliments for $30.00 and below. Do not set your eyes on expensive fragrances that others around you may not even appreciate. A bottle of A&F Fierce would do you well.

That's the beauty of fragrances. 95% of the world/people around you do not have a "trained nose." To half the ladies I know, Aventus smells like cow urine compared to Curve.

INCREDIBLE action on this thread. I would have never guessed!

Sell your stuff on eBay...or ask your family for stuff they will let you sell. Also visit garage sales with your (or someones smartphone) and look the stuff up and buy the stuff you can make money on, then sell it on ebay.

otherwise...knock on a door and ask if there is anything you can do to earn some $$. I bet maybe 50% will say no or be offended by your presence, but the other half will be impressed that you are taking initiative and will likely OVERPAY you if you show an abundance of effort and work hard when doing the tasks they give you.

You just gotta want it. HUSTLE.

I feel the same way except replace Aventus with LIDGE. It's a shame but what are you going to do?

I think its quite obvious that this kid wants someone to buy him some cologne...

Cologne is a luxury item, not a necessity. If you can do without, youll survive.

Wait until you can get a job, until then use1)A*Men 2)Burberry Brit 3)Givenchi Play Intense 4)Creed Royal Oud sparingly.

And once they run out, go to ross or whatever store you have around and buy the cheapest thing you like. Names dont make a cologne, its personal preference. Buy something cheap that you like and live with it for a couple years. Focus more on your education, and then youll be able to afford whatever you want.

Also, once a bit of cash is here, look up the online retailers who sell tester bottles, the quality of the scent is not, in spite of some snobbish prejudice commonly perpetuated, in any way inferior to the actual bottle or its actual contents.

+1 to Sephora samples.

If you have a business district similar to NYC near your place, try to get the same samples from different Sephora branches. Sephora offers 3 free samples per visit, and from my experience, you could ask for 2 samples of the same fragrance, and 1 sample of a different one. Repeat until the SA's recognize you. ;-)

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To raise money, try your local library if they accept "volunteers". Here, I see some teenagers working in the library. Not sure though if they're getting paid, but it's always nice to establish reference from the neighborhood.

When snow/winter season comes, try to go house to house and ask owners if you could shovel snow. Some teenagers here were charging $25-$35. Not sure if that is reasonable (or too much) since I live in an apartment and we shovel our front.

Another option is to go to local pharmacies and ask if they need manpower (store clerk/delivery guy, etc). It would be nice if you know someone who works there to help you out with your application. While the pay is not that great, it is a nice starting point if you want to earn a little something.


Good luck to you and I wish you all the best!

Just buy a sample a week. 1 ml is enough to keep you smelling good for 3 days?

Unfortunately, library volunteers are not paid. I worked as one for 2 years, it was nice experience, and a great resume booster, but other than that it was unpaid work.
He also can not work for another 2 years (US Law).
Honestly, your best bet is to be realistic and find work within the family. Another thing I did at your age was asked my parents if I could choose christmas and birthday gifts. They always said that it was fine. 2 bottles a year from that alone? Not bad at all.

I'll gladly send you a lot of retail samples and I think I have a few 10-15ml minis laying around.

^^^ As will I. PM me with your address.

I think it's great that a young guy like you is interested in fragrances. I have a nephew of your age and he loves it too.

Feel free to also hit up garage sales or flea markets or thrift shops. You may run across some interesting colognes for next to nothing. Granted, you may not find anything good, but it's a start when opportunities and funds are limited.