Huge Collection of Everything OR Small Collection of Gems?

[DrOfTheSoul]

So it seems like there are really two paths to take once you get more and more interested in fragrances.

1) Get a huge collection of everything you like, including what you consider 3/4 star fragrances and such.

2) Have a small collection of only what really moves you and what you can't live without.

There are pros and cons to both, so I wanted to discuss with people which way they chose to go.
--------------------------------------
I was thinking about this after I read someone's post about how they only get to wear a fragrance about twice a year. I'm sure they have a ton of options and can really explore all of the different subtypes and wonderful examples of a harsh lavender vs a smooth and faint lavender etc. But still, it kind of sucks that they barely get to wear them, plus it costs a ton of money.

On the other hand, I'm reading more about the BN veterans trimming down their collection, and that's sounding more appealing to me now. I would usually only buy heavily discounted fragrances because I knew I would have a large collection, and I think I have around 30 now. Instead I'm planning on sampling what I would otherwise say was too expensive (like L'air du deser marocain, ormonde man, c&s 88, pdn new york, l'homme sage, and so forth), to really try to get a wardrobe of around 15 gems I couldn't live without.

[TheRomantic]

Hmm...very good question. I've been thinking about this for a while. Your right on the money about the two paths. I think I'm headed down the median. I think a compromise between the two is the most beneficial.

By taking the "Small Collection of Gems" route you limit yourself to the massive amounts of interesting, beautiful, and amazing fragrances that are out there. To take this route you would have to limit your exposure to fragances and essentially become blind to the worls of fragrance. You see if you don't then you end up finding other GEMS and eventually you end up with a large collection in the end. There is a plus side though. You actually get to wear ALL of them and nothing goes to waste. Some people have 50,100, 300+ bottles of frag and I say to myself, "How the hell do you ever get to wear ALL of those frags. Not to mention the amount of money put into that< not a major concern if its somewhat of a "Passionate Interest." To me a small collection is of 1-10 fragrances. I could never do this because I LOVE fragrances. Theres just too much out there for that low of a number. I do limit myself though nonetheless. I find that 20 fragrances is where it stops for me. If I run out of a fragrance I reallt, I mean REALLY think of whether or not I can't live without it. If I can''t I buy it again. If I can however then tahts when the lovely "scent hunt begins" which I enjoy a great deal.

Anyway thats my whole schpeil. Any questions? Any comments?

[smellyliquid]

small gems

[squirrelmilk]

both

[DrOfTheSoul]

Hmm...very good question. I've been thinking about this for a while. Your right on the money about the two paths. I think I'm headed down the median. I think a compromise between the two is the most beneficial.

By taking the "Small Collection of Gems" route you limit yourself to the massive amounts of interesting, beautiful, and amazing fragrances that are out there. To take this route you would have to limit your exposure to fragances and essentially become blind to the worls of fragrance. You see if you don't then you end up finding other GEMS and eventually you end up with a large collection in the end. There is a plus side though. You actually get to wear ALL of them and nothing goes to waste. Some people have 50,100, 300+ bottles of frag and I say to myself, "How the hell do you ever get to wear ALL of those frags. Not to mention the amount of money put into that< not a major concern if its somewhat of a "Passionate Interest." To me a small collection is of 1-10 fragrances. I could never do this because I LOVE fragrances. Theres just too much out there for that low of a number. I do limit myself though nonetheless. I find that 20 fragrances is where it stops for me. If I run out of a fragrance I reallt, I mean REALLY think of whether or not I can't live without it. If I can''t I buy it again. If I can however then tahts when the lovely "scent hunt begins" which I enjoy a great deal.

Anyway thats my whole schpeil. Any questions? Any comments?

Hey Romantic, thanks for the thoughtful post!

You raise some good points and of course with fragrance or any obsession really there is no end point. I feel right now that the collection of gems with constant testing and "remodeling" the wardrobe makes most sense for me. But yeah, you may just end up buying more and more this way too!
--------------------------------------
BTW. I wish the wardrobe function was working, I plan on going through everyone that says small collection and studying their collections.

[narcus]

I don't know whether I am a fragrance veteran already. It's only been going four years now. But the pilgrimage certainly matters more than what I may end up collecting. My aim was 'maybe ten' in the beginning and that got multiplied the more I heard, read and smelled. I don't only 'need' good perfumes for each occasion I need good leathers, good woods, Lutens... whatever. And it isn't about wearing fragrances any longer (although I still collect men's fragrances mainly). It is about curiosity being stilled, and finding the end of the horizon.
Now at a stage where I have to look up records to really know whether or not I have bought frag x off Ebay already or not I am afraid it's growing over my head. That bothers me.

[Merlino]

I'm partial to the small gems way. I have lots and lots of samples which I use often and some I make a mental note of to buy at a future time. But I don't own more than 4 gems at a time and I even have trouble finishing those since I have and receive so many samples.

[Hollandaze]

I'm partial to the small gems way. I have lots and lots of samples which I use often and some I make a mental note of to buy at a future time. But I don't own more than 4 gems at a time and I even have trouble finishing those since I have and receive so many samples.

I'm trying to do the same thing myself. I made the mistake early on by committing to a few too many full bottles when I ended up getting sick of them after wearing them a few times. I decided to just get minis, if I can, of stuff I'm going to use a couple dozen times a year (like John Varvatos). I had to make extra sure the first wearing wasn't a fluke, so I'd wear a scent 2-3 times (not on consecutive days) to see if I feel the same about it by the last drop of the vial. So I'm just going to keep it down to 4-5 bottles. I'll use the money I save from not owning a dozen bottles ever again by splurging on random samples from luckyscent.com or scentedmonkey.com. I already have a ton of free samples that I get from Sephora and random transactions from fellow Basenoters.

[Boal]

Well, it seems like with time I get more curious about trying scents, so I am interested in wider range of labels/brands and types of scents. For example, in the beginning I was not interested in Diesel or Nautica kinds of brands, and I was not aware of the most niche brands.

At the same time, I become more picky. So, I don't use that often the scnets that I don't really enjoy. So I try to satey away from impulsive buys, and not to have in my collection the scents that I use only twice a year.

Sampling in stores many many times is a way to buy scents. I don't like blind buys.

[AnnaSa]

Interesting question!
i would like to go for no 1, have a small collection of gems that I use until the last drop, but I have to admit to myself that it's not in my character. This goes for most things that I appreciate in life; clothes, books, dvd's etc., thing usually pile up and I never really understand how it happened. The only cure I know of is to clean out the shelves once in a while, and sell or give away what you don't need.

The sample way mentioned by Merlino and Rawk Lee is good way to go I think. I've made a promise to myself to never by a full bottle until my sample or mini is completely finished.

I also try to remember that you don't need to own everything you love, only buy the things you will actually USE.

[peevish_yolk]

We live life just once so why don't we live it the way we want?! Why should I restrict myself to 20 or 30 fragrances?! If I like some scent I'm going to buy it. I want to have at least couple of options for every occasion and I enjoy in "the sweet throes" of the selection. I have some scents in my collection which I use just once or twice a year and that's perfectly OK to me.
I have to accent that I respect very much the opposite attitudes about this.

[Ged]

I have a collector / addict streak to my personality, so I'd say a big collection. Currently upwards of 60. But when I moved to US I gave about 10 away, left about 30-40 at home and brought 10-15 with me. While in the US I've probably bought another 5-10.

Ideally I'd like to trim back my collection a bit, but I'd make the following observations:

-many of the fragrances are absolutely wonderful fragrances which I've been lucky enough to get at excellent prices - $20-30 for stuff like Guerlain Vetiver, Bvlgari PH, Eau Sauvage, yes I'm a scab! But hell that's a bottle of wine that's gone in a night, these things last for years! I'd wear them maybe once every 2 months but I couldn't be without them. So there's no real incentive to get rid of them. I could sell them on eBay but the small amount of revenue generated would not justify the effort, and the pining I would experience for having got rid of them.

Essentially the only reason I see to get rid of a fragrance is that you have changed your mind on it, actively dislike it, never wear it, and there is a significant financial incentive to get rid of it (ie you can sell it for more than $50 - that's my threshold, anything less is a waste of my time). I don't see any point in waking up one day and saying "I'm going to pare my collection from 60 to 20" just for the sake of it.

What one can do, however, is PRETEND you have pared back your collection, by dividing it into 3 tiers:

1) the first tier is my absolute favourite top 10 (classic, desert island and sentimental stuff) plus some others in regular rotations (more day to day easy going ones) - about 20. When I move back to Aus, these will live in my bathroom and have ready access.
2) the second tier will be ones like I mentioned above - great ones I bought cheaply which I wear infrequently but have no incentive to move on. These will be stored in another area for occasional access. Maybe 30-40 or so. Occasionally one or two of these will be promoted back into the first tier to join the rotation, for example at the change of season or when something is mentioned on BN and I go "I love that I gotta wear that again!"
3) the third tier will be a possible give away / swap / sell. The only frags I'd put in this category are ones I've actively gone off or dislike. Funnily enough very few fit in this category!

I think I'd be happy to sit around the 60 mark, with 20 in regular rotation and the others in storage.

Ged

PS Just to point out that I can't pare my collection down too much, my second tier is equivalent to what I left in storage in Australia. Damn I'm missing some of them - VCA and Eau Sauvage in particular.

[Merlino]

Why should I restrict myself to 20 or 30 fragrances?!

For me, simply because I have other hobbies too and I can spend every € only once. But I have it relatively easy, I live in a town which happens to have a store stocked with Creed, Malle, Lutens, Montale etc. and they're always willing to give me samples.

[Amit]

A small collection of gems, ofcourse.

[Kevin Guyer]

A collection is like a garden, it needs constant attention in order to grow into a thing of beauty. The size of your garden depends on how much space and time you have. You can have 1 fragrance in your collection and it will be like having a Bonsai tree or you can have 1000 and it will be like Versailles.

[Scentronic]

I started off just thinking a few different fragrances would do me just fine.

Then I became obsessed and got a bunch of designer stuff, most likely because of it's accessibility. I've sold off most of this stuff now.

Then I got into more expensive and exclusive stuff, and kept the stuff I really like.

Now I'm in a mode where I'm trimming off everything I can't possibly live without - but I'm still left with over 40 bottles. I'll only buy a bottle if I'm absolutely sure that I'm crazy about the scent. My samples and decants get quite a rigorous testing before I can commit to anything. I have a few on my radar, but for the most part, the insanity has been constrained.

[leffleur]

I want a small collection of gems. Now, I have a moderate collection of sixty bottles. I can't say I've worn (not tested) the bulk of them. Pairing the collection down to twenty bottle would be a relief, but ideally I'd like to get it down to ten.
The truth is that I'm still holding on to the hope of finding a signature. Most likely I'll have to settle on 5 or so HGs.
Yet, there are so many more I have yet to try...

[bluesoul]

Good thread. My perspective is a little different as a newcomer to all of this. I've got 12 full bottles of stuff, and maybe 10 to 15 samples that I'm working through. I'm at the point where I've made some neat discoveries, stuff that I didn't even know existed, but I also feel like there's a lot yet to explore, even if I just hit the biggest names. But I've also become keenly aware of the effects of this hobby on my wallet, and twice within the past two days I've had to seriously talk with myself about prioritizing.

Part of what irritates me is when I look at the price of a sample, or a mini, in comparison to a much larger bottle; the value increases with size, which was of course intentional. So I buy one bottle instead of three minis, or ten samples. I know it's not the most efficient way to do things but...

I could see myself stopping at about 20, that would fill enough holes and cover enough ground for me.

[Mostapha]

A small collection fragrances that are somehow special to you. I don't see me at any time of my life buying more than 3 fragrance bottles each year, or regularly wearing more than 15 or so fragrances (giving the extra ones away, and replacing bottles instead of adding). But hey, everything changes, and who knows what I'll be thinking in 10 years.

[Sandy]

For me the road is much more interesting than the arrival. Going (nearly) each week to Douglas, discovering the new scents, spraying on the arms and on paper and then waiting. Sniffing, which one is worth trying once more, going back next week to give it one more chance. Meanwhile to be happy that the world is nice where such good things do exist and make our poor life a bit more bearable.
What's use then to have these all in my possession? What really matters is the knowledge that whenever I want I can smell them.
So for me it's no heartbreaking to have no more than 5-10 scents at one time at home. It's enough to my happiness.

[LuciusVorenus]

I couldn't live with fewer than 30 fragrances. I believe 70 would be the ideal number for me.

It is normal to have a lot of fragrances. We should be allowed to explore the diversity of scents.

.

[KMF]

Definitely the small collection of gems option...

Ideally, I'd like to keep the collection at 20 bottles or so. For me, I feel that is enough to cover all my bases (warm/cold weather, casual/formal/special occasion, etc). The first 10 would be the stuff I truly love and can't go without. The last 10 would be things I like, but could be replaced if I find something better, as tastes do change. Obviously, I'd still be buying samples and testing those. If one of those samples was clearly better than what I have, then I would put buy the bottle, and put one from my collection up for sale, thus keeping the number at 20...

[bluesoul]

Definitely the small collection of gems option...

Ideally, I'd like to keep the collection at 20 bottles or so. For me, I feel that is enough to cover all my bases (warm/cold weather, casual/formal/special occasion, etc). The first 10 would be the stuff I truly love and can't go without. The last 10 would be things I like, but could be replaced if I find something better, as tastes do change. Obviously, I'd still be buying samples and testing those. If one of those samples was clearly better than what I have, then I would put buy the bottle, and put one from my collection up for sale, thus keeping the number at 20...

Well said. That's about what I've got in mind.

[Levallois]

Huge collection of gems, please.

[somethinpositiv]

I couldn't live with fewer than 30 fragrances. I believe 70 would be the ideal number for me.

It is normal to have a lot of fragrances. We should be allowed to explore the diversity of scents.

.

Agreed. I think 30 is the magic number for me. I've cut back from 70 lol.

[Minou2]

Smaller collection of gems.

[Delmar]

Life is too short to wear fragrances that bore you. The universe of scent combination possibilities is vast and the probability that there are many "WOW" fragrances out there still waiting to be discovered (not to mention those waiting to be created) is large. You can say, though, that you "own" a fragrance even if its a sample! But to answer the quetion, IMHO a good collection should probably be a sizable one.

[Mostapha]

Life is too short to wear fragrances that bore you.

Very well said. My new bumper sticker

[LuciusVorenus]

Yes, there are hundreds of fragrances that do not bore me at all !

.

[Boal]

Well, to me it feels like 30 wouldbe ideal number, except for one thing: 30 for summer and 30 for winter. I think 50-60 fragrances is the ideal number. I think I always have about 30-40 that I can't live without, and another 10-20 which I am exploring or liking at the moment.