Boycott High Price /Low Batch Quantities Brands ?

[ionone]

I don't understand brands that have a policy of releasing low batch quantities with a high price
it is a scheme to "create a hype" by the "fear of missing out"

Also people think a very high priced fragrance should be amazing
It's like caviar, it's very expensive,but it's just fish eggs in the end. You can find as good fish eggs for 1/100th of the price of caviar.

I don't think that's a very straightforward and honest way to make business
If I had a perfume company, I could not adhere to that way of visualizing profit

I boycott those brands and will never buy a FB of these kind of brands, and most of the time,their products are not as good as some others which are 10 times cheaper

what do you think of these kinds of way of making money ? (because in the end it's all about making money, it's not charity)

Jeff

[MrPod]

I think you are completely wrong and are missing out on some great fragrances as a result. But that's your perfectly valid choice.

[Diamondflame]

If one is not able to assess quality /value proposition from a price tag, boycotting them entirely is a good approach. FOMO marketing is real, even if unintentionally executed.

[Andrewthecologneguy]

I don't understand brands that have a policy of releasing low batch quantities with a high price
it is a scheme to "create a hype" by the "fear of missing out"

Also people think a very high priced fragrance should be amazing
It's like caviar, it's very expensive,but it's just fish eggs in the end. You can find as good fish eggs for 1/100th of the price of caviar.

I don't think that's a very straightforward and honest way to make business
If I had a perfume company, I could not adhere to that way of visualizing profit

I boycott those brands and will never buy a FB of these kind of brands, and most of the time,their products are not as good as some others which are 10 times cheaper

what do you think of these kinds of way of making money ? (because in the end it's all about making money, it's not charity)

Jeff

In a free market economy, everyone is allowed to do business the best way they see fit, just like consumers select products and make brand chices as they see fit.

You have 'seen' something that isn't 'fit' for you, so you made a decision.

Me, I buy what I like based on price and smell.

[PrinceRF]

Me, I buy what I like based on price and smell.

This.

[aikj55]

I don't understand brands that have a policy of releasing low batch quantities with a high price
it is a scheme to "create a hype" by the "fear of missing out"

Also people think a very high priced fragrance should be amazing
It's like caviar, it's very expensive,but it's just fish eggs in the end. You can find as good fish eggs for 1/100th of the price of caviar.

I don't think that's a very straightforward and honest way to make business
If I had a perfume company, I could not adhere to that way of visualizing profit

I boycott those brands and will never buy a FB of these kind of brands, and most of the time,their products are not as good as some others which are 10 times cheaper

what do you think of these kinds of way of making money ? (because in the end it's all about making money, it's not charity)

Jeff

Interesting way to viewing things, what if the limited release is down to ingredient availability or the process of creating them? Also pricing can be down to alot of factors (doesn't' mean some dont take advantage), but some raw materials do cost money!
If you find a cheaper variant & prefer it, that'll be your choice. Some of us like the packaging, presentation & then the fragrance & love to spend that extra for it.
End of the day, there's no rush to buy everything out there, just sample & tick a box & add to wishlist.

[Trilby Lark]

I can call it a boycott but usually I simply can't afford it. There are plenty of enjoyable fragrances in my price range.

[strifeknot]

Those who feel this way are already not buying such fragrances, so it's kind of pointless to call for a boycott.

[Kaern]

there are 'shillers' on Basenotes also -- it all adds to FOMO, hype and pressure.

just try and separate facts from bullshit and trust your nose

[sjg3839]

I can call it a boycott but usually I simply can't afford it. There are plenty of enjoyable fragrances in my price range.

This

[ionone]

I can call it a boycott but usually I simply can't afford it. There are plenty of enjoyable fragrances in my price range.

yeah but the problem is some persons are addicted, and need to test more and more new brands, and they can't help themselves but spend a lot of money on brands that produce small batches, because they want the next exclusive thing

Also it's not nice to test 1ml of a perfume and love it just to realize you'll never be able to get a FB because it is permanently sold out or way too overpriced
it sucks ok

[The Cologne Cabinet]

yeah but the problem is some persons are addicted, and need to test more and more new brands, and they can't help themselves but spend a lot of money on brands that produce small batches, because they want the next exclusive thing

Also it's not nice to test 1ml of a perfume and love it just to realize you'll never be able to get a FB because it is permanently sold out or way too overpriced
it sucks ok

Well that just comes with the territory, which can be said for any hobby involving the collection of things. Feeling compelled to test more and more or sensing becoming "addicted" is an entirely different issue.

If you decide to stay in the fragrance game long enough your tastes and budget will be reflected in what you are able to acquire. IMO, there is no need to compete with others in the fragcomm. We are all here because we love fragrance no matter how large or small our collections are.

[hednic]

what do you think of these kinds of way of making money ?

Jeff

Personally doesn't bother me.

[SubUmbra]

While you're totally correct that this happens a lot and it sucks for the consumer, I do want to point out the intention behind this is often much more innocent than you realize.

The problem with looking at perfume pricing as simply a price-per-ml proposition is that it favors only the houses which are typically larger and have access to economies of scale - typically, the ultra-large designers and conglomerates. Smaller, independent houses -- even those who try very hard to create a relatively affordable product -- will always struggle to match price with those larger houses because it truly is just more expensive for them in the short and long run to do what they do. Sure, many of them inflate their prices to a ridiculous degree and then make their products in limited quantities; but for every house doing that, there are probably five houses who earnestly can only afford to buy a certain quality material in a limited amount (a kilo of quality sandalwood, for instance, can run you many, many thousands of dollars). A large designer/conglomerate brand can justify that expense because they know they can sell THOUSANDS of bottles, where the smaller perfumer -- even if they made as many bottles as the designer house -- might be lucky to sell a couple hundred in the same amount of time.

Also: frankly, the market is absolutely saturated. Really, really good small perfumers have difficulty standing out. It simply isn't good enough anymore just to make quality fragrances. They have to know how to market their work if they are to make anything close to a living out of this.

That said, I do think there should be a quality perfume for every price bracket, and truthfully, I think there already is. But in the end: NO perfume is a necessity; even a $10 fragrance is a luxury product that no person truly "needs."

[Bavard]

what do you think of these kinds of way of making money ?

It sounds like good marketing.

[Swoleiosis]

brands that use scarce ingredients can't mass produce.
small or 1 man teams can't mass produce.
few bottles = needs a high price per bottle because of the time it takes to make.
make more sense now?

[GoldWineMemories]

You're suggesting boycotting people, because they may not have the capital, or the resources may not exist in some cases, to produce batches of thousands of bottles? Silly. Just don't buy it, and don't pay attention to it if it bothers you.

[Cheetah1919]

It can definitely suck for lots of us, and I know I’ll miss out on some more things in the future too. Sometimes I may get the purchasing opportunity, and even better, sometimes I might strike fragrance “love”. I don’t really like it when some brands go about it, but ultimately it’s just first word problems, and I’m never gonna let those kind of problems overly effect me.

[Mak-7]

yeah but the problem is some persons are addicted, and need to test more and more new brands, and they can't help themselves but spend a lot of money on brands that produce small batches, because they want the next exclusive thing

Also it's not nice to test 1ml of a perfume and love it just to realize you'll never be able to get a FB because it is permanently sold out or way too overpriced
it sucks ok

Its not addiction, you just havent found your "ultimate".
I am currently just a few frags away from being "set" and all other purchases beyond that point will be mainly to see if anyone created anything better, but no blind buys unless something exceptional appears, just samples.

My advise is to buy quality not quantity. One proper leather frag can replace 10 mediocre.
And not to offend anyone, but alot of people are overly excited for plain frags, instagram is flooded with basics and that adds pressure.
Take time and think who you are in terms of fragrance identity and follow YOUR path.

[Cook.bot]

I can call it a boycott but usually I simply can't afford it.

Yeah. In the future I'll just say I'm boycotting Clive Christian.

[Mayberry2]

I stay away from the high priced brands. A number of people I think view very high priced colognes and perfumes as some kind of status symbol. I'm the opposite I view fragrances on the lower end of the pricing scale as being much more desirable. I think it is a relatively recent thing where men specifically are encouraged to go after rediculously high priced brands. By recent I mean over the last 20 years or so. Mostly because of the internet I think.

[Mayberry2]

I don't understand brands that have a policy of releasing low batch quantities with a high price
it is a scheme to "create a hype" by the "fear of missing out"

I am no expert but I think in most cases that is true. It is also a scheme or con to try to get people to buy them as quickly as possible.

[Cheetah1919]

I stay away from the high priced brands. A number of people I think view very high priced colognes and perfumes as some kind of status symbol. I'm the opposite I view fragrances on the lower end of the pricing scale as being much more desirable. I think it is a relatively recent thing where men specifically are encouraged to go after rediculously high priced brands. By recent I mean over the last 20 years or so. Mostly because of the internet I think.

So a couple years ago I was wondering if part of me wanted to like higher price/hyped fragrances for the wrong reasons, or was I starting to get caught up in something “not real” so to speak.....so for about a month I set up an experiment that I had my son conduct for me. I bought or acquired a bunch of scents I thought I might be interested in from sample sites, stores, eBay etc. and made sure to get them from different price ranges and all that. He then taped over all of them to cover what they were, numbered them and made a key that he kept. And for the next 4-5 weeks or so used them, judged them, and gave him my notes and thoughts.

It turned out that it was pretty equal liking some less expensive (under $100) to liking more expensive (couple hundred, or more). But the few I REALLY loved did happen to be very high priced niche fragrances.

So I definitely get this thought process, and definitely think people may go for the big time for the wrong reasons, but some of those “luxury” niche houses really do have the high quality goods!

[Mayberry2]

So a couple years ago I was wondering if part of me wanted to like higher price/hyped fragrances for the wrong reasons, or was I starting to get caught up in something “not real” so to speak.....so for about a month I set up an experiment that I had my son conduct for me. I bought or acquired a bunch of scents I thought I might be interested in from sample sites, stores, eBay etc. and made sure to get them from different price ranges and all that. He then taped over all of them to cover what they were, numbered them and made a key that he kept. And for the next 4-5 weeks or so used them, judged them, and gave him my notes and thoughts.

It turned out that it was pretty equal liking some less expensive (under $100) to liking more expensive (couple hundred, or more). But the few I REALLY loved did happen to be very high priced niche fragrances.

So I definitely get this thought process, and definitely think people may go for the big time for the wrong reasons, but some of those “luxury” niche houses really do have the high quality goods!

I can only comment for myself. However I am guessing many people would have a similair experience to yours had they done a similair experiment. I sometimes think, what would happen if you took some of these very expensive brands and sold them under a different name for cheap prices. I would bet a lot of people would dismiss them as being ordinary typical drug store fragrances. I also have no doubt that some of the real expensive stuff is very good as are some fragrances in all price ranges.

[MrPod]

I am no expert but I think in most cases that is true. It is also a scheme or con to try to get people to buy them as quickly as possible.

Most artisan bands start off small. they can only afford to produce small numbers of bottles and the ingredients they use mean that they have to price them high. Their first collection usually takes a long time to sell out. Their first few collections usually take a while to sell out. There is no hype or fear of missing out at that point.
If they make perfumes that people really like, you then get to the point where the demand is such that their new collections (or some of the perfumes) sell out really quickly. Many of the recent releases from popular artisan perfumers are still available to buy despite the hype.

So I'm not sure what your problem is. If these perfumes are not for you because they are too expensive or you don't like them, that's fine. But declaring that other people are only buying these fragrances as a 'Status Symbol' or because they have been conned or are addicted is, frankly, insulting.

There are artisans in all areas, creating artefacts for people with specific tastes that are not catered for in the mainstream. These people are usually prepared to pay more that they pay for mainstream products to get something that caters for their tastes. For these people, price is not the most important factor, the quality of the product is. Perfumery is no different.

[Mayberry2]

So I'm not sure what your problem is. If these perfumes are not for you because they are too expensive or you don't like them, that's fine. But declaring that other people are only buying these fragrances as a 'Status Symbol' or because they have been conned or are addicted is, frankly, insulting.

There are artisans in all areas, creating artefacts for people with specific tastes that are not catered for in the mainstream. These people are usually prepared to pay more that they pay for mainstream products to get something that caters for their tastes. For these people, price is not the most important factor, the quality of the product is. Perfumery is no different.

I know this type of thing always existed with many different types of products. However in the not too distant past for instance you would rarely hear of people let's say under a certain age going for a brand like Creed just being one example. Nothing against them. However these days it seems like a good number of them go after that. It used to be the highest most men especially would go for would be the designers. I am not trying to insult anyone. It is just the way I see it.

[SubUmbra]

I know this type of thing always existed with many different types of products. However in the not too distant past for instance you would rarely hear of people let's say under a certain age going for a brand like Creed just being one example. Nothing against them. However these days it seems like a good number of them go after that. It used to be the highest most men especially would go for would be the designers. I am not trying to insult anyone. It is just the way I see it.

I think this observation is more due to the fact that Aventus is really, really popular. I don’t really think your point makes sense.

[N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer]

what do you think of these kinds of way of making money ? (because in the end it's all about making money, it's not charity)

Jeff

They have every right market in such fashion. They have to accept the fact that while some are okay with this tactic many individuals may not accept it and thus may avoid altogether.

[Alonewithcologne]

what do you think of these kinds of way of making money ? (because in the end it's all about making money, it's not charity)

Almost all fragrances have a high gross margin, so making a high profit is mostly a volume game. Would you rather sell 1,000 bottles at a $200 gross margin, or 5,000 bottles at a $50 margin? The strategy outlined in the original post would be ineffective, unless the goal was to make only a small but steady profit on a small pool of capital, or if it was used as a temporary strategy to drive up brand perceptions, but then why not just sell at a high price in exclusive stores? In any case, I don't see any point to limiting the volume other than by price and distribution. I don't think anyone will worry about missing out on a limited-time release, unless the brand already enjoys a good reputation; the market is too saturated for that. Frankly, I would expect a lot of people running small niche brands to be bad at business. We shouldn't expect too much from most of them. Too many people try to get into business without proper skills, thorough research, and intense planning; they then get killed by their more competent competitors in the market.

[ionone]

You're suggesting boycotting people, because they may not have the capital, or the resources may not exist in some cases, to produce batches of thousands of bottles? Silly. Just don't buy it, and don't pay attention to it if it bothers you.

this would be true if you could not find ANY small indie houses with lots of naturals at an affordable price
yet you can find it. so how are they doing it ? how come they don't overcharge their fragrances?