Hiya Perfumistas, Many of us are not just perfumistas, we are PERFUME HOARDERS! We have many, many, many bottles, decants, samples and other fragrant paraphernalia. More than we will ever use in our lifetimes, and probably that of all our friends and all the way along to their great grandchildren. Lately I’ve been thinking about Culling Perfume Excess. Yes, GASP! HORROR! The problem is, not only do I have so much perfume that it’s weighing me down but also that some of my faves have nearly a liter of their glorious juice stored here. Most of that will never get used. Let’s not kid ourselves, if I even get through the bottle I’m using and one other it will have to have been one of my very favorites.
There’s just too much choice to be emptying 100ml bottles. Although I’m very near to emptying a second CK Contradiction woman 100ml. Yeah, it often gets a sneaky spritz or 10 for things like studying or bed. Interesting enough to captivate but not so disturbing as to block all thought. Also quite low on my umpteenth bottle of Cacharel Liberté, another Niki de Saint Phalle (but to be fair I have a bunch of 12ml) and making headway on a Guerlain Shalimar.
Culling Perfume Excess: How Do You Do It?
So, how do you thin your herd?
One of the problems nowadays is getting perfume sent. International from Australia has become impossible. Sending within Australia is becoming harder and harder.
Ebay seems to have collapsed and even if you do make your way through the fees and charges and get the bottle sent, there seems to be more and more scammers who lie and cheat and get refunds from PayPal. So you have spent all this time and money and don’t have the bottle or the payment.
Back in 2014 when we moved from the house I did a declutter and had a Garage Sale with probably 200 bottles for sale. Really good prices. Told all the Australian perfume peeps and only three turned up. Two bought a couple each and the other was just there to lowball offer. It was a bit of a bummer.
Do you give them away?
Do you swap with friends? Thing is. I don’t think I want more, or swap equal.
I’d like all my perfumes to fit into my cupboards. HA! Sounds so simple.
So. Thanks for reading. How do you cull?
Portia xx
I’m nowhere near y’all, with the hundreds of bottles ( I’ve got… maybe… 75(?) but even with that I find myself overwhelmed . And none of my friends have a real life interest in it.
I tend to Be Like Tom and scent whatever pleases me to scent! I used to scent Jane ( my Presa) all the time!
Buying perfume… not anymore!!! I just have too much!
And… omg !!!! I just lied like a lima bean! with the ‘no buy’!!! But the Guidance dupe was $35 ! And I just scented my LR curtains with it so…
Well, I wreck]on a $35 bottle is perfume FREE! Musette.
Bet the living room smells awesome.
Portia xx
What’s a Presa?
A Presa Canario is a very large, marvelous looking dog that needs good training. They are then gentle loves but without training they can be seriously dangerous.
Aha! Thanks.
I recommend going through an ugly divorce and having to move multiple times. Actually, no, I do not recommend that AT ALL. But it certainly helped me declutter, especially the last cross-country move! If I owned my home it’d probably be floor-to-ceiling books and perfume bottles. And cosmetics. And plants.
Wait. Isn’t that my house? I would’ve stalled at the plants – but you put paid to that notion!
Yes, moving house is an excellent time to rid ourselves of the excess. Problem is I always seem to lose stuff that is REALLY important too. Last big move all the historic Portia paraphernalia went. The posters, newspaper clippings, photographs, calendars and videos. Gone. It was very sad.
Portia xx
I just started myself on a ruthless “No Buy” that is going to last for a long time. I will sample my butt off, but unless something is truly groundbreaking, orgasmic, AND cheap, Mister MasterCard stays in my pocket.
As far as the decants I have to test, I give them away. Bottles- I have been scenting everything that isn’t nailed down. Car, home, office, you name it. If the neighbors dog isn’t quick enough, then it’s cheap and cheerful for poochie.. I’d rather smell Terre d’Hermes than Terrier anyday..
HA! I reckon the dogs would take my arm off if I sprayed perfume on them Tom.
Good luck on your No Buy. I’m watching this space and cheering you on.
Portia xx
I am also confronting this problem! I have donated some to charity shops and they were a hit at a church “garage” sale. I’ve given some away. I’m timid about selling – haven’t done it before, so buyers might justifiably be concerned. And shipping is an expensive pain! Also, some of my older, unopened scents worry me – I wouldn’t want to sell them if they’ve gone off, but don’t want to open them to find out! I’ve gotten better about chucking samples and demands I don’t like and I need to get better still – I used to think ” someone will want this” but haven’t met any someones lately.
These days I buy travel sizes or the smallest size I can, so there’s some hope of using it up, or even storing it effectively. Same with decants and discovery sets. I am planning a few purchases of regular size bottles – the Jasmine version of Shalimar is calling my name – but I’m waiting for discretionary funds to materialize (or that winning Lotto ticket!)
Hoping to get more ideas from you all.
Autocorrect sucks. “decants” not “demands.”
Yeah, I love the idea of giving a shitload to a local fundraiser. Even if I gave 50 cheapies and they got $10 each it would help the cause.
Portia xx
I just sold a couple hundred bottles on FB groups in the US and luckily finished two days before the sh*t hit the fan with groups getting shut down. I still have hundreds more, will wait until the dust settles and resume selling this fall. I also give bottles away to certain friends. Can’t be bothered with Ebay anymore as if you sell over $600 they report you to the IRS so you get taxed on your « gains » on top of the 15% fees. No thanks.
WHAT!?! TaraC, that’s bloody terrible of them.
Love that you offloaded a couple of hundred though. Very cool.
Portia xx
Last summer I met with a local perfume friend and brought half a dozen bottles of nice, but unworn perfume, and she accepted four of them, making me quite happy. Took someone’s advice here and drop off the occasional bottle in a washroom at work or more directly asked a colleague.
Excellent ways AnnieA, sadly I don’t work in an office situation.
Portia xx
Selling these days is simply too much hassle, with the threat of scammers and the minimal net after all fees and postage. I haven’t had much luck at swapping either. It’s a real bummer. I used to do lots of RAOKs in the facebook groups when shipping was still reasonable and you didn’t get threatened at the post office. Twenty ago during a major downsize, I boxed up a collection and donated to my mom’s senior center, and that was a huge hit. Today such a donation probably would not be accepted.
OMG! I love the idea of taking it to an age home. What a brilliant idea. I’m going to try that VerbenaLuvvr. My aunt is in a really good one that might just be in for it.
Portia xx
So many had never splurged on themselves to purchase such things, it was a definite win-win!
I recently tried to offload a few things for free, just asking folks to pay for shipping, and only had one taker. I think lots and lots of people are in a DECLUTTER mindset, and the last thing they want is more “stuff.” They’re looking for exact, curated items. I know I am. That makes getting rid of things hard. My local thrift store won’t take them either. shrug emoji
Yeah, people do seem to be going through a big empty the nest of excess lately, you’re right DinaC.
Oh well, I can wait.
Portia x
I’m in the USA so we have several options for online selling with decent protections and reasonable-ish fees. If it isn’t a big ticket item I will just give it away to a family member or friend who likes it. I like sharing the joy of fragrance and if someone likes something better than I do, then it makes me happy to give it to them.
The USA does have a seriously good online selling culture and you’re all good to send through to the 48 continuous states.
That would make life easier.
Portia xx
Portia, I’ve never found a method that works for me. There is a FB group for Canadians, cause we have the same issues with trying to ship things. So that may help me. I think i get too attached-I want someone who appreciates the fume as much as I do, and that’s not always a sane thought for me:)
Oh Carole, yes I know this feeling too. What a let down to gift someone a perfume in their wheelhouse something that they don’t love. I would rather they say they don’t like it and give it back.
Portia xx
I am in the process of making up some sample packs to sell online, other things get swapped on NST or given away. My mother, at almost 98, loves perfume and wears it every day, so she gets quite a bit. It’s so lovely to see her face light up when she smells something new. I have a couple of young perfume friends irl that will take decants and samples. But I keep my collection pretty well in hand and don’t buy many bottles.
I love that you are able to keep your collection comfortably sized Rosarita.
I too like to give stuff away and do so regularly. Seriously though, I don’t have enough friends to take it all
Portia x
Hi Portia, I have given quite a few bottles away over the years, to my sister, my nieces and good friends, and to my husband! They are always happily received.
I have sent some to on-line ‘perfume’ friends, and sometimes Bois de Jasmin hosts give-a-ways for Ukraine.
It is not always easy to send perfumes by post from the Netherlands, but DHL or FedEx do ship (but expensive). Have you tried Etsy as an alternative to Ebay? I have bought via Etsy and it is (still) a nice platform (no bots as far as I know), there are always vintage fragrances for sale.
Maybe when you next travel to Europe pack your suitcase with some of the bottles you have enough off and wish to sell, and we can meet up in Amsterdam ;-).
In the meantime don’t get weighed down, I think most perfumes age well so it is still a good investment, who knows, one day you may open a vintage perfume shop (Perfumes of the past).
OMG Hamamelis, you know my secret dream is to open a perfume shop. When we win Lotto or similar it will be the first thing I do. It will be called Naughty but Niche.
Yeah, I’ve bought from Etsy many times but the problem is the sending of perfume in the post. Here is Oz they are super vigilant against it.
Portia xx
That would be something! Maybe as a business it is also easier to send perfume and comply with regulations. I hope you will win the lottery or find a sponsor.
You’re right. We buy a Dangerous Goods certificate here in Oz for businesses. It would change the game.
THANKS! Any day now would be nice.
Portia xx
I did what felt like a huge cull last year. Made several thousand quid on eBay. No one scammed me as I send everything tracked & insured. EBay no longer charge to list items, just the sales fee.
I tried Vinted too but it’s set up with bots that chuck out partial or opened bottles. Thing is, I spent the winnings on perfume, lipstick & jewellery. Largely big ticket perfumes.
The big designer houses have recently launched armies of bots on Facebook sales groups, eBay, Vinted, Mercari etc. even private FB groups that don’t sell have been caught up in this war. On Insta people are being banned & losing their archive. Even Fragrantica has had to put up a disclaimer about Chanel.
Good on you Alityke. Bet you felt cleansed and rich.
Yeah, we are having troubles even on the Aussie sites. It’s all getting very stupid.
Portia xx
Glad you had fun with your “winnings”!
And thanks for the info on the big designers. I’ll look to them even less than I already do, since IMP it’s all about the emperor’s new clothes and they mass market like everyone does, so rarely, if ever, have anything special.
IMO
Given all you say about shipping and sort of general disinterest, a conundrum. Maybe you offered so much people were overwhelmed? Is there a local chachka shop or charity shop where you could set up a card table and put out, say, 25 bottles/decants with a free to good homes sign, and see what happens? If successfully emptied, then 25 more?
Hey Cinnamon,
This is a good idea.
Portia xx
I give them away at NST’s swapmeets. I just don’t want to mess with the hassle of selling them.
This is a fabulous idea if you live in the USA or Europe but we are far far away and there is no shipping, even if for swapping CobraRose.
It’s a bummer.
Portia xx
I have thought about doing a perfume cull but never get around to it. Most consignment shops don’t accept perfume to sell, but if they do, they will sell at the lowest price they can and split the profit with you. So consignment shops are out. Most charities won’t accept perfume in my area. I haven’t gotten around to selling on Ebay yet but spent tons of money there for vintage Mitsouko. Getting low on a bottle of vintage Shalimar though.
Oh yes, I too spent hefty amounts on Ebay, especially on vintage Guerlains Eldarwen22 (last century). If I wore nothing but vintage Mitsouko extrait every day of the rest of my life then there would still be left overs. It’s a problem.
wow