Perfume miniatures: their resale price

How good does that smell! And for good reason: it’s perfume! Some love them so much that they have become collectors. More specifically, they bring together the small bottles of this special product offered by the brands. The latter are called “lécythiophiles”, according to L’express.

Originally, the miniatures of the larger models were used to test the different fragrances in perfumery. From now on, these mini-bottles can be used almost everywhere and are given away free of charge to introduce everyone to the brands’ articles.

Lovers of these flasks with a thousand scents have many products to exchange at attics, flea markets and auctions… You still have to know at what price to buy and sell them. Because if the current miniatures are not very valuable, the oldest can be resold at exorbitant prices… Like the Guerlain 3 perfumes box from 1973 which can be redeemed at 185 euros.

What are the criteria that make it possible to set the price of one of these objects so coveted by lecythiophiles?

According to Info Collection, it all depends primarily on the age of the bottle. It is the availability of the sample on the market that creates the scarcity. The contemporary ones, excluding limited edition or unique designer will not be very interesting.

Especially if they are not sold with their box or their original box: their value will drop between €0.50 and €3, against €3 and €10 with. To this must be added the manufacturing defects of the bottle and the cap which can also penalize the object.

And this is not the most decisive…

The brand of the perfume is crucial in determining the value of the good. The notoriety of the perfumery largely influences the price. This is the case, for example, of a highly sought-after miniature by Guerlain.

To increase the demand for a neglected perfumer, many collectors do not hesitate to limit themselves to the purchase of only a few brands… Thus, the price can quickly climb because of its rarity.

Finally comes perhaps the most fundamentally essential criterion for the purchase of one of these bottles.

The character of the piece, that is to say its beauty, its originality will also determine its price. In addition, the golden rule for any self-respecting lecythiophile is never to open a bottle… Because the perfume could stale or evaporate.

That’s not the only thing that could cause the mini bottle to lose its edge. If the bottle is chipped or irreparably soiled, it will have almost no resale value, unless it is exceptionally old or extremely rare.

Want to embark on the adventure? L’Express warns: this passion can quickly become cumbersome…