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Original poster

To wonder why people are so desperate for perfume at car boot fairs?

53 replies

crazyhairdontcare · 12/09/2017 19:52

I was asked at least nine times on Sunday if I had any perfume for sale. And this is from the traders that invade your personal space before you've unloaded.

What on earth do they want to do with it? Is it some illegal scam I'm completely oblivious to?

OP posts:
Original poster
crazyhairdontcare · 13/09/2017 08:05

It struck me as odd that so many traders were after it.

They were also after makeup. I'd like to think they were only interested in unused makeup but now I'm not so sure Hmm

Yes sparkling they will swarm your car as soon as you get out sometimes, which can be very intimidating!

OP posts:
PoppyPopcorn · 13/09/2017 08:07

I've only done one car boot sale as a seller and yes to the vultures who appear as soon as you park up. In my case they were after Lego though.

PeaceAndLove1 · 13/09/2017 08:17

You have to get there really really early to set up before the people that swarm come.

grecian100 · 13/09/2017 13:01

What is rank about a used bottle of perfume Sparkling? It's pro ably one of the lesser rank items at a carboot sale. Used clothing, bedding, crockery, bras etc are all common things sold.

PerfumeIsAMessage · 13/09/2017 13:19

I've never been to a car boot (sadly- if there's perfume to be had!) as I'm not in the UK.

I do have (and many of the perfume collectors on the perfumista thread can beat me hands down) about 200 different ones, probably half of which are discontinued/vintage/earlier formulations of perfumes so not available in Boots/John Lewis. Many of the perfumes currently on sale (including your big hitters like n5, n19, Miss Dior etc) have been reformulated out of recognition due to EU laws on ingredients, so that's also a reason why many of us look for older stuff. I'm guessing the car booters know this.

I guess that's why the people are interested in them at a car boot, even if just to sell on. On ebay you can get a half bottle of something for a lot less than half the original price and ebay seller protection is such that you rarely find fakes or topped up bottles with dupe fragrances.

To the poster who has a cabinet of Avon- if it's pre 1990s get thee to ebay (or PM me Grin) vintage Avon is highly sought after, not the "designer" stuff they do now, but the old stuff 80s/70s (especially the stuff in the random shaped bottles- "ooh look, a moustache shaped bottle of perfume, and here's a lampshade and a shoe!")

grecian100 · 13/09/2017 16:01

I knew someone who worked on an Ester Lauder perfume counter who said that perfume went 'off'. If vintage perfume is a thing then surely that can't be the case? unless mouldy perfume is the new used tights on ebay

alltoomuchrightnow · 13/09/2017 16:12

I don't do boot sales any more, too stressful and I tend to work weekends, but when I did, I was always asked , countless times , for perfume, that and mobile phones.. nothing else . Yes it does go well on eBay,, even used.

PerfumeIsAMessage · 13/09/2017 16:14

Well, sales assistants have a tendency to try that one...
It depends how they've been stored tbh. If stored badly, top notes can go off but once the first minutes have passed the rest is usually fine.
My oldest vintage bottles are 1950s and are fine.

thecakefairy · 13/09/2017 16:20

How would Royal Mail know you were posting an open bottle of perfume?!

In the past when I occasionally did car boot sales, mobile phones were really sought after. Some people were interested in any make, any network even if they were pretty old.

Olaf4fuxache · 13/09/2017 16:40

You would have to be mad to buy perfume from a bootsale,most of it is fake and very dangerous.
Article in the news recently about authorities in Peterborough seizing loads of dangerous fakes from a bootsale.Just google "boot sale fake perfume peterborough" and it should bring up the article.
If anyone can post the photo from the article??I tried!
I mean ,who in their right minds would sell a perfume worth £50+ for a couple of quid at a bootsale!??

CoughLaughFart · 13/09/2017 16:51

Perfume is expensive, car boots are cheap. 'Mystery' solved.

PerfumeIsAMessage · 13/09/2017 16:56

Oh I don't doubt that a lot of it is fake. I would no more buy a full bottle of Dior for a fiver from a geezer with a stall full than anyone.
But would trample all of you underfoot to get to the geezer who has done a house clearance and just has 1 bottle of Coty Chypre in the middle of all the plates and bookshelves.

44PumpLane · 13/09/2017 16:56

Oh how interesting- I need to get me to a car boot sale I have loads of unused, unopened perfume I could flog!!

Used to work for a perfume manufacturer and we had a staff shop where you'd be able to buy both boxes and unboxed perfumes so while I was looking for a new job I stocked up at the staff shop. After handing in my noticed I started selling it all on eBay until Royal Mail put there new rules in meaning I have a load of the inboxed left as I can't post it out!

So if it's sought after at car boots I need to get along to one!!

PerfumeIsAMessage · 13/09/2017 16:57

It's also pretty easy to spot the fakes once you know.
My friend lives in China and sends us fake designer perfume to use as room spray. Close up you can tell.

CoughLaughFart · 13/09/2017 17:05

I knew someone who worked on an Ester Lauder perfume counter who said that perfume went 'off'

Noooo, really? It's almost as if they earn a living by flogging more of the stuff Hmm

cowgirlsareforever · 13/09/2017 17:08

There is a market for fake perfume hence the market for original bottles.

Sparklingbrook · 13/09/2017 18:30

What is rank about a used bottle of perfume Sparkling?

You don't know where it's been or how long for.

We used to have bottle stalls at the school fete and people would send in half bottles of perfume/body lotion etc.

Olaf4fuxache · 13/09/2017 18:37

@44pump lane you can still sell yours and send thru the post,just put them in any old box and when the po asks is it in its original box,just say yes.not like theyre gonna open it! If it goes thru xray its gonna show a perfume in a box...all good!

AllToadsLeadToHome · 13/09/2017 18:44

Jewellery too. Got pounced on as we went to unpack by another seller (buyers not let in at that stage) asking for perfume and jewellery.

Sparklingbrook · 13/09/2017 18:55

Do they honestly think you are going to rummage it out for them to look at when you have literally just pulled up? Confused

PerfumeIsAMessage · 13/09/2017 20:07

44- have a look round eBay rather than car boots if you want anything near decent prices. And don't worry about the new postage rules. Hardly anyone takes any notice. It's for open bottles I think anyway.

disconnecteddrifter · 17/09/2017 00:09

My Chanel no 5 is eau de toilette and isn't a spray bottle. I'll post it to you if you like?

disconnecteddrifter · 17/09/2017 00:10

Feel too bad chucking it now but it's opened and over 20 years old!

IncyWincyGrownUp · 17/09/2017 00:26

Twenty year old No5 will probably be nicer than current.

Time40 · 17/09/2017 00:35

You cant post open perfume via royal mail or my hermes etc. So that limits any eBay market.

Just pack it up so it can't possibly come undone and lie when they ask you in the post office.