What to do with almost full perfume bottles.

[PickledHoneybuzzard]

After around a decade of lurking I have finally registered to ask this question. I have a couple of bottles of perfume which have only been sprayed a few times. Decent makes like Chanel, Bottega Veneta and Guerlain. They aren't going to get used (note to self; stop buying perfume after one sniff!), I don't have anyone to give them to except DD14 and none of them suitable for her, it seems wasteful to throw them away and charity shops won't take them. Any ideas? Is there a market for selling them or a Mumsnet 'free for the cost of postage perfume club?

Are any of them discontinued? Discontinued perfumes can fetch a very good price even if they are used.

Good point Dairy, I've just checked and none of them are. I thought the Chanel No. 19 Poudre might be but no. The Guerlain is L'Heure Bleu so you need to go to a Guerlain stockists rather than a dept. store to buy iyswim but no rarity value.

Have you called your local women's shelter? I know my local one would happily take them!

Don’t they go off, scentwise?

They can often sell for quite decent prices on ebay even if partly used..

My mum used to have about 20 bottles in the salad draw of the fridge to preserve them. It was never used for salad.

There’s definitely a market for selling them - have you got a local Sales and Swaps page on FB? Usually works better than Ebay.

I would absolutely ebay them. They should fetch a decent price. Postage and packaging them would be a chore but you would have to do this anyway if you accepted postage from mumsnetters.
Why not get something nice for yourself with the profits?

There are lots of fans for the Guerlain on the perfume thread here

Suggest you post on there as most of us haunt Ebay for interesting bottles. Someone will snap it up.

Ebay them.

If you don't need/want money for them then I would also suggest donating to your nearest women's shelter.

I’ll take them off your hands. Seriously- let me know how much you want. I’d love 19 and LHB!

The issue with donating these perfumes to a women’s shelter (besides the fact they’re open and they don’t take open toiletries) is that they are the classics, which are often dismissed as “old lady perfumes” (not my opinion). They are not the popular, modern perfumes many people like today. So I’m not sure they would be that popular at a women’s refuge. Better to sell to perfumistas and donate the money if you want to a women’s shelter.

Used perfumes sell quite well on Ebay - I've seen them go even with less than half left.

I've swapped perfumes with other MNers in the past. Wanna swap?

shockers Perfume doesn’t ‘go off’ but the top notes can disappear if subjected to heat/ light

Some perfumes get better with age (deeper, more complex). Buying second perfume is a good idea if you’re short of funds and plenty of choice on eBay. It’s just time consuming looking through them all!

Wow, thanks for the suggestions. Am off to exercise and ponder the options. Will be back later.

I'll take 19 Poudre off your hands

If I get it, I’ll split with you Fennel sharing is caring and us perfumistas are a lovely bunch

we are indeed

Honestly OP, pop over to the Lovely Friendly Perfume Thread and you'll find several of us more than willing to make you an offer you can't refuse for those beauties!

When my MIL died she had alot of perfume, some half used some untouched. I ebayed it, I was amazed how popular it was.

Definitely Ebay. I've sold lots on Ebay. Spray first though and see if any have gone off, or you'll probably get some miffed buyers. I had some perfumes years old that were still fab but a bottle that was only 3 years had definitely gone off, (I mean it still smelled reasonable but it wasn't the right smell for that fragrance any more IYSWIM) so I binned it.

When you come to post them, bear in mind you will need to advise the post office the parcels contain perfume. They will put a special sticker on the packet as (I think) perfume is flammable liquid.

Thanks for all the advice. I have been inspired to check the rest of my dressing table and have a couple of other things also looking for a new home.
I didn't realise it was possible to sell stuff on Mumsnet, now I know it is I will go and say hello on the perfumistas thread just as soon as I have worked out postage costs.
After that I will probably try eBay (would rather see things go to Mumsnetters though).
I really want a swap for Valentina Poudre, who knows, maybe someone over there has an unwanted bottle and a hankering for Dans tes Bras. Is it just me who always mentally translates that as 'in your bra' 😶?