So, for those of you who participated in the 2nd swapmeet, how did it go? Feel free to tell us what you got, and whether or not you loved it.
Anything you'd like to see changed when we hold our next swapmeet in September?
And I said in the swap rules that you would not be allowed to post complaints here, ever, but I really meant that you would not be allowed to post an accusation against another reader. If you want to post a general complaint because your swap didn't go well, feel free, just don't tell us who you were swapping with.
BTW, there's a "regular" poll coming along shortly for people who want to chat about something other than swapping.
Note: top image is Chrysanthemums by mdpai75 at flickr; some rights reserved.
Here’s Lucas reporting!
I only got one swap but it was a good one. I swapped a bunch of samples for a lovely 6 mls decant of Prada Infusion d’Iris Absolue + a sample of Humiecki & Graef Askew.
I was negotiating with one more swapper but unfortunately it didn’t work out 🙁 Once again I was left with no Le Labo Iris 39…
I hadn’t plan to participate in the swap but then, well, I read what people wanted and I knew I had it available and one thing led to another. Lol, no regrets!
Mostly I traded lots of small things for three bigger things that I really wanted:
–a travel size Frederic Malle Iris Poudre
–a decant of Bronze Goddess
–a back up decant of Infusion d’Iris edp
Thanks to my swappers! And thanks, Robin, for hosting.
I had a wonderful time participating in the Swap Meet. I was able to find new homes for some unloved bottles and decants of things I simply have too much of. In return, I got some lovely samples, decants, and minis of including several things I have been longing to try, namely Sheherazade, Deneuve, Vent Vert, and l’Arte de Gucci. I also got two bottles of perfumes I had never even heard of before–Jacomo Parfum Rare and Gres Quiproquo.
I am looking forward to the September swap. I think the format worked well and I have no changes to suggest. Confining the negotiations to email, rather than in the swap posts, really does keep down the clutter and make it easier to find what is available. All of my swap partners were great. Everything arrived intact and in a reasonable time. I really do like a spring/fall schedule for these Swap Meets. I am always leery of shipping perfume in the heat of summer, and things (including the shipping services) get so hectic around the end of the year that it is probably best to avoid that time as well.
I participated in two swaps and got really great stuff: beautiful orientals Aqaba and Sands of Aqaba of Miriam Mirani, which are just perfectly my style, and some samples of Arabic perfumes. I finally got acquainted with Sonomas and PDN’s, and I fell in love with Sacrebleu and I’m afraid this will happen to Odalisquie, too 😉 I’ve also got Seville a l’aube, which is very interesting, too. Swapping is always wonderful, I’m looking for September 🙂 My swap partners were great.
I’ve done a lot of sample and decant swapping in the past couple of months, and I can’t really remember what was part of the NST swap and what wasn’t! But I do know I got one partial bottle that had been on my list for ages: Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia. Beautiful! Oh, also: small bottles of Reglisse Noire and Honeysuckle Bird.
This was my first swap meet on NST although I’ve swapped for years on MUA and some other blogs. Thank you Robin for hosting, and thanks to all the lovely people I swapped with! I also have done some other swapping since then and things tend to run together in my head, but I had a blast and got some great stuff. Also one bottle from a perfumer I had wanted to try and omg, it’s a toxic scrubber on me but that’s part of the fun of swapping, imo, trying things you’d never pay for. Everyone is so thoughtful and generous and I have enough samples to last me for ages. Lots of fun and I’ll definitely do it again 🙂
If you don’t mind sharing, what’s the scrubber? I love hearing what other people can’t stand – it’s so fascinatingly subjective!
I had quite the haul this time around with some repeat swap buddies, some new ones and some freebie deals that turned into swaps. Thank you swap buddies and of course, to Robin for hosting this. I am looking forward to the next one!
I got, among others — many Le Labo samples (regular as well as City exclusives), NVC Mohur, Byredo Gypsy Water, SL La Fille de Berlin, Chanel 1932, L’AP Vanille Absolument (and now I have an FB), PdR Bois de Paradis, Vintage Climat (!).
Sharing a few random comments related to the swap meet:
1. Definitely important to include your Wish List and/or preferred perfume notes. I had a number of correspondents who were not interested in my To Swap list but saw my Wish List and contacted me anyway and I ended up swapping other perfumes. Conversely, if you have nothing on someone’s Wish List but want something on their To Swap list, contact them anyway — you never know what else that person may like.
2. Decant supplies — Accessories for Fragrance (not affiliated) is a great source. I was a little taken aback by the shipping cost but they really only end up charging what they spent — I have ordered from them twice and each time, I got a partial refund of the shipping fee. STC has the best price for 1.5 mL and 2.5 mL screw on atomizers.
3. Sprayers – Slumberhouse bottles (I have the Pear & Olive extrait) have the best sprayers. I decanted several times and not one drop was lost. The worst, and I mean the absolute worst, was the 30mL Parfums de Nicolai bottles — I must have spilt 3mLs while decanting 2.5 mLs!
4. The best part? I finally, finally figured out how to create USPS First Class Mail shipping labels through PayPal! No need to request a “token” payment. Just use the multi-order shipping tool. If it is not in your quick links, go to Merchant Services, Process Orders, Order Fulifillment (“learn more”) and there is a link within the explanatory paragraph that will take you to the Mulit-Order shipping tool. Yipee – no more sending blind. Of course I now have a bunch of $1 and $2 postage stamps that I eventually have to use!
You now have a FB of Vanille Absolument!?! Funny how that turned out 🙂
Thanks for the shipping tips.
It helped that it was 50% off at the L’AP boutique at Henri Bendel 🙂
Thanks so much for the info re: supplies, greatly appreciated!
Thanks Robin for hosting and thanks to all of the great swappers out there. I traded mostly samples, and got to try some wished for items like ineke’s field notes from paris (love), jour d’hermes (meh), and l’artisan’s seville (sadly, scrub!). Helped me refine my full bottle list, and thin out my sample drawer. I look forward to doing this again in September.
This was my first swapmeet although I have enjoy swapping on MUA for years. I had so much fun and received several wishlist decants (SL Un Bois Vanille, Santal Majuscule, Diptyque Volutes, LAP Traversee du Bosphore, among others). There was also one lovely person who was giving bottles away and I was lucky enough to receive a bottle of DSH L’eau d’Iris, AND she threw in a bottle of Costume National 21 based on some notes I told her I enjoyed. The generosity of this community never ceases to amaze me. I also met a lovely girl who was new to perfume and looking for a wedding scent. I was able to send her a decant of Chanel Beige and a few other samples and now we correspond frequently. She is a lovely person and I’m so glad I got a chance to meet her.
All 5 or 6 of my swaps went very very smoothly and everyone was a joy to deal with. I’m very much looking forward to the next swapmeet! Thank you for hosting such a wonderful event!
This was my second swapmeet and I received two partial bottles I always wanted to have, but never made decision to buy FB. they are Atelier Cologne “Orange Sanguine” and Miller et Bertaux “Spiritus Land”. People I swapped with were great and enclosed a lot of extra samples for me to try. They shipped fast, too.
I want to mention that there are people out there who want to swap and they make an offer, only to say later they cannot afford postage or don’t have time to go to the post office within next two (or more) weeks. Or, they actually don’t have the item they offered. You learn these things after you have already shipped your swap. I would strongly recommend to ask when exactly they are going to ship.
This is not a complaint, just an advice for future swappers.
Overall, I am very happy with the swapmeet and waiting for the September one.
I’m in Canada so it can be difficult to participate because so many prefer not to ship here, but I managed to find a fellow Canadian swapper and traded for a full bottle of L’AP Tea for Two! I also connected with a lovely Texan who sent me samples of Tauer Miriam, Une Rose Chypree and Carrilon Pour Un Ange. 🙂
Hi yes, me too, three nice decants (Blackberry & Bay which is already half gone, and Drole de Rose and Briar Rose which were both fun to try even if not something I’ll wear regularly), plus super friendly swap partners! Thanks for hosting, Robin.
In terms of future swaps, one lesson I’m taking away is that for me personally, it’s probably a better way to acquire small of things I know I’ll use than to try new stuff–for the cost of decanting supplies + shipping supplies + postage (+ worry about packages arriving to correct destination in good shape, etc.) to get something unknown that I’ll likely end up wearing only once, it would have been a money and stress-saver to just order a ml or two from STC. No regrets on this swap, very fun trial run, just as I think about next time.
Will also tape up everything very tightly next time! Had a Coco Mlle sample I thought was well-sealed soak the whole package!
I really enjoyed the swap meet… the whole concept of trading is so great. Thank you for hosting this event!
I sent some samples to two lovely women and received a number of samples back (Comme des Garcons, Parfums MDCI and Etat Libre d’Orange). Both swappers insisted on sending me extra, in fact, and I thank them very much! Delightful and fun.
I participated in a few swaps and got some lovely things. Everyone was super courteous and generous. This was my first swap on here and I look forward to the next one.
I am pretty new to this world, and it was my first swapmeet. I participated in swaps with three people. And everything turned out really well, both in terms of the really kind correspondance and the way the stuff was sent by these great people involved – and in terms of what I got and was able to give. I got a small bottle of one of my absolute loves: Guerlain, L’heure Bleue, that little bottle is now precious to me. I was able to try such interesting things as Guerlain Nahema, some Etat Libre d’Orange samples, Jasmin et Cigarettes, Andy Tauer’s limited Dark Passage and Matiere Parfumeur et Gantier Tubereuse.
I found I ranged from really liking to even loving som of the following: Etro Dianthus, Esprit d’Oscar, Byreedo Bal d’Afrique, Thierry Mugler Angel Le Lys and Andy Tauer Carillon Pour un Ange.
All in all: a very positive experience in all ways and I appreciate that you host it here on NST.
People on this list are lovely to deal with – was able to get a bottle of Arpege (memories) and find a home for a bottle I haven’t used in years.
What I learned: I need to set up a system to record what I have, including samples, what I like and why, and what I might want. Hate spreadsheets but need to do this to make swapping more effective. I also will buy some decanting supplies before the next swap.
Thanks, Robin, for hosting.
I was delighted to find some European swapmeeters and we really had a great time together exchanging swaps. Everything worked out fine except that I will send out plastic atomizers and not glass ones, since one cracked in shipping (but luckily enough juice stayed put to make it a sample).
I received a bunch of interesting samples from among others Lubin, Parfum de Nicolaï and Sonoma Scent Studio. But my biggest love so far is the Tilda Swinton Like This sample. Aus Liebe Zum Duft just sent me a 10 Euro birthday certificate and I am trying to make up my mind whether to buy that or JHaG Midnight Oud, which also has captured my heart…
I broke a lot of the rules and I’m sorry. I received a trove of fine products: L’ARTISAN, Hermes, Tom Ford, and some decants I had been waiting on all my life. I even made a new friend. Very enjoyable. I will do better with the rules next time. I was over zealous.
I received some wonderful things in the swap! Mostly samples which I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring as I am new to this. My favorite thing I’ve tried so far is a sample of Boadicea the Victorious Divine – so lovely. I also got a sample of Therese which I was so excited to try. I wore it on a first date and am still seeing the guy! I also got a sample of Musc Ravageur which I really enjoyed wearing but not sure it’s something I would go back to.
The only thing I wanted to scrub was LAP La Chasse aux Papillons, which was something I had actually realy wanted to try! It smelled overwhelmingly like artificial grape to me…and I abhor artificial grape. I am baffled by my reaction since so many love that one.
I swapped with both new and old friends this time :). Among my favorite goodies are a large decant of Safran Troublant, two decants of Eau Duelle from different people, Lipstick Rose, and a bottle of Caleche Eau Delicate. Agree that twice a year seems to be the right timing for this event.
I hope it is not too late to comment–rough few days with work.
ANyway, the swapmeet was WONDERFUL! Thank you, Robin, for hosting, and thank you, too many to name, for trading with this newbie. The kindness and generosity of everyone I traded with absolutely blew me away. I was able to send some things I wasn’t using off to a good home, and got some really nifty stuff in return.
The surprise hit for me was a bottle of Hermes Eau Gentiane Blanche. I love it, and was not expecting to. It is so weird, and so great. I’m getting over a fear of iris as a note thanks to some lovely samples–I don’t like it as a soliflore, but combined with some other things, it’s kind of wonderful.
The one thing that really didn’t work for me was a bottle of Demeter Rain. I am so grateful for the chance to have tried it, because it contains some note that I absolutely hate, and now that I know it’s there, I have a hope of finding out what this note is, and avoiding it. It smells to me like a combination of cilantro (ugh) and orange zest, but yucky orange zest. I’ve occasionally smelled it on other people, but have never felt like I could ask them what they were wearing; if it was to compliment them, then no problem, but I can’t do it for an unpleasant scent. Anyone have an idea what this could be? I’ll post to the lazy poll too.
I also received two FBs from the AMAZING! person who gave them as a gift. These are Chanel La Pausa and CDG Kyoto! Wonderful fragrances no doubt but now they smell even more interesting as they also embody the kindness of the perfumista who sent them my way — thank you so much!!
I am wearing a sample of Volutes EDP I got from a generous participant in the swap. I LOVE the Volutes. It is the first time I have smelled in a long long time which really gives me that “this makes me smell like JUST what I want to smell like” feeling. It is warm and cozy and I am thinking of going immediately to Saks after work to pick it up. Thanks to the kind soul who sent it to me!!
i got various samples and bottles. everyone was great. I ended up really not liking a couple of ineke scents, SL and PJ weren’t my thing! Such disappointments.