This year, the International Perfume Bottle Association convention was held in Portland, Oregon, just a short bicycle jaunt across the river from where I live. Normally, I’m more interested in a perfume bottle’s contents than the bottle itself, but the convention was open to the public for a “Perfume Bottle & Vanity Show and Sale” on Saturday. I went, and, boy, am I glad (more on that later).
The perfume bottle sale was held in a ballroom, flea-market style, in the bowels of a hotel. I stopped at the first table I saw to get the scoop on the sale from Joan Walter, a specialist in German porcelain perfume bottles.1 She said that perfume bottle collectors loosely fall into two camps: those who collect bottles from manufactured perfumes — prize findings might be an old Nina Ricci Farouche bottle, for instance, or a 1920s Jean Patou Colony bottle [see image just above, far right on top shelf]; and those who seek out perfume bottles made to be filled by their purchaser with whatever fragrance they choose.
People who collect bottles made to be filled by the purchaser might specialize in a number of different types. Some people love Czech glass, while others buy only Murano glass. Some people stick to atomizers with glamorous tassels. Still others collect bottles by Lalique or Baccarat or other famous crystal houses — or scores of other possibilities.
The vendors seemed to mostly know each other and traveled between tables to joke around, examine wares, and, in one case, “conduct research on Tabu.” The “vanities” portion of the sale was mostly compacts — new this year, according to Pauline Turco, who has been collecting perfume art bottles for 58 years — perfume ads, powder, and hand-beaded purses. One woman sat alone at a table with her book on Crown Perfumery.2
In the next ballroom, the really fancy perfume bottles were on display [see top 2 images; the image just above shows powder boxes]. It wasn’t open to the public (except a troop of Girl Scouts, who I hope earned a Chanel No. 5-shaped badge for their tour and lecture) but I managed to persuade someone to let me in. Here were the ampoule bottles of Miss Dior and enough 19th-century French atomizers to populate the Rockettes’ dressing tables.
In the corner beyond the Girl Scouts, “the Glassman” Leo Sampson was holding a bottle’s lip to a grinder. “I’m not cheap, but I’m good,” he said. I told him I wasn’t cheap, either, and he shot back, “But you can be had, eh?” Leo, his wife, and their dog travel from Buffalo, Wyoming, to the conference each year, and members know to bring their chipped stoppers and bottles to him.
Among the perfume bottles for sale in the first room were a number that still held perfume. I bought a huge, sealed bottle of Raphael Réplique, probably from the 1940s. The perfume is still grass green, but I haven’t been able to get the stopper out yet. I'll report back on that later. I also picked up minis of Bal à Versailles parfum and Parfum d’Hermès Eau de Toilette.
Plus, on a lark, I bought a full, unmarked bottle for two dollars. I didn’t recognize it — it held an ounce and was shaped like a squat U. The dealer said that the perfume’s name had been on the top of the lid, but it was gone. The bottle’s glass stopper, surrounded by a metal collar, was still in place. I found an identical bottle on the table, but this one had its lid, and it said “Guerlain.” But, Guerlain what?
I got the bottle home and discovered that the stopper was still wired in place. So, the bottle had never been opened. After a bit of messing around, I loosened the stopper and dabbed on the perfume. It smelled spicy like carnation, but full of stemmy narcissus and plumped with Guerlinade. On a hunch, I went to my perfume cabinet and dabbed something next to it. Presto. Vol de Nuit extrait.
1. She wrote a book about this type of bottle, The Crown Top Book: German Porcelain Perfume Bottles, 1920-1939.
2. Barbara W. Miller, The Crown Perfumery Company: A Story of Salts, Scents and Society. Side note: She said Roja Dove designed the first Clive Christian scent.
O M G. I’m breathless with awe. But Angela, you totally deserve the great finds!
It was such a lucky find! Kind of amazing. I finally got the bottle of Réplique open, and it’s a light EdT that lasts five minutes tops on me. Oh well.
That’s too bad about the Replique. I have a bottle of Replique extrait that I picked up on ebay, still sealed and in the original box. While it is not the most assertive of perfumes, it does have decent lasting power, about 4 hours or so.
Someday I’ll try the extrait. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the luxury of splashing whole palmfuls of the fragrance! And the bottle is pretty.
Does it last any longer if you splash it on by the handful, rather than dabbing it?
I am not sure if my Replique extrait smells “right” or not. It smells good, sort of a floral chypre. I definitely get oakmoss out of it. It just doesn’t smell like the descriptions I have read of the vintage perfume. I don’t know just how old my bottle is.
In addition to the extrait, I have some Replique bath oil, and that is wonderful. It is smells richer and spicier than the extrait. I have several vintage bath oils; in addition to the Replique, I have Mary Chess Strategy and Yram, Antilope, and Abano. All of them smell fabulous.
Bath oils are wonderful! I have Youth Dew bath oil, which is terrific, and I had a small bottle of Dioressence bath oil that I cherished every drop of (it’s gone now). I bet Réplique is great in bath oil.
Wow wow wow on your finds! Sounds like a fantastic day. Congratulations on your 10 yr anniversary with NST!
Thank you so much! (Please see the comment below, responding to Kanuka. Somehow I conflated both of your comments when I responded to her.)
That’s the kind of experience that sets your heart racing and your skin tingling. What a great day. Have you figured out the age of the Guerlain? Or any info re. The bottle? The Republique might not last long but it sure looks good.
Yikes, ten years! I wonder if Robin’s going to give us engraved watches! I’m almost afraid to think about my first post. I don’t know if I have the guts to read it.
As for the Réplique, I agree. It’s pretty, at least.
Whoops! I seemed to somehow reply to both comments at once. This reply should be to Laura, above, too.
But, no, I haven’t figured anything out about the Guerlain. When I loaded up the photo that now leads this article–the one very tip top–I noticed that a bottle identical to mine was on the bottom row (cropped from the photo), except cleaner and shinier. I wish I would have noticed it sooner and asked questions!
Delighted to read on your behalf and report back that it’s spellbinding. Happy 10 years! So happy you’re here 🙂
You’re braver than I–and thank you!
Wow, how exciting! I’d love to go to one of those.
It was fun! It made me want to run out and getting a vanity and load it up with beautiful bottles.
What a wonderful find. I still haven’t smelled Vol de Nuit because I heard the reformulation was so dire…
You know, I compared my extrait (maybe 8 or 9 years old) against this older version, and I thought they compared really well. The newer version was a touch brighter, but that makes sense.
I live in Portland and didn’t even know about this event. 🙁
Glad you had fun.
I admit that I only knew about it because a coworker brought me a clipping about it from the Tribune!
That was thoughtful! 🙂
It was! He’s a thoughtful guy.
I’d kill for that Caron La Fete des Roses bottle!
I had my eye on the Patou Colony, myself, but I’d take the Caron, too!
I wish they had such an event here in Houston. If we do, I know nothing about it. Congrats on your great finds and also on your ten year anniversary.
Thank you on the 10-year wishes!
Who knows? The Perfume Bottle Association just might hold their annual conference in Houston some day!
Next year’s convention is in New Jersey, and the year after, it will be in Virginia. No word on 2019 yet.
In the meantime, the IPBA has regional chapters that hold smaller events (mostly little get-togethers in the home of a member who is willing to host). So if there are no plans to hold the annual convention near you in the next few years, you might be able to attend one of these regional meet-ups if you are a paying member. The emphasis will most likely be on glass, not juice, but still, you might find it worth your while. I like learning about glass too, even though it’s not my primary perfume interest.
Thank you for adding that!
WOW what a find!! I’m thrilled for you–thanks for letting us enjoy it vicariously 🙂
I wish I could give everyone a decant of it!
I’m generally not interested in perfume bottles but I would LOVE to attend an event like this, just to observe the characters and the interactions, as much as the bottles. There’s surely be enough there to fill a new novel with characters.
I’m curious to know if Leo’s skills extend to opening vintage bottles where the stoppers are stuck or the sprayers faulty. Did he seem to do that sort of work?
I had the same thoughts exactly–no matter what I saw at the conference, there was sure to be some great people watching.
As for Leo, as I was struggling with the Réplique bottle, I had the same question.
I am echoing that OMG comment re VdN! And congratulations on your 10-year anniversary with NST!
With a whiny pout, wah, we never have anything that interesting in NYC! I suppose if I kept an eye out for “perfume” events, I am bound to encounter a similar event.
It was purely by accident that I found out about this one! Lucky for you, you have lots of good perfume things happening every day–new releases, great boutiques…
I was at that event on Saturday too. It was pretty cool.
IPBA is not an organization for people for love “juice” and want to become knowledgeable about it. It’s really more for people who like perfume bottles for the glass, which is why there are some dealers at the show who do foolish things like price vintage Guerlain for $2– they just don’t know! Still, there’s *some* overlapping interest between the two camps (juice lovers and glass lovers), which is why I keep tabs on their events.
Angela, the conference room next to the one with the flea market was indeed open to the public– it just wasn’t open to the public until 1 p.m. Many of the items in that room were for sale, including some items that didn’t sell at the high-end auction on Friday. Among those bottles was an empty Conquete by Lancôme (the kind with the trumpeting angel on it). I’ve always wanted to see that bottle in person. Couldn’t afford the $1K asking price, but it was a thrill just to see it! : )
Yes, I definitely had the impression the event was mostly for those who love bottles–and there were many, many astonishingly beautiful bottles to see.
To the defense of the person who sold me the $2 Guerlain, it was almost impossible to figure out what the heck it was! Plus, the bottle is perfectly well sealed, but not in terrific shape. If I were a bottle lover, I would have passed it by, too.
The Conquete bottle sounds amazing! I’m glad you got to see it in the flesh (so to speak).
Angela, it’s funny that you should say “flesh!” : ) Because somewhere in that room (or maybe the other room), I saw a really old bottle of Lancôme Fleche. That was another bottle that I always wanted to see in person. : )
Anyway, congrats on your Vol de Nuit! Although I’ve been collecting for quite some time, I will never, ever get over the way some dealers undervalue bottles that have damaged labels or “boring” rectangular shapes. For those of us who are more interested in the juice than in the bottles and the paper labels, it boggles the mind. But it works out to our advantage if we’re in the market to buy. : )
I’ve never even heard of Lancome Flèche! Ah, all the amazing fragrances that have come and gone. (I just noticed that my computer automatically inserted an accent above the “e.” That know-it-all computer.)
Oh, that’s so weird! Because my computer automatically put the proper French character ( I can’t remember what it’s called) over the “o” in Lancôme. But it didn’t put any character over the first “e” in Fleche. But it should have. : )
And my computer wouldn’t choke up the proper “o” in Lancome!
Sadly, nothing like this happens really in Cleveland. Too bad I can’t find anyone who can deal with the huge bottle of Mitsouko that I have. Stopper will not budge for nothing and I really want the vintage juice. If something like this would be going on here, I would be down there in a heartbeat.
You’re breaking my heart with the Mitsouko! Here’s what I did to open the Réplique:
1. Squeeze drops of 91% iso alcohol on the bottle’s top in the hope that it would magically seep between the stopper and neck and dissolve whatever made it stick. Let the alcohol stay until it evaporated.
2. Try to twist. Fail. Apple more alcohol. Repeat 5 or 6 times.
3. Put bottle in freezer, first for 20 minutes, then for 30 minutes, then for 40 minutes, trying each time to loosen the danged stopper.
4. Cover the stopper with a linen napkin and twist with a wrench. That worked. But I just about had a heart attack while I did it, and I was prepared to snap off the stopped by accident.
Wow, you have nerves of steel!!! I never could have tried a wrench!
Happy 10 years! Here’s to many more. 🙂
Thank you!
And, yes, I’m surprised I didn’t bite through my lip. But I used that wrench slowly and deliberately.
I, too, would have been terrified at point 4. But thinking about it, the method makes perfect sense as the wrench provides even pressure all the way around the stopper and the strength/ability to slowly turn it.
The bottle I consistently have the most trouble with is Dolce&Gabbana (red cap original). The sprayer is a little sloppy resulting in a bit spray landing on the metal at the top of the bottle. If you don’t clean it before putting the cap back on, that rectangle of red is welded to the bottle. I have taken to not replacing the cap.
Sprayers are a whole different challenge from stuck stoppers, and I wish I knew how to handle them better. (Although it sounds like your sprayer and lid problems are one and the same. sign._
WOW, that is impressive work. I’d still be staring at a stuck bottle 🙂
My curiosity wouldn’t let me go!
Wow!! What fun. Thanks for sharing. Congratulations on your purchase, too.
Thank you!
Angela, congratulations on your 10 year anniversary!
What a wonderful day you had. I would have loved to been at that event. I seriously doubt that anything like that will ever occur near where I live. I know so many people,, but most don’t even wear perfume, let alone collect it. Years ago when I was young and starting my perfume collection, I had lots of quarter ounce bottles of pure perfume. Someone in a store that’s been gone for decades told me how to open a perfume bottle. First, you peeled away the “skin” around the bottle and after that you take another small glass bottle (it didn’t have to be a perfume bottle) and gently tap the two bottles together all around the stopper. This loosens the stopper and worked every time for me. Of course, at the time none of the bottle were very old like our great find, but with patience, I bet that would have done the trick too. Enjoy all your new purchases. You smell beautiful!
I haven’t heard that trick! Thank you for passing it along.
You know what surprised me most about the convention? I don’t recall smelling any actual perfume. You’d think the place would have been bursting with scent, but it was subdued.
First, and most important, congratulations on your ten years of writing for NST. I really enjoy your style and tend to have similar tastes.
Second, I am seriously green over here about you being able to attend a perfume bottle conference. Although I am more interested in the juice than the bottle, I never mind looking at beautiful/well-crafted objects.
Thank you so much!
And, yes, it was really fun to stop by the convention. There was lots of beauty to soak up!
Angela: what a great story and thanks for sharing! My dad gets some sort of antiques newspaper magazine every month, and one time last year there was an article about these folks and an auction they were having. It would be a lot of fun to attend. I have four very old bottles that I enjoy looking at: an old Guerlain “bee” stopper bottle that belonged to my grandfather (I have no idea what was in it – no label), a very old Mitsouko extrait bottle that I bought empty from ebay that has a cool customs stamp from Belgium and is very likely from WWI or WWII era, and two very old Chanel No 5 bottles – one that has a flat top stopper and one that has the first of the wedge stepped stoppers they designed. Both from the 1920s. I love the history and skill of bottle making! Since I keep all my fragrances put away, I really enjoy this small display of old bottles on my dresser.
And your lucky duck VdN score inspired me to wear the last of my decant of VdN extrait today. It’s perfect for our chilly spring weather. What a beauty! Good for you. I love a good perfume adventure!
The history of bottles really is interesting! Once you can pin when it was made, it’s fun to think about the world around that bottle: the cars people drove, the dresses they wore, etc.
Vol de Nuit is perfect for a cool spring day!
Goodness- these are teh types of events I live for in Portland? How did I not know this was going on? What was I doing? Porbably playing in sunshine!
1) Thanks for ten years, Angela! It’s thanks to you that I have discovered some funky, fun and interesting fragrances- like Niki de St Phalle, which I would not have ever know existed.
2) Wow- what a treasure!
We have had some gorgeous weather, so I don’t blame you for enjoying it!
And thank you–I’m glad you’ve enjoyed my posts. That means a lot to me.
Late to the party as usual, but just wanted to congratulate both Angela and Kevin on 10 years at NST. Discovering you both here made me seek out your work elsewhere on the web.
My stepdaughter gave me a Guerlain L’Heure Bleue bottle by Lalique from earlier in that last century. Sadly empty, but when the stopper was finally removed, the ghost of the vintage perfume wafted out. Just lovely!
That’s lovely! I’m glad someone enjoyed the L’Heure Bleue, even if it wasn’t you. It’s so sad to see perfume go unloved.
And thank you!
Twice a year, I set up my perfume bottle museum (of one brand only) in glass display cases in a major downtown department store. I happened to meet a couple from Amsterdam who were going to the IPBA show in Portland. They have been going to the annual event wherever it may be in the world. When they get home, they will be sending me pictures of their huge collection.
Angela: would it be possible to publish a photo of your Vol de Nuit find?
Thank you for the enjoyment that all your articles bring.
I hope the couple from Amsterdam had a great time!
I can’t put in photo in my comments, but I can email you a photo of the bottle, if you’d like.