Anisha Riggs
Empty perfume bottles are often thrown away, but their pretty designs and features make them perfect for reuse. You can sell empty perfume bottles to individual buyers or companies. Individual buyers may be looking to use the bottles for crafts or collections, while companies may be looking to buy in bulk as a manufacturer or retailer. You can sell your empty perfume bottles online on auction sites like eBay, Etsy, and Facebook Marketplace, or on B2B platforms like Alibaba, Made-in-China, and Global Sources.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Can you sell them? | Yes |
| Where to sell? | Facebook, Craigslist, eBay, Etsy, Amazon, Tradewheel.com, specialty perfume supply stores, Alibaba, Made-in-China, Global Sources |
| Who will buy them? | People who DIY or make their own concoctions, collectors, crafters |
| How much can you sell them for? | Common selling prices are between £2 and £8, but rare or vintage bottles can sell for up to £100 or even hundreds of pounds |
| How to prepare them for sale? | Wash with soap and water or rinse with alcohol |
| Other ways to upcycle | Fill with DIY perfume, room spray, or aromatherapy spray; turn into home decor or decorations and ornaments; make candles or suncatchers |
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What You'll Learn
Selling empty perfume bottles to international buyers
Preparing the Empty Perfume Bottles
Start by giving the perfume bottles a thorough clean with soap and water or rinsing them with alcohol to remove any residue or odours. This step is crucial, as buyers are often seeking high-quality, pristine bottles for their intended purposes.
Understanding the Market
There is a market for empty perfume bottles, particularly among those who want to create their own perfumes or decorative items. Some buyers may be collectors of vintage or unique perfume bottles, while others might be entrepreneurs looking to package their fragrances under their private label. Understanding the market will help you identify your target audience and tailor your offerings accordingly.
Selling Platforms and Strategies
To reach international buyers, consider utilising online platforms such as Tradewheel.com, which connects suppliers with global buyers seeking empty perfume bottles. You can post your products for free and specify details such as quantity, shape, colour, and any additional services like private labelling.
Another option is to sell through auction houses, particularly for antique or high-end perfume bottles. Regional auction houses that specialise in antiques and have a wider reach can increase your chances of attracting the right buyers and fetching better prices. The International Perfume Bottle Association, for example, offers selling opportunities and auctions for perfume bottles and vanity items.
Legal Considerations
Be mindful of any legal or copyright restrictions when selling empty perfume bottles. For instance, Chanel prohibits the sale of decorated Chanel bottles, even if the labels are removed, due to copyright claims. Always research the legal implications before selling bottles associated with specific brands.
Enhancing the Bottles' Appeal
To increase the appeal of your empty perfume bottles, consider transforming them into decorative items. You can fill them with broken jewellery, beads, coloured sand, shells, or glitter to create unique ornaments. Alternatively, you can explore upcycling options, such as making candles or suncatchers using the empty bottles, adding value and creativity to your offerings.
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Upcycling empty perfume bottles into decorations
Empty perfume bottles are too beautiful to be thrown away. They can be upcycled into gorgeous products that you can either use yourself or sell at a craft stall. Here are some ways to upcycle empty perfume bottles into decorations:
Flower Vase
Perfume bottles can be upcycled into DIY flower vases. If the bottle has a wide brim, you can fill it with real flowers for a feminine glow in your room. If you want to retain the bottle as a statement piece, opt for an artificial flower and seal it inside by prying off the top of the bottle. You can also fill cleaned perfume bottles with lukewarm tap water and add a few slim buds, such as baby's breath sprigs, for a pretty decorative accent. Place your perfume bottle vase on a windowsill, vanity, or kitchen table to add a cheerful touch to your home.
Candle Holder
Perfume bottles can be transformed into unique candle holders. Add taper candles to your old perfume bottles to create a soothing ambiance in any room. Cluster a few together to create a charming centerpiece for your dining table.
Centerpiece for a Wedding or Party
Use your most ornate empty perfume bottles as table décor for a wedding or baby shower. Mix old bottles with vases of different sizes and fill them with classic flowers like hydrangeas or peonies for an eclectic look. Bottles for timeless scents, such as Chanel No. 5, can add a touch of classic elegance to your event.
Mini Planters
If you're thinking of creating an indoor herb garden, upcycling your empty perfume bottles as mini planters is a cute and creative idea. Choose perfume bottles with enough room to host the soil and allow your herbs to thrive.
Decorative Accents
You can fill empty perfume bottles with coloured sand, shells, beads, or odd pieces of jewellery to create beautiful decorative accents for your home. For larger round bottles, fill them with flakes of paper or sprinkles of glitter. These can be displayed on a shelf or dresser to add a chic touch to your décor.
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Making your own perfume and reusing the bottle
Empty perfume bottles are often too pretty to throw away, and some people collect them. You can sell empty perfume bottles, and they can fetch prices ranging from £2 to £8, with rare or vintage bottles selling for much more. However, if you're feeling creative, you can upcycle your empty perfume bottles into something even more valuable. You can fill them with coloured sand, shells, beads, or odd bits of jewellery, or turn them into candles.
Alternatively, you can make your own perfume and reuse the bottle. It's a lot harder than it seems, but there are many recipes, tips, and tricks available online, as well as training courses and teach-yourself videos. You can also find in-person classes in some places.
The first step in creating a perfume is developing your "smell palette" by testing and learning to recognize different aromachemicals and natural oils and their characteristics, strengths, longevity, and interactions with each other.
Once you have a feel for the ingredients, you can start mixing your perfume. Scents can be divided into different families, such as floral, oriental, woody, and fresh, and adding scents from neighbouring families creates harmony in your perfume. Each perfume is made up of chords, and each chord has three parts:
- Top or head note: This is the first scent you notice when you sniff the perfume. It evaporates quickly due to its lighter composition and often includes scents like orange, lemon, lavender, grapefruit, or berry.
- Middle or heart note: This combines with the head and base notes and is often floral, fruity, or spicy, with fragrances like geranium, rose, coriander, nutmeg, or jasmine.
- Base note: This is the base of the perfume and appears after the middle note. Common base notes include patchouli, vetiver, frankincense, cedarwood, and sandalwood.
When mixing your perfume, start by adding your base notes, then the middle notes, and finally the top notes. You can use essential oils, fragrance oils, infused oils, or even flavour extracts like vanilla extract.
Once you're happy with your fragrance, you'll need to let it age in a cool, dark location for at least 48 hours up to a month. Aging allows the mingling of scents, and you can always go back and add a few more drops of scent to tweak it. After aging, dilute your fragrance by adding two tablespoons of distilled or spring water and approximately five drops of glycerine to help preserve it. If you're making a perfume spray, add more water.
Finally, pour your perfume into your bottle, using a funnel if needed. If you're using a clear bottle, cover it with aluminium foil or wrapping paper to protect the fragrance from the light.
And there you have it! Your own unique perfume in a gorgeous bottle, ready to be enjoyed or gifted to someone special.
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Selling antique or collectable perfume bottles
Empty perfume bottles are often too pretty to throw away, and some people have even started collecting them. Antique or collectable perfume bottles can be sold for a profit, especially if they are rare or vintage.
Antique perfume bottles are highly sought-after by collectors, who view them as art. To be considered antique, an object must be at least 100 years old, so perfume bottles from 1923 or earlier are particularly desirable. The design of antique perfume bottles was often more creative than modern bottles, with unique features such as glass stoppers or gold-tone metal screw caps, and striking shapes embodying iconic aesthetic trends like Art Nouveau or early Art Deco. The more creative and unique the shape, the more appeal it will have to collectors.
The value of antique perfume bottles depends on several factors, including age, rarity, condition, provenance, and design complexity. Bottles with historical value or those related to a famous perfume house are more valuable in the antique market due to their collectible nature. For example, a rare Lalique bottle from 1912 sold for $84,000 at an IPBA auction in 2022. Bottles designed by acclaimed artists such as Julien Viard or Lucien Gaillard can also command high prices. The history associated with a perfume bottle, including its origin and any connection to notable figures or events, can also enhance its appeal and value.
If you want to sell an antique or collectible perfume bottle, you can reach out to a member of the International Perfume Bottle Association (IPBA) for an appraisal, although they do not offer appraisals themselves, they can provide contact information for experts. You can also sell your bottles on sites like 1stDibs, which offers global shipping and features vintage perfume bottles from top sellers and makers around the world. Common selling prices range from £2 to £8, but more extravagant pieces can sell for hundreds or even thousands of pounds.
Alternatively, you can upcycle your empty perfume bottles into products to sell at craft stalls. You can fill them with broken jewellery, odd beads, coloured sand, shells, or paper and glitter, or use them to make candles or suncatchers.
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Selling empty bottles on online marketplaces
Empty perfume bottles are often too attractive to throw away, and some people collect them. While you can sell empty bottles on online marketplaces, you are unlikely to become rich from it, and common selling prices are between £2 and £8. However, some rare or vintage bottles can sell for much higher prices, sometimes even hundreds of pounds.
Before selling, you should thoroughly clean your empty perfume bottles with soap and water or alcohol. You could also try to transform them into decorative items to increase their value. For example, fill tiny bottles with broken jewellery, odd beads, coloured sand, or shells, or fill larger bottles with flakes of paper or sprinkles of glitter. You could also try making candles inside the bottles or stringing them along a length of wood.
When selling, beware that you cannot sell decorated Chanel bottles, even with the labels removed, due to copyright.
Online platforms such as Etsy are a good place to sell your empty bottles. People seem to pay more for art and "handmade" items on Etsy than on other platforms. You can also sell wine bottles and corks on Etsy, either as craft items or as jewellery.
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Frequently asked questions
You can sell your empty perfume bottles on online marketplaces such as Facebook, Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, Etsy, and Tradewheel.
Common selling prices lie between £2 and £8, but rare or vintage bottles can sell for much higher prices, even up to $100.
Before selling your empty perfume bottles, you should clean them with soap and water or rinse them with alcohol.
