Interviews

Grace Arnone: Perfume Bottle Expert

03/18/08 06:58:59

Do you have a mystery perfume bottle? Do you have a perfume that you would like to know what its age or value may be? Grace Arnone offers a service to identify, evaluate and research your perfume bottle, at eBay.

But first to explain what vintage perfumes are. The French word vintage comes from viniculture (wine production) and is a term used for wine of a certain season, for instance, vintage 1876. In relation to fragrances, and not only fragrances, the word vintage means not only that they are old or antique (it is a relative notion, as the word vintage is applied to things at least 20 years old), but also that they have the features typical for their epoch. Besides that, as opposed to antiques, the term vintage implies the top quality.

Fragrantica: Your service at eBay is very interesting and useful for fragrance collectors and curious owners of old, rare or unknown fragrances and bottles.
Could you tell us more about yourself and your experience as vintage fragrances and bottle collector?

Grace Arnone: People always are amazed at me being into antiques, one of the most popular questions I hear is: How did you get involved in antiques?

Well, my interest in antiques started at a very young age when I would accompany my grandmother and mother on excursions to antique shops, flea markets, thrift shops and church rummage sales.

As I started getting older, I started buying things for myself and for others. Soon, I began picking for local antique shops in Ocean County, NJ.

After doing this for a while in my teenage years, I began selling the items in booths in antique shops. I started selling on eBay a few years ago after being a buyer for years. Selling on eBay has opened up a whole new world for me as an antiques dealer, as the whole world can search for and bid on my items.

I have years of experience and knowledge in dealing with mostly Victorian antiques as this is my passion. I have acquired quite an extensive reference library which just keeps growing.

I have been collecting vintage perfumes for over 15 years and have also sold them on ebay for several years. I started out collecting DeVilbiss perfume atomizers, Victorian enameled cologne bottles and some 1920's commercial perfume bottles. But due to some unfortunate circumstances, I had to let go of my collection.

My main joy in life is dealing with vintage perfumes. I enjoy learning about the histories of various companies as well as the creative backgrounds on the perfumes themselves. I have a profound love for antique and vintage perfume bottles and I am currently writing a reference book on DeVilbiss and its competitors such as Aristo, Volupte, Pyramid, Mignon, Czech and other atomizers of the 1920's.

F: Please, explain to our members and visitors how your service works.

Grace Arnone: Perfume bottles are highly collectible and there are so many types and styles. You may have something sitting in your attic or in your cabinet and not even realize it is valuable to a collector. The only thing asked of you is for you to email me the pictures of your bottle and some specific things about it. You do not have to send me your bottle, just pictures.

Instructions are simple:

1. Choose the Buy it Now option.
2. Make payment via Paypal.
3. Send a good, clear picture of your bottle, preferably on a white background if possible. I use computer printer paper, it works very well as a backdrop. If there is a label present, please photo that also. Same goes if there is a box too.
4. Please mention any markings on the base of the bottle, sometimes makers marks are found here.
5. Mention the condition of bottle, any chips or cracks. These affect the value of the bottle.
6. Please note the height of the bottle. Many perfume bottles are made in different sizes for each perfume, and value depends on the sizes.

F: What is the form and range of information that a potential client can expect from you?

Grace Arnone: I have numerous reference books on perfume bottles at my disposal and can help you determine how old your perfume is, who the manufacturer is, what book and auction prices are, condition ratings and any other pertinent information, such as a brief company history.
You will receive a printable identification & appraisal of your bottle with your bid.

F: What do you do in a case that you cannot recognize a bottle and/or give full information about it?

Grace Arnone: In the rare case that I cannot make a positive identification on a mystery bottle, I look to my references for similar bottles and gather an average price to place on your bottle.

F: What kind of bottles fall under the sphere of your interest and expertise?

Grace Arnone: I have knowledge on a wide range of perfume bottles from the Victorian era up until the 1990's. I enjoy dealing with perfume atomizers from the 1920's, cut crystal perfume bottles from Czechoslovakia, Victorian chatelaine scent bottles and other beauties from throughout the ages.

Some of my favorites have been commercial perfume bottles. To be more specific, I am able to identify and evaluate the following types of perfume bottles:

commercial, scent bottle, Victorian, Art Deco, Lalique, Baccarat, cut crystal, chatelaine perfumes, Art Nouveau, silver overlay, Moser, Atomizers, dresser bottles, double ended scent bottles, Designer, Factices, Bohemian, cameo glass, Porcelain, Irice, antique perfumes, travel atomizers, French perfumes, Sterling silver, DeVilbiss, Novelty, opaline perfumes, Volupte vintage perfumes, Pyramid, laydown types, hand painted, Czech perfume bottles... and more.

F: Do you work only at eBay or you have some other online or offline services related to fragrances and bottles?

Right now eBay is my sole arena, I would love to branch out and start up my own website but I am unsure how to do that as I am not very computer savvy.

I have had many repeat customers who have purchased the appraisal service in the past year, and also do off-eBay transactions directly with these customers. This service is always available.

Since my passion for perfume has grown, I have decided to write guides on various perfume companies and the perfumes they have created and presented over the years. You will find companies who are no longer in business and companies which have been going strong for nearly 200 years. My idea behind the guides was to help others decide when their perfume was introduced and how old their bottle may be and give a little history on the companies whenever I can find it.

Please view the guide on dating vintage commercial perfume bottles. Information is often scant on defunct companies, so if I haven’t listed any information, its because I haven’t located any.

Some perfumes were made in limited quantities, either due to market appeal or trial runs, and sometimes you will not find all perfumes listed on the company page. If you know of a perfume and don't see it listed, please let me know and I will update that!