Are you thinking of throwing away all those old perfume bottles in your attic? If you said yes, you might regret it later! vintage perfume bottles aren’t just glass junk, but highly sought-after collectibles that can sell for thousands today!
Below are the 15 most valuable and rare antique perfume bottles worth hundreds to thousands! Check the list to find out if you have a valuable bottle worth money in your collection before you throw or sell it!
1. R. Lalique Oeillet Maison Perfume Bottle
- Brand: René Lalique
- Year: 1912
This rare perfume bottle from René Lalique features a sleek, clear and frosted glass body, which is a signature style of Lalique’s Art Nouveau/Art Deco productions. The glass shows a highly detailed, stylized frosted carnation flower motif, with a matching glass stopper.
The bottle is etched with the “R. Lalique” sign on the bottle. In excellent condition, this perfume bottle can fetch $1,000 to $5,000 or more with the original box.
2. Antique D’Ouchy L’Amazone Perfume Bottle
- Brand: d’Ouchy Perfumes
- Year: 1928-1930
This extremely rare antique perfume bottle is from a lesser-known French perfume house, d’Ouchy Parfums, made during the late 1920s. It has a black/dark glass body with an octagonal or faceted shape featuring gold accents, including a decorative band near the bottom and a gold label/plaque.
The stopper is likely made of amber-colored glass or resin with gold detailing. This bottle is a part of the Alice and Mike Hogg Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, making it highly sought-after, with values ranging around $5,000 or more.
3. Vintage Hermès “Eau d’Hermès” Perfume Bottle
- Brand: Hermès (France)
- Year: 1951
This vintage Hermès perfume bottle is a charm for collectors. While the brand continues to release fragrances, this vintage version of the bottle is highly collectible as it’s a reflection of Hermès’s early work.
The bottle has a simple, cylindrical or subtly rectangular, clear glass body with rounded shoulders. The early editions have a glass stopper or bakelite screw cap. There’s a paper or foil label on the top featuring distinctive symbols and one on the lower side, saying “Eau d’Hermes”
4. Guerlain “Shalimar” Baccarat Crystal Flacon
- Brand: Guerlain
- Year: 1925
This unique perfume bottle was designed and made by Baccarat for one of Guerlain’s most iconic fragrances, “Shalimar.” The shape of the bottle appears to be inspired by Shalimar Gardens in Lahore, with the flacon resembling a squat urn. It has a distinctive, scalloped fan-shaped stopper.
These bottles were released in a limited number, making them highly rare and collectible. Well-preserved examples can easily fetch $800-$2,000 or more.
5. Thomas Webb Cameo Glass Perfume Bottle
- Brand: Thomas Webb & Sons
- Year: 1880s
One of Thomas Webb’s iconic releases, this bottle features an intricate carved floral motif with stems and leaves etched in high relief in blue and white. The high relief etching is the hallmark of Webb’s cameo glasswork.
The beautiful drop/leaf-shaped bottle has a rustic hinged silver top, with an engraved marking on its neck.
6. Jean Patou “Joy” Gold Leaf Edition
- Brand: Jean Patou
- Year: 1930
Released in 1930, “Joy” quickly became one of the most popular fragrances of Jean Patou. This bottle belongs to the exclusive limited edition of bottles featuring a unique gold leaf. It’s made of clear crystal or high-quality glass with hand-applied 24-karat gold leaf decoration.
The “1000” on the leaf may indicate that only 1,000 gold leaf bottles were made, making them quite exclusive. The value of this rare perfume bottle can range from $800 to $3,500+, depending on condition. Some earlier or boxed examples have sold for over $5,000, too.
7. René Jules Lalique Toutes Les Fleurs Perfume Bottle
- Brand: R. Lalique
- Year: 1925
Another classic from Rene Lalique, this one has a full frosted multi-faceted body with vertical panels featuring high-relief floral patterns in sepia (or possibly patinated). The bottle has a domed floral stopper.
The bottom typically features the embossing “Made In France. R. Lalique.” There may also be a paper label marked “Senteur” on the bottle’s neck. The bottle looks antique due to its color, fetching $400-$2,000 in good condition, with all its markings.
8. French Polychrome Porcelain Perfume Flask
- Brand: French (Unmarked)
- Year: 19th Century
This one is an antique French polychrome square porcelain perfume flask/bottle from the 19th century. It has a vibrant blue panel on one side featuring a bird and decorated with gold borders. The juxtaposed blue panel features a floral painting, which is also found on the cap.
The remaining two sides of the bottle display gilt work, while the bottom has an ornate gilt metal base with decorative scrollwork and four curved legs, an authentic French make.
9. Art Deco Czech Lady Glass Perfume
- Origin: Czech
- Year: 1920s-1940s
This one is a rare Czech Art Deco perfume bottle featuring a unique rectangular pink/rose-colored glass base (bottle). It has a tall, frosted glass stopper with an Art Deco nude or semi-nude female figure design against a decorative background pattern.
Antique Art Deco perfume bottles like these are highly collectible due to their unique blend of sleekness and extravagant decoration. No wonder this bottle sold for $1,250!
10. Lucien Lelong Art Deco Jabot Perfume Bottle Glass
- Brand: Lucien Lelong
- Year: 1930s-1940s
This is a rare Art Deco Jabot perfume bottle from Lucien Lelong. It can be spotted by its unusual shape of a decorative bow or ribbon with flowing glass contours. The word “Jabot” is likely painted on the bottle in gold cursive lettering.
There is also a thread/ribbon around the neck with a round locket, embossed “LL” for Lucien Lelong. Such unusually shaped antique perfume bottles can easily fetch $300-$500, even higher if found with original boxes.
11. Galle French Cameo Perfume Bottle
- Brand: Galle French
- Year: 1900
Designed by Émile Gallé, these are unique round pale ash and white glass perfume bottles etched with intricate floral, landscape, or figural designs in relief. These bottles are highly desirable due to Gallé’s popularity in Art Nouveau glassmaking.
These bottles come in several shapes, such as elongated ovals, rounded forms, and banjo-like shapes. The value of well-preserved bottles can range from $500-$5,000!
12. Caron Le Narcisse Baccarat Perfume Bottle
- Brand: Caron Parfums
- Year: 1900s
One of the most popular releases of Caron, this one is “Le Narcisse” perfume bottle store display bottle features a clear/transparent crystal body with etched branding. It has a distinctive black stopper shaped like a flower with detailed petals and pollen center carved into the design.
This bottle was designed by Baccarat Crystal exclusively for Caron, making it rare and valuable.
13. Baccarat for Guerlain “Liu” Perfume Bottle
- Brand: Guerlain
- Year: 1929
Made by Baccarat Crystal, this is a highly collectible perfume bottle from one of the oldest perfume makers, the House of Guerlain. Liu was Jacques Guerlain’s (son of Gabriel, grandson of Pierre-Francois Pascal Guerlain, the owner of the house) last line of perfume inspired by the tragic heroine from Puccini’s opera Turandot.
This bottle is black, “Flacon Tabatiere” or snuff style crystal bottle with a gold label displaying “Liu” in an Art Deco font. If found with its original wooden presentation box, this bottle can sell for $1,000 to $5,000.
14. Bohemian Cranberry Glass Enamel Perfume Bottle
- Brand: Unbranded
- Year: 19th Century
Old rich cranberry-red glass perfume bottles with elaborate white or colored enamel decoration are widely collectible. These are referred to as Bohemian bottles due to their color and designs, ranging from floral swags, medallions, or figural elements.
The bottles can be found in various shapes, from decanter-like forms to smaller, more rounded bottles with stoppers. The value of these bottles ranges from $30-$500, depending on condition and rarity of shape and size.
15. Mary Gregory Perfume Bottle with Figural Scene
- Brand: Several Manufacturers in Bohemia
- Year: 1900s
Featuring the iconic Mary Gregory style glass, this antique bottle features a clear crystal body decorated with a detailed white enamel scene of a child playing, often with toys or in a park setting. It comes with a round push fit stopper.
Some bottles may be made of colored glass, often in blue or green, with a white painting. Depending on the condition, these bottles can fetch $50-$400.
What Makes an Antique Perfume Bottle Valuable?
Certain factors play a crucial role in determining the value of an old perfume bottle, such as:
Rarity and Scarcity
A perfume bottle is more valuable and sought-after if it’s rare. The rarity can be accounted for by limited production, special editions, and commissioned examples. Special bottles created for specific events, holidays, or promotions in small numbers are also rare and valuable.
Also, examples featuring delicate materials (e.g., thin glass), which are less likely to survive for years, are considered rare.
Condition
Naturally, collectors desire perfume bottles that are free from damage such as chips, cracks, significant scratches, staining, or repairs.
The availability of stoppers is also a crucial value factor. Bottles with intact stoppers are more desirable. Similarly, original labels, boxes, and any accompanying ephemera (original perfume) can add more to the value.
Maker and Designer
Vintage perfume bottles from renowned makers like René Lalique, Emile Gallé, Daum Nancy, and Baccarat generally command higher premiums. Certain designer-made bottles, especially signed examples, are also highly valued.
Material and Craftsmanship
The material used to make a bottle and its quality can also significantly impact the value. Similarly, the artist and craftsmanship also influence the value. For example, hand-crafted techniques such as cameo carving, intricate enameling, hand-painting, fine cutting, and overlay work are highly prized.
To get more expert insights into identifying and valuing antique perfume bottles, check this complete guide!
