Perfumes-or just their bottles-are fun to collect.
While fragrances can be expensive to collect, the bottles can also be functional, so you're getting more for your money.
First, you should decide on a starting point.
You may ultimately want to have such an expansive collection, it'd be difficult for an admirer to pinpoint a starting place or a common thread, but having a clear goal in mind is important when you first start out unless you're just purchasing a mix of scents you plan on wearing because you love them and wear fragrances of all olfactory groups.
Consider collecting based on: *Designer *Color of the bottles (if there's a certain area of your home where you'd like to display them) *Shape of the bottles (again, if you'll have them on display, you'll need to look at it as an art project with short, tall, wide, slim bottles that work in harmony to create the type of display you'll want for a certain table, dresser top, or shelf) *Decade a scent was released (and if multiple formulations have been released over the years, decide if you're willing to have a bottle of that fragrance from a later decade if the original was released at an earlier time) *A creative common theme, like signature scents of old Hollywood starlets or family members (ask around and maybe you can create a partial family tree of sorts with your perfume collection; see how far back you can go) While you're thinking about what kind of bottles you want to collect, you should also consider whether you're fine with empty bottles, bottles in which the perfume has "turned" over time, or if you want to be able to wear the perfumes inside.
If you're buying perfumes you want to wear, you'll be able to shorten your list.
It's rare for a person to love every scent from every house, so you may feel that your collection-or that branch of your collection--is complete much earlier, and then you'll be able to move on to the next one.
Finally, do some research online (try Fragrantica and Basenotes to start) and make a list of all the perfumes you think fit your criteria.
Carry it with you to antique stores, flea markets, and even to the computer to browse on eBay or discount fragrance stores.
Mark the bottles off as you go, so you'll know at a glance whether you need the bottle you've stumbled across.
While fragrances can be expensive to collect, the bottles can also be functional, so you're getting more for your money.
First, you should decide on a starting point.
You may ultimately want to have such an expansive collection, it'd be difficult for an admirer to pinpoint a starting place or a common thread, but having a clear goal in mind is important when you first start out unless you're just purchasing a mix of scents you plan on wearing because you love them and wear fragrances of all olfactory groups.
Consider collecting based on: *Designer *Color of the bottles (if there's a certain area of your home where you'd like to display them) *Shape of the bottles (again, if you'll have them on display, you'll need to look at it as an art project with short, tall, wide, slim bottles that work in harmony to create the type of display you'll want for a certain table, dresser top, or shelf) *Decade a scent was released (and if multiple formulations have been released over the years, decide if you're willing to have a bottle of that fragrance from a later decade if the original was released at an earlier time) *A creative common theme, like signature scents of old Hollywood starlets or family members (ask around and maybe you can create a partial family tree of sorts with your perfume collection; see how far back you can go) While you're thinking about what kind of bottles you want to collect, you should also consider whether you're fine with empty bottles, bottles in which the perfume has "turned" over time, or if you want to be able to wear the perfumes inside.
If you're buying perfumes you want to wear, you'll be able to shorten your list.
It's rare for a person to love every scent from every house, so you may feel that your collection-or that branch of your collection--is complete much earlier, and then you'll be able to move on to the next one.
Finally, do some research online (try Fragrantica and Basenotes to start) and make a list of all the perfumes you think fit your criteria.
Carry it with you to antique stores, flea markets, and even to the computer to browse on eBay or discount fragrance stores.
Mark the bottles off as you go, so you'll know at a glance whether you need the bottle you've stumbled across.