I hate it when a perfume I love is being discontinued. I hate it even more when I’m late finding out it’s been discontinued, at least when i’m up to speed I can get a quick backup bottle without paying an arm and a leg.
But for those who are like me and always find out late, there is still some good news: there’s probably still inventory, somewhere, of your discontinued loved one. You just need to find it.
Discontinued means that it is not in production anymore, it does not mean that it’s not available.
Some perfumes will be easy to find even though it’s way past their discontinuation. Some would require extra leg work. Some would be mission impossible.
Below is a list of the places you can start your hunt with, followed by some tips and risks you should be aware of.
Risks
“With great risk comes great reward” said Thomas Jefferson. I’m sure he didn’t have a bottle of perfume in mind, but there are definitely risks associated. (And an absolute reward when you finally get your hands on that frag you’ve been hunting).
Buying discontinued perfumes will always be tricky. Here are the risks you should know, and later on some tips that’ll help you increase odds in your favor.
Perfume Fakes
Getting a knock-off is always a possibility. More when buying from direct independent sellers, and especially online. Read the tips at the end of this article to mitigate the counterfeit risk as much as possible.
Gone “Off”
Time and storage play a critical role here. Notes could be damaged, changed, weaken, or completely evaporate. It doesn’t always happen, that depends on how long ago the bottle was produced, how it was kept, was it opened, etc. The top notes are the first to go off usually.
Disappointment
Especially important when you’re looking for nostalgic scents from years back. Even if the bottle was kept perfectly fine, the box is still sealed and in its original package, the scent may have gone entirely different. Don’t be tricked into believing that if all mentioned above holds true, a 20-year-old frag will smell exactly as you hope (it might, but it might not).
Expensive
Like anything, the more demand the higher the price. It’s not necessarily a risk, since you’ll know the price and decide before you purchase. But just know that if it’s a popular discontinued perfume, chances are a lot of people are chasing it, too, and the price will be accordingly.
Tips for buying discontinued perfume successfully
Always ask for details
When buying a discontinued perfume online from a random seller like on eBay, ask for exact details – even if it’s all written in the description. You want to make sure and you want to have evidence in case you’ll need to.
- How was the bottle stored?
- Was it kept in a dark cool place?
- Is it sealed in its box?
- Was it ever opened?
Those questions will give you an idea of the condition of the item, and assurance if you’ll need to ask for a refund.
Bid what you can afford to lose
There’s a chance you’ll buy a sealed item in its original packaging and the scent will be way off of what you know. You won’t get a refund in this case, since you got what you asked for – a sealed perfume still in the box. Always keep that in mind and figure out how much you’re willing to pay.
In some cases when the perfume is used, people like to ask the seller to smell the perfume. That’s not the best idea to rely on as he may not know how a specific perfume should smell like.
Check the refund policy
Does the seller have a no-refund policy? Do your own thinking if it’s worth the risk. It’s a gamble, so I like to buy only from sellers with a refund policy.
I also make sure to ask them if they will refund me if the perfume scent is off when I first use it.
Don’t be confused by Customs
Depending on your location, the customs in your country may open the package/box. When they do. they’re putting a sticker on the box declaring it was opened by them. Sometimes it can cause confusion and people believe that the sealed boxed they bought was actually opened when the seller sold him the fragrance.
Compare the details
If you had the perfume before, you should know exactly what it looks like. Look for any sign of difference between the images the seller presents and the ones you have. You can even ask the seller to take a picture of it if he’s using a generic product image in his listing or if he took low-quality ones.
Evaluate the seller
Look for good feedback (over 95%). Read the bad feedback he received – is it just a shipping issue or a worst allegation? Where is the seller located? How many transactions did he had in the past year(s)? All these would give you a good sense of who you’re dealing with.
Retail vs E-Tail
Buying online is better in almost every aspect. you get a lot more variety so your chances of finding your perfume are higher. The price would probably be cheaper since you’ll be able to compare a few vendors. It’s not really high effort unless you can’t find your way on the internet. But, there’s a lot more risks (Great risk, great reward, right?).
Buying physically would take a lot more effort (physically visiting a lot of places, browsing shelves) and, your chances are lower because how many stores you can possibly be searching? But if you happen to find your perfume, the risks are low since you’re holding what you’re getting. And if luck is on your side and you found it in a yard sale, or some thrift shop that doesn’t recognize the true value, you may very well be in for a bargain.
| Online | Physical | |
| Chances of Finding | Higher | Lower |
| Price | Usually lower | Usually higher (exc. bargains) |
| Risks | Higher | Lower |
| Effort | Lower Effort | Higher Effort |
23 Recommended places to buy discontinued perfumes
eBay
Probably the go-to when it comes to hunting discontinued perfumes. If you follow the tips we mentioned you’ll have a higher success rate of not being scammed. Sellers are aware of rare gems and prices may be accordingly, so don’t be surprised.
Also, make sure to search in the various eBay International sites (ebay.de, ebay.co.uk ebay.fr, etc.) rather than just ebay.com.
Amazon
The great Amazon is a good place to buy fragrances in general, and you can find discontinued frags there, too. The thing is you need to make sure the fragrance you’re buying is “Sold and Shipped by Amazon”. This ensures you don’t deal with vendors doing shady stuff and you’ll be able to get a refund if needed.
Etsy, Poshmark, Bonanza
Etsy.com, Poshmark.com and Bonzanza.com are also places you could find frag-gems. Follow the same rules as eBay and select your sellers carefully. Ask for more information or pictures if needed.
Department stores
Sephora, Perfumania, Ulta, Walgreens etc. (and your local/international equivalents). Those are good places to start at, they might have inventory left of whatever it is you’re looking for. You can also ask them to check if they have it available in other stores and if a shipment is possible to your nearest one.
Small independent perfume & beauty shops
Fragrance shops, beauty shops etc. Go and check every one of them you have around your area. Going for a vacation or a business trip? Search there too. The odds are not in your favor, but you may be lucky enough to score a leftover. You can do a quick Google and just call those businesses instead of physically arriving each, just don’t sound too excited when you hear a ‘yes’ or else they may realize they’re holding a gem of value.
FragranceX
One of the biggest fragrance stores out there. All perfumes are authentic and you can score great prices there. They have a lot of discontinued and hard to find perfumes to sell as they have buyers around the world buying inventories of perfumes and listing them online. All perfumes are stored in a controlled warehouse in terms of humidity and temperature, according to them.
Fragrancebuy.ca
If you’re from Canada or the USA you’re in luck. They have absolute gems and you can trust that they don’t sell any knock-offs. You can find a wide collection of vintage and discontinued perfumes for men and women, and the prices are good for regular fragrances, too.
The Perfume Court
Another one that’s loved and used by the community is The Perfume Court. They hold a lot of discontinued perfumes from many perfume houses. You can also buy perfume samples while you’re there – it can be a good way to find another scent you love that is similar to the discontinued one. Note: they are decanting, so don’t be surprised.
FragranceNet
Fragrancenet.com is a perfume discounter – they buy whatever stock department stores got left and sell it to customers. The perfumes are authentic but might be old. Storage of perfumes is also in question, so just make sure you read the refund policy. Generally people have good experience and trust them.
Aura Fragrance
Aurafragrance.com has been around for ~20 years and has 3 warehouse stores around Houston. Other than discontinued perfumes they also have really good prices for fragrances. They sell authentic perfumes and it’s worth checking them out, even though they don’t have the biggest variety of discontinued frags.
MaxAroma
Great place to get discounted perfumes. You can search their website or the unboxed section for some discontinued gems. Fragrances are genuine and they have a wide variety of perfumes, including niche perfumes.
Jomashop
They sell a lot of legit luxury products like watches, handbags, etc., not just fragrances. You can find a lot of rare gems and discontinued perfumes there for really good prices. Take note that shipping time for some things would be longer than other places, but don’t let it hold you back.
FragranceVault
Specializing in discontinued, rare and vintage perfumes, FragranceVault has more than 6,000 different perfumes. They have a store near Lake Tahoe and an online shop you can browse for gems.
Yard Sales, Antique Auctions, Flea Market & Thrift Shops
A lot of effort for probably nothing, but if you’ll score, you’ll score. Best bargains are here, some people actually go on those to buy ANY popular discontinued perfumes just so they can later sell it for a profit on eBay and such.
Online communities
Fragrantica, Basenotes and Parfumo
These online communities have forums with a lot of perfume lovers. You can search for threads of people selling perfumes they have, or upload a thread when you’re looking for one. There are some pretty well experienced people there, so they may also just help you find a direction or some store/website that may have what you’re hunting for.
Facebook Groups
Another place to look at are perfume Facebook groups. Join ones in your area (or international ones in your language) and see if it’s allowed to post for a fragrance request. You may find someone who’s got it and will be happy to sell or swap with you.
FragranceSwap (Reddit)
A Reddit board where you can trade your perfumes with others, or simply buy and sell. Visit here: Fragrance Swap!
More Online Perfume Sellers
Generally these would be best for discontinued fragrances by smaller perfume houses rather than the big designers:
Craigslist
Basically, it’s like an online thrift shop where you can find absolutely amazing deals. The thing is you have to be actively looking there if you want to increase your chances. You’re looking for people who:
- End up clearing a family member’s house…
- Selling a perfume they got as a gift a few years back and never used…
- Selling very cheaply an expensive perfume they used only once…
Searching in your area is good since you can go in person and see the item for what it is, but looking in other areas and asking for a shipment may increase your odds of finding (and of getting scammed, so beware).
The Salvation Army – Online Thrift Shop is another place you can try.
Where did you last find your precious?
Do you have another place we should include here? Let us know where you love shopping for discontinued fragrances, we’re always on the hunt!