1. Our condition grades

Because “used” covers everything from an untouched 1980s bottle to a 40-year-old splash flacon that has been open for decades, we grade every bottle on a single scale:

2. Fill level — how we measure it

• Measured against the bottle, not the cap. We hold the bottle level and read the liquid line against the shoulder of the glass. A bottle filled into the neck is 100%; liquid sitting at the shoulder is typically 75–85%.
• Why vintage bottles are rarely full. Alcohol evaporates slowly through any stopper or sprayer seal, and every spray releases a little perfume. A 30-year-old bottle at 90% has been stored well; a 30-year-old bottle at 50% has been used or has evaporated.
• What still smells good. The lighter top notes (citrus, aldehydes, fresh floral) fade first, so an older partial bottle usually opens softer and shows its heart and base — woods, resins, musk, patchouli — almost immediately. The perfume itself does not spoil the way food does: alcohol preserves it.
• Parfum vs. eau de toilette. Higher-concentration extrait and parfum lose less to evaporation and keep their character longer than splash eau de cologne from the same era.

3. Storage age — what the years do

• Heat and light are the real enemies, not time by itself. A bottle kept in a dark, cool cupboard for 40 years is usually in better shape than one that sat on a sunny windowsill for two.
• Signs of poor storage: darker or browner juice, visible sediment or cloudiness, a shrunken or warped label, a stained box, or a stopper that has fused to the neck.
• Signs of good storage: juice close to the original colour, clean glass, wrapper and box crisp, no staining around the neck.
• How we date a bottle. We read the manufacturer’s batch code and, where relevant, the bottle moulding, label typography and address on the box. Every listing that has a readable code gets a free, brand-specific batch code check so you can see the production era yourself.

4. Caps, stoppers, boxes — what is missing and does it matter?

• Original cap or stopper: important. It protects the juice and it is part of the object. We state explicitly whether the cap is original, a later replacement, or missing.
• Missing cap: does not change the perfume inside, but it does reduce collector value and it means the bottle must be stored upright and sealed. We discount these bottles for it.
• Box: a matched, era-correct box adds value and helps confirm authenticity. “Bottle only” is always stated in the title and description.
• Tester bottles: sold by the house without a retail box, sometimes with a plain cap. Perfectly genuine and often a bargain — we always label them as testers.
• Sprayer or splash: we test every sprayer before listing and say so. Splash bottles (no atomiser) lose more to evaporation and need replacing stoppers to travel safely.

5. Authenticity

Condition and authenticity are two separate questions, and vintage bottles need both answered:

• Batch code must match between the box and the bottle (where a box exists). A code that is missing, mismatched or printed in the wrong font is the single most common counterfeit tell.
• Seal and cellophane should be machine-tight with clean seams; hand-wrapped, cloudy or glue-marked plastic is a red flag.
• Glass, print and weight: genuine bottles have clean moulding seams, crisp screen-print, and a weight that matches the era. Fakes are often lighter with slightly fuzzy lettering.
• Our authentication service. Every bottle we sell is inspected and photographed — seals, batch codes and box condition — before it is listed. You can read exactly what we check on our authentication service page, or work through the fake perfume guide yourself.

6. Before you buy — a 30-second checklist

• ☐ Fill level stated as a percentage, measured against the bottle — not “mostly full”.
• ☐ Batch code present and consistent between box and bottle.
• ☐ Cap / stopper: original, replacement or missing — stated in words.
• ☐ Box: present, era-correct, or bottle-only — stated in words.
• ☐ Photos showing the liquid line, the batch code, the box and any wear.
• ☐ Signs of poor storage checked: darkened juice, sediment, stained label, fused stopper.
• ☐ Sprayer tested, or splash bottle noted as splash.
• ☐ Return window understood: 30 days from delivery on every order.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 30-year-old open bottle still wearable?

Usually yes. Perfume is preserved by its own alcohol; what changes is the opening. Expect the top notes to be soft or gone and the base to dominate. What kills a bottle is heat, sunlight and a bad seal, not the calendar.

How much value does a missing cap take off?

Typically 10–30% versus the same bottle complete, and more for sought-after houses where collectors buy the whole object. We price missing-cap and bottle-only pieces down front, and state it clearly so there is no surprise.

Do you sell bottles that have evaporated below 50%?

Occasionally, and only when the fragrance itself is rare enough to be worth having — always listed honestly as a partial or decant-grade bottle.

Will a tester bottle smell the same as the retail bottle?

Yes. A tester is the same juice in a simpler presentation. The only differences are the box and sometimes the cap.

Can you check the condition of a bottle I already own?

Yes — send us photos of the bottle, the batch code and the box through our contact form and we will tell you what we can see.

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Questions about a specific bottle? Contact us — we answer every message.