AVON BOTTLES – General Overview

         VINTAGE GLASS AVON BOTTLES 

               CALIFORNIA PERFUME COMPANY

                         AVON PRODUCTS, INC.  

AVON‘s beginnings date back to 1886 when David H. McConnell, a book salesman, began giving away small vials of perfume to customers in an attempt to increase interest and sales of his books.   Soon, however, interest in the perfumes outpaced that of his books, and eventually McConnell began to manufacture perfumes and sell them under the firm name California Perfume Company (1892). His business was originally based in New York City.

McConnell hired women (including many who were housewives) to sell his perfumes door to door.  Sales rapidly increased, and a new plant was eventually built in Suffern, New York circa 1894.

In 1930 the company was renamed Allied Products. One of his most popular fragrances was named “Avon” introduced circa 1929, and, perhaps in part because of the strong popularity of that perfume, customers began asking for his line of products under the name “Avon”.  In about 1938 he changed the company name again to Avon Products, Inc.

In 1965 Avon began promoting the sale of figural bottles (i.e. bottles made after the form of some type of object), these being produced in a very wide variety of shapes.  One of the first types was made in the shape of a boot.

Most of the figurals can be generally grouped as having been made to contain either women’s perfume, or men’s cologne or aftershave.  These bottles are often termed, and were sold by Avon as  “decanters”. Some of the bottles held other cosmetic products including bath oils, lotions, etc.  Some of the more popular shapes include figures of people, many types of animals including ducks, eagles, a buffalo, moose, hippo, etc; cars,  books,  clocks,  shoes,  guns,  cannons,  horns, telephones,  a hammer, bells,  a steamboat,  keys,  steins,  pipes, a tennis racket, an Indian chief, and many other designs.


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In many cases, the lid is an integral part of the design/shape of a bottle, often made of plastic, with the color of the plastic being a close approximation of the glass color of the bottle itself. Sometimes the plastic lid is in a contrasting, or complementary color.

It is likely that the most popular series within the sphere of Avon figural bottles would be their line of glass automobiles, including representations of early classic vehicles as well as various “race car” models.  Most of the car bottles date from around 1968 and throughout the 1970s.  Other bottles often collected along with the cars include boats, ships, train engines and other vehicles. The car bottles were made in a variety of attractive colors, including sapphire blue,  rich emerald green, light golden amber (“topaz”), yellow, gray/smoke,  etc.

Some of these kinds of Avon bottles are unmarked on the base, and originally bore a sticker attached to the bottom of the bottle, with info on the cologne brand name and company name.   Some bottles are marked with the name AVON embossed on the base, with or without an accompanying mold number.  In the case of some of the “car bottles” the name AVON appears on the front of the car, as part of the “grille” or where a license plate would be positioned.

Avon antique car bottle, in emerald green glass. Contained Tai Winds or Wild Country Aftershave, circa 1973.
Avon car bottle in emerald green. Contained Tai Winds or Wild Country Aftershave, circa 1973.

The “heyday” of the vintage Avon figural bottles might be said to date during the 1965-1980 time frame, although other figurals have been produced since that time.  A wide variety of cologne bottles and decanters of every description were made and were sold in large quantities.   The oversupply of these bottles has resulted in a “flat” market for a good majority of them. They are seen in large numbers at many yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores.

Most larger antique malls will have a few booths that carry some Avon bottles.   Many people purchased large quantities of these bottles in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and have now discovered that they have not held their value (or increased in value) as much as they had hoped.   As a general rule, Avon figural bottles should not be purchased in an attempt at an investment.   Buy them only as a collectible,  and something you will personally enjoy!

The most important single thing to keep in mind when collecting Avon figural bottles, especially the cars, etc:  Condition, condition, condition!!   Unfortunately, many of the bottles now for sale  bear wholly or partially worn labels on the bottom (or missing completely), have lids in poor condition (sometimes entirely absent), and paint or “flashing” peeling off (in the case of some of the bottles which were made with a flashed or painted glass).

Value is added if the original box is still available and intact.  A bottle will have more value if the original content sticker is still on the base, in good legible condition.     In general, fine condition bottles that are full, unopened and still in their ORIGINAL, CLOSE TO MINT CONDITION BOXES will have the most value to collectors.  Boxes that are dirty, faded, crumpled or bent will have very little, if any, market value.

If interested in collecting Avon figural bottles, I’d advise studying lots of ebay auctions, looking to see which types actually sell, and what range of prices are realized.  Any ebay seller, especially those not familiar or knowledgeable about Avon bottle values in the secondary marketplace,  may (in pure innocence) wildly overestimate the demand or value of a particular piece, and start an auction at an unreasonably high minimum bid.

As with any collectible item, prospective buyers/collectors should start out very slow, and learn as much as they can about Avon bottles (or other collectibles) that they find of interest to them.   Look at lots of individual auctions before deciding to put in a bid. Study the condition of any item very closely. Of course, this is general advice that can be applied to any kind of bottle, whether antique, vintage, or new!

Many of the more “serious” collectors of Avon products search for the earlier (and much, much scarcer) bottles and related items sold during the early days of the California Perfume Company.  Many of the older bottles may be difficult to identify.  Bud Hastin’s price guide (mentioned below) has much information on many of the earlier, and very difficult to find, pieces that were made during the early twentieth century.


Avon "Cape Cod" pattern goblets.
Avon “Cape Cod” pattern goblets.

 CAPE COD PATTERN

Besides the figural bottles, one of the most popular gift lines sold by Avon was the dark ruby red “Cape Cod” pattern tableware set, with production lasting from 1975 to 1993.  Many different items were issued in this line of glassware.  Some of the less abundant pieces in this pattern may demand decent prices,  but the most common pieces are still around in rather large quantities (such as the goblets, shown here) and can be seen frequently at antique malls, yard sales and flea markets.    The goblets (small wine glasses) were made over a number of years, and the embossed base markings may differ slightly from piece to piece.  For instance, in the accompanying photo, the goblet on the left is marked “1976 AVON PRESIDENTS CELEBRATION / [mold number] 10”, and the example on right is marked simply “AVON” along with a mold number.


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Base embossing on ruby red CAPE COD goblet made for Avon
Base embossing on ruby red CAPE COD goblet made for Avon

 

A very good (brief) overview of the production of this particular line of glassware sold by Avon (written by Debbie & Randy Coe),  can be found at this link:   Avon’s Cape Cod Pattern.


Few, if any, Avon bottles are marked with a logo or other identification indicating exactly what glass company made them.  However, many of the Avon bottles were made by Wheaton Glass Company of Millville, New Jersey.  Wheaton Glass Company has since went through various restructurings and slight name changes over the years, and is now known as simply “Wheaton” ,  concentrating on scientific apparatus and laboratory glassware.    Other glass companies that produced Avon glassware include Owens-Illinois Glass Company, and the Carr-Lowery Glass Company plant at Baltimore, Maryland.


UPDATE: I received a reply about this so I wanted to include text here from a comment left by “Carlena” on May 25, 2014.  (Thank  you Carlena!)  She wrote:  “I can confirm to you that several AVON Decanters were manufactured by Owen-Illinois, especially at the Huntington, W Va. plant. My Mom-in-Law worked for the Huntington, W Va. plant for about 25 years up until they closed the plant (approx. 1993/1994). We have a pair of original AVON Dueling Pistol 1760 decanters ( glass only, not the added silver plastic decor or bottle caps).  One has on the Butt of the pistol “AVON 5” and the other “AVON 10″.  From what I’ve found in research these decanters were marketed by AVON, around 1973 with Deep Woods After Shave.”

(I have also received comments that indicate some Avon bottles were made at another Owens-Illinois Glass Company plant located at Fairmont, West Virginia, and also at the Carr-Lowrey Glass Company factory at Baltimore, Maryland.   If anyone has additional info on these or other glass companies that made any Avon bottles during their history, please write and I can add that information to this article! Thank you! )


AVON BOTTLE BOOKS BY BUD HASTIN

For more information on Avon bottles and other collectibles and their suggested values,  I would suggest the series of price guides by Bud Hastin which have been issued periodically since 1969.   As far as I can tell, the very last edition was his “18th Edition”  (“Bud Hastin’s Avon Collector’s Encyclopedia“),  published in 2007.  I believe this book was available as an ebook several years ago, although I’m not sure if it still available now.

NOTE:   I might add that beginning with the 13th edition ( 1993), or perhaps before, Hastin deleted large sections of  Avon bottles dating from the very late 1950s and newer, especially some of the Fragrance bottle lines and “Miscellaneous Avon bottles”.  He removed them from the newer editions because he felt they were no longer collected, and had little or no value or collector interest. 
Personally, I disagree with his decision to remove large numbers of bottles from his more recent editions, but, of course,  that was entirely his prerogative.  Some collectors are just as interested in learning the approximate age and other info concerning their bottles and not always merely about the monetary value.   And just having the bottles shown in the books show they were indeed produced, and do exist, so this would still give some basic information for the diligent searcher.

If a present-day collector is trying to find out info on common Avon bottles made in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, they might find many bottles of that time period listed in an older edition of the price guide, but not in the newer editions.  Luckily, many of those older editions are still available on the secondary market.  A good site to look for older editions of Hastin’s Avon books is bookfinder.com.

Of course, the primary value of the older editions is the information concerning when a particular product and container was produced and sold, and not on values, as the values have changed over the years and are more than likely totally irrelevant to today’s market.


 

Please click here to go to my website Home / Welcome Page:  Glass Bottle Marks Home Page. 

Click here to go to the alphabetical lists of “Glass Bottle Marks” pages, covering marks and logos seen on bottles, fruit jars, electrical insulators and tableware.

 


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54 thoughts on “AVON BOTTLES – General Overview”

  1. I have one of my grandmother’s bottles. It is the Avon Country Store Coffee Mill Decanter Sonnet Cologne. It is white. I wondered what the bottle was made of? Porcelain?

    1. Hi Candy,
      That bottle is made of white milk glass, not porcelain. White milk glass and porcelain look very much alike, but porcelain is a type of high-grade ceramic or “china”). The main three ingredients in milk glass are silica (quartz) from sand, lime and soda. The main component of porcelain is Kaolin (“China Clay”) which has aluminum and silica as main ingredients. In my opinion, white milk glass has a shinier, creamier, smoother, slicker type look, and porcelain is just slightly less so…. very hard to define.
      Hope this helps a little!
      David

  2. I was wondering if you would know what glass company made the Avon perfume bottles? Were they made in the U.S.?

    1. Hi Kathy,
      From titbits of evidence here and there, and comments from readers, we are fairly sure that at least SOME Avon bottles were made by Carr-Lowrey Glass Company of Baltimore, Maryland; Owens-Illinois Glass Company (uncertain on exact factory locations involved) and Wheaton Glass Company of Millville, New Jersey. I think some of the cobalt blue items may have been made by Maryland Glass Corporation, also of Baltimore. There are likely other glass companies involved.
      Your question gives me an opportunity to ask all readers who may land on this site and see this thread: Do you have any solid information on any of these, or other, glass companies that did make, or are believed to have made, Avon bottles??? If so, please add your comment to this site. (Kathy I know you are asking specifically about Avon PERFUME bottles, but other glass items were made that are not specifically related to perfume, so I am broadening this question to any and all glassware made for Avon!) Thanks for your post!
      Best regards,
      David

  3. I have a frosted clear glass bottle clearly stamped AVON 2. I understand it was my grandmother’s and pre 1960. It has powder in it but am not sure if the bottle was originally for powder. It is oval without much decoration except for small clusters of grapes at the neck. The lid is pink. I can find no references that tell me about the AVON 2 marking. Can you help?

    1. Hi Amy,
      The “2” is just a mold number, and gives no information on age or purpose of the item. Sorry, I don’t know offhand on what your bottle would have held. Perhaps someone will land on this site, and recognize the bottle you are referring to.
      Also, although I have no financial connection with the Avon Price guides published by Bud Hastin, I would suggest you get a used copy and look through that for possible information on bottles marked AVON. Those price guides are out of print, and are long out of date, (and the suggested values/prices given are now totally irrelevant!) BUT those books are very comprehensive, and picture many hundreds and hundreds of items sold by Avon over many years, with info on dates of production. Many of those guides were published (in quite a number of editions), so they are very plentiful, and sell very cheaply on the secondhand book market. A search on Bookfinder.com would bring up lots of them for sale – very inexpensively.
      Hope this helps, David

  4. Dear Bill,
    I have a complete set for four of the Cape Cod series. Also the water pitcher, salt and pepper, candle holders, cake plate, wine decanter, etc. I do not know the value of this set. Also I do not have the original boxes but the set is in pristine condition.

  5. I wanted to add to my story about Bertha Burkholder and Frieda Holmes, and their legacies with Avon… My Mother died in her 98th year in 2014. She was so proud of her history with Avon and a very strong Christian Woman…I still have all of her Mrs. Allbee awards, they were from England, including the matching cups and saucers…Over the years, as with many American Companies today, Avon has went through many changes….She was with Avon for 63 Years. To this day, when I am out in our communities, being 67 years old…and People ask, about my Mother, Frieda Holmes, they always say….YES !!!! I remember Frieda, >the Avon Lady in Flushing, Ohio. She is dearly missed.

    1. Hi Harold,
      Thanks for your posts! Interesting information & remembrances for all the Avon collectors who may land on this site!
      Take care,
      David

    2. Your story could be my story as well . My mom sold Avon for 65 years before her Alzheimer’s stopped her joy of being an Avon representative. I as well have her Allbees, I sell Avon to two of her customers still. Yes, I had to continue selling as I was hooked on Avon as I grew up with it all my life. It was wonderful to hear your story.

  6. I have an Avon bottle in the shape of the Eiffel Tower. Just wondering if anyone knows roughly when it was made.

    1. Hi Sheldon,
      As far as I am aware, there are no “official” Avon bottles and collectibles price guides in print at the present time. Bud Hastin’s 18th edition, from 2007, was the last edition published as far as I know.
      So, it seems that ebay is the best way to get a realistic view on what any particular Avon bottle is actually selling for. And, although I assume you already know about this, but just to help readers who might not be longtime ebay buyers, please keep in mind that when searching ebay prices it is important to check the actual item selling prices, NOT the “asking price”, the “buy it now price” or minimum bid, which often reflect the wishful thinking of sellers who honestly have no idea what they have, or how much value it has to experienced Avon collectors in today’s market.
      Take care,
      David

    1. Wende, I do not know, but I would guess it dates from the general time period when many of those types of glass car bottles were being made and sold by Avon, say, approximately 1968-1975. I am sure the information on the exact year that car, as well as many other Avon cars, were actually made and sold is SOMEWHERE on the internet. I am posting your comment here, and maybe someone who is more knowledgeable about this will post a comment with further information for us.
      Thanks for writing and take care,
      David

      1. David thanks for responding back. Yeah I’ve searched the internet a little but haven’t found anything,but will keep looking. I’m thinking late 60s almost 70s. Thanks again and have a great evening. Sincerely wende

  7. I bought an investment house (hoarder house) and we have found close to 500 if not more Avon perfume bottles some in the box some not. I don’t want to throw away as they are so cool… just how could I reasonably sell them all?

    1. Ruby, there are no easy answers in a case like this, but my best advice would be to try listing them on your local Craigslist.org site. And be prepared to ask a fairly low price. You might have to agree to sell only some of them, but not all in one lot, as most collectors are looking for specific, individual pieces they don’t already have in their collection, and may not be willing to buy the entire batch at once.
      Many of the typical Avon figural bottles have low market value because 1) they were made in very large numbers, 2) the demand for them is currently quite low, and 3) the typical condition is not very good, with original paper labels being torn or missing or plastic lids being worn or faded. If the boxes are worn, damaged or have any kind of “musty basement” smell, they will have much less value.
      Hope this helps,
      David

  8. Are Avon glass bottles safe for storing olive oil etc? I have a small aqua pitcher with stopper in a small dish under it. Don’t want to use it if not safe. Thanks!!

    1. Avon glassware is typically made of ordinary soda-silica-lime glass, the same general formula as used for most typical container bottles and fruit jars. They are safe……… although the stopper needs to be very tightly fitting, to help preserve the flavor and quality of the olive oil. And if you are using something that once contained a perfume/fragrance product, it needs to be scrupulously cleaned so there is no lingering trace of the smell.
      Hope this helps,
      David

  9. My Dad worked at Carr Lowrey Glass Company and designed a lot of the Avon bottles. I am trying to find out which ones. Any way that is possible?

    1. Hi Terry,
      I personally don’t have any information that would help you, BUT I will be happy to post your query here. It is possible that (sooner or later) someone will land on this web page who has information you are looking for.
      Take care,
      David

  10. Had the opportunity to buy an entire set of the Cape Cod dinnerware last week however as awesome as it looks I felt the price was just too high being from Avon.

  11. My mother has been saving avon for40 yrs. She has over 2500 items, I mean everything from bottles to awards. She is 90 yrs old and blind and she wants me to sell all of this avon. I do not have the time to search the value, list the items on ebay, watch the items on ebay. Is their collectors that will buy it all. I know she will lose money this way, but it is the only way I can do this. I have seen some items sell for thousands of dollars and she might have some, I just don’t know. What should I do?

    1. Hi Bill,
      I have approved your post for publication on the site, so perhaps we can get some good feedback from readers. I can only say that your question is VERY difficult to answer……. there is no simple, easy way to sell that many Avon items at once. If I did have a suggestion, it would be to investigate the possibility of listing the Avon collection on Craigslist.org. If going that route, you don’t have to risk paying large listing fees, and you can list items with a ‘blind’ email address and only answer responses that sound like they are serious and worth following up on.
      Although Craigslist is primarily a “local” venue, many, if not most Craigslist listings are integrated into Google search engine listings (I think?), so potentially you might have a nationwide audience. You can also re-list items several times, thus extending the total time period into weeks or months that your listing is “live” on the web. I also want to add that it is very possible you would only get about 10%-20% of the “listed market value” of Avon items, as many of the Avon bottles and other items, especially from the 1960s-1980s, were sold in such large numbers that they have not kept their value over the years. That is just my own “feel” for the situation, but perhaps others would disagree with me.
      Feedback, readers??
      Take care, David

    2. Hi there. My mother sold Avon also. She had bought me, my brother and sister parts of some collections prior to her death. If you still have some of her things I would LOVE to talk to you. My mother loved being an Avon lady, loved her “ladies” and everything about Avon. I know it is a long shot but maybe you will still have a few things.

      1. My Grandmother and Mother sold AVON from 1950 – 2011, as a side evening business…..It started out that my Grandmother was the original representative, in 1950, by referral from my Great Aunt Blanche in Norfolk, Va, you had to be recommended by an Avon Representative. So my Grandmother, Bertha Burkholder, became an Avon Representative, and the outstanding miracle about her legacy with Avon was that she was born crippled in both hips and did all of her sales over the phone, 100% all of them….and in the day, Avon wanted you to go door to door….but when they saw her sale levels, the President of Avon, a man back in the day, called her and told her not to worry, to please continue with her accomplishments, how thrilled they were with her sales…..She was loved by all who knew her in this small town. and was recognized many times by the company for her success.

        This took place, In a small Eastern Ohio Town called Flushing, around 1200 people, at the time.. She was known to many as Aunt Bertha, or Bertha Burkholder…and I was so fortunate to have been raised by her and my Mother, who worked at Hillandale Farm Eggs, Inc. for 47 years… and helped with Avon deliveries and orders in the evenings after our dinner….I grew up with Avon always under the Christmas Tree and there are many collectibles at our 4 generation home.

        I occupy this home today and have restored it, built in 1922…At the Holiday Season, they would venture out to Business owners residences and set up of Avon Christmas displays of featured gift packages, for their employees or managers…..it was a huge success…in 1963, their sales at the holidays exceeded $3800.00 and in those days , that was in ratio to the times of $38,000.00 today…massive sales… She was recognized by the President of Avon, many times for her record sale achievements….we have many plaques and plates, in honor of her campaign success stories.
        In 1975, My Grandmother passed at 83, and my Mother took it over and also made a great success of it while she was so involved with Hillandale Farm Eggs, when she retired from the Egg Company in 1991, after 47 years, she went full tilt with Avon, Known as Frieda Holmes, the Avon Lady, I have her Albees from England for her sale rewards in a Jasper pier cabinet, custom made for her 2001 Christmas gift from her Family, and also many gifts from Tiffany’s in New York… Our Family has a huge history with Avon Products…..now there are many Avon Reps, and I still purchase from a lady friend, my chosen quality products.

  12. My husband’s grandmother worked for Owens-Illinois in Fairmont, West Virginia. She kept 4 ceramic glass bottles that she inspected that were meant for Avon perfume, but I assume were considered flawed. They have never had perfume in them or a lid of any sort. 2 are red, 2 are green with a white floral print and one is cream color and has “Avon Cotillion Cologne Mist” printed on the front. Do these have any value?

    1. Wondering if my cobalt blue glass bottles from Avon that had bath oil in, after throughly cleaning, would be safe for some tinctures ( medicine) I made to put them in??? Thanks. I heard they may have lead in them…

      1. Hi Sara,
        Yes, they are safe. Someone misinformed you. Avon bottles made of cobalt blue glass have trace amounts of cobalt in them – which produces the strong blue color. I believe a lot of the blue Avon bottles were made by either Carr-Lowrey Glass Company, Owens-Illinois Glass Company and/or Maryland Glass Corporation, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. The cobalt is “locked into” the glass and does not leach out from use. Cobalt is actually an essential trace element required by the human body, so if a few atoms of cobalt should leach from the glass and get into the body, it would mean nothing.

        In any case, lead was not used when making this type of glass. I seriously think that any recent media buzz or “hype” about older glass items and any supposed safety issues is a bit of an overreach – as the modern mainstream media loves to urge everyone to be constantly and aggressively looking for SOMETHING (Anything) to be worried about – at all times! I hope this helps,

        Take care, David

  13. I found a decanter and goblet set. What do the numbers mean. The bottom of the decanter is 7 yet. The goblets vary in the 30s… I love this set and am so curious about it.

    1. Hi Jen,
      The numbers on the bottom of the goblets and decanter are mold numbers. See my webpage on “Numbers on the bottom of glass bottles” for more info. Many glass items have mold numbers, including many modern glass bottles and jars that might be in your refrigerator or cupboard right now! The mold numbers do not give info on age of an item. Mold numbers have been used for over a hundred years.
      Best regards, David

  14. I have several avon collectible decanters and need help determining value – what’s the best site to do that? have a moose and gas pumps that I haven’t seen many of. Thanks.

    1. Judy,
      The best way to find the value of Avon items (or almost any type of antique, vintage or collectible) is to search the ebay site over a period of time. Unfortunately, to be honest with you, it can be somewhat difficult or, at least, very time-consuming. And I am referring to looking through the ebay “Completed Items” listings showing actual ending prices (if an item even sold), not the “minimum bid” or “Buy it Now” prices which may or may not have any reflection on the true “market value” of an item.
      Hope this helps,
      David

  15. My mother-in-law gave me an Avon decanter in the original box still full and never used with “TAI WINDS” cologne.It is the First Volunteer decanter, gold plated,6 Ounces. I was wondering when it was produced and if the cologne is still good. I opened the bottle and it smells good.

    1. Hi Patricia,
      I don’t have info on the exact years this was in production, but I am guessing late 1960s or early 1970s. Perhaps a reader with more info can answer your question as to age of the bottle. In my opinion (and this is only my opinion, please keep in mind!), most Avon perfumes and colognes slowly and gradually change in odor over the years, and tend to smell somewhat “off” or unpleasant after several years. I certainly wouldn’t want to wear a cologne that old. But again, just my opinion!
      David

  16. A friend gave me 4 boxes full of Avon vehicles bottles still in the boxes 97% of the boxes are in mint condition I haven’t sorted them out yet but when I do take pictures of them would someone give me a good sight so I could sell them and find out the prices on them and my whole bottle collection I would like to sell all at once I got a huge collection of different types of bottles you can reach me at grayealder@gmail.com thanks Glenn

    1. Glenn,
      The Avon car bottles are difficult to sell, even with original boxes, simply because they were made in large numbers, lots of them are still around, and the Avon used bottle market is still rather ‘flat’. Your best bet would probably be eBay, but most collectors are looking for specific bottles to fill holes in a collection, so selling them all at once will not be easy, not to mention the high shipping costs. You might try craigslist (it’s free to post ads on that site), or maybe you could try selling them to a flea market dealer in your area. However, selling them to a dealer would involve only getting a small percentage of the selling price. Good luck~
      David

  17. I have a Avon Peacock bottle. Its long tail is a devine deep blue green. Its head is plastic with the tuff on top. Very cool. Is it worth anything? I’ve never seen a poic of it anywhere.

    1. Hi Dede,
      When in doubt, try using GOOGLE IMAGES. Here is a search link just using the keywords AVON PEACOCK BOTTLE. https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=594&q=avon+peacock+bottle&oq=avon+peacock+bottle&gs_l=img.3..0j0i24k1.88.6384.0.6906.32.22.5.0.0.0.500.2593.4j7j3j5-1.15.0….0…1.1.64.img..13.12.2121…0i8i30k1.7LGHcRYLOPM

      the bottle was made in large quantities, so has only nominal monetary value…… Although the sentimental value may be important (if someone special gave one to you as a gift many years ago, for example). Condition is very important with these bottles, and since they are so plentiful, there is little point in buying an example in poor condition.
      David

  18. I have a , what says a 1964 Mustang blue Avon bottle . It’s full and has its box. Question is. Was it really from 1964? Or did they make bottles and put earlier dates on them?t

    1. Alma,
      I honestly don’t know when that bottle was issued. I doubt it was actually issued in 1964. I would guess early 1970s, but I may be wrong. I would think there is a list of issue dates for all these car bottles somewhere, but perhaps not on the internet yet? Perhaps someone who is a hardcore expert on Avon bottles can answer this question. Readers?
      ~David

  19. Hi, I have 2 car decanters I would like to narrow down to the years they were manufactured. One is the Straight Eight windjammer and the other one is Sterling Six Spicy they are both aftershaves. Could you help me please?

    1. Angela, I don’t have information on the exact years they were made, but I would guess they both date from the late 1960s or early 1970s.
      David

  20. The Figurines you are talking of are called Mrs Albee and she was the first Avon Representative in America with half of the USA as her territory. These figurines were (not sure if still are, but I was a rep in NZ for 30 years) awarded to representatives who achieved high levels of sales.

  21. I have a collection of Miss Abby porcelain dolls. These were given out yearly to top sell advisors. Each year is different and the mold was destroyed each year. How can I find out the value of these. They are starting from the 80’s to the late 90’s

    1. Hi Gwendolyn,
      I’m not familiar with the Miss Abby porcelain dolls (this site relates primarily to glass, not porcelain) but I would offer the same advice to you that I would to anyone else asking about values of various items considered to be “collectible”. Search http://www.ebay.com with relevant keywords that would be most likely to bring up such item listings, and search the “Completed Auctions” (actual ending prices) over a period of time, at least several weeks, to get an idea on what they are selling for in reality. The “Asking prices”, “Minimum bids”, or “But it now” prices are often WAY out of line, and may not give a remotely realistic view on the “true market value” of a particular item, which is why I always stress searching the Completed Auctions results.
      Hope this helps, and best regards,
      ~David

  22. I came here as I found an old Avon bottle in a ’50s-’60s dump. I’m commenting because, if you want to know how to find what things really sell for on Ebay (you talked on Ebay here on this page,) then go to the upper right (on Desktop/laptop) of the screen and click “Advanced Search”, then type in what you’re looking for and go and click on “Sold Listings” so it produces a check mark there. You then hit “Search” and it takes you to sold listings, which show how much a piece or set actually went for. You can keep searching, till you want to change it back to “Title and Listing” or just hit exit and return. Or if you go to a place showing a listing still going. It’s very helpful in figuring out what a piece probably is worth, but there are outliers there for one reason or another. Just in case anyone wants to know. I learned this on the bottle forum I use.

    1. Thanks for the info! I might also add that you can “narrow down” the search by being creative with keywords…… try to think of possible keywords that a seller might have used in their auction subject heading. Also……… the “COMPLETED AUCTION” search on ebay doesn’t permit searching both title AND description (just the title only), so a search cannot be quite as thorough as in a “regular” search of current auctions.

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