Let us begin with a conceptual observation and then move on to practical examples. If a major perfume brand retails at, say, €100 (or $100), while its vintage version can be found online for €300 (or $300), which do you think a counterfeiter is more likely to replicate to perfection: the current release or the vintage one? Exactly, you’ve guessed correctly. When the price of a vintage version consistently exceeds that of the modern release, it is only a matter of time before counterfeiters step in.
Fake or legit fragrances?
Let us now turn to the practical dimension. Over the course of a single month, I found myself -unwillingly- at the center of three separate episodes that profoundly affected me and gave me much to reflect on.
Case one: a friend sent me a large set of photographs of a rare Guerlain perfume being offered for sale online. He was skeptical and did not trust the listing; the asking price was extremely high, and before committing a substantial sum, he asked for my expert opinion. The question was straightforward: is that antique Guerlain perfume authentic?
I have always disliked judging an object solely on the basis of photographs. Anyone with even a modest degree of experience knows full well that relying on one or more images can be highly misleading. A crude forger is quickly exposed, but a truly accomplished one is extremely difficult to detect from photographs alone.
I examined the photographs and was astonished. It was indeed a rare and exceptionally hard-to-find perfume: apparently intact, sealed, with a flawless label and a box in excellent condition. In every respect, it looked as though it had left the factory the day before. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. And that was precisely the problem. How could a perfume produced before the Second World War have survived in such immaculate condition for so many decades? Even the perfume level in the bottle was impeccable, showing no signs of evaporation despite the many years that have passed.
I honestly did not know what to say. I examined the photographs in detail, yet I could find nothing amiss. Then, suddenly, I noticed something extraordinary: the metal seal bearing the ‘Guerlain’ logo was not the historical one: it was the modern version. In that instant, everything became clear.
Counterfeiting a perfume.
The forger had executed every element with extraordinary care: the bottle, the label, the sealing cord, the obviously fake perfume itself, and the immaculate box. Yet he had overlooked a single detail: the metal seal, which was unmistakably modern.
What truly astonished me was the level of dedication involved. This was the work of a master forger, someone who had undoubtedly spent days constructing a counterfeit vintage perfume. I reflected on it for a long time: in the present day, someone had deliberately recreated a perfume from decades past, solely to sell it at an inflated price.
New and old "vintage" fragrances.
Case two. Chanel No. 5. Whenever I hear about "Chanel No.5", I instinctively suspect it’s a counterfeit. I no longer trust any Chanel fragrance unless it’s purchased from an authorized retailer. Or sold by a very, very, very trusted seller.
At the time, the matter seemed relatively straightforward. Another friend had delivered several open boxes and bottles of Chanel No.5 Eau de Toilette directly to my home, asking me, with a sly smile, to examine them carefully and provide my assessment. Having the perfumes physically in hand made the task far easier. Relying on photographs to determine whether an object is genuine or counterfeit is virtually impossible today; by contrast, direct examination of the item itself is invaluable.
I began by examining the boxes and bottles, all of which could be dated to a specific period: the 1980s. The packaging itself was counterfeit, although identifying this required a certain level of experience. Then I reached a definitive conclusion, and for a very precise reason. The “perfume,” if one may even use the term, was nearly black in color. That alone settled the matter. An EdT from the 1980s cannot turn black in such a relatively short period of time. Certainly not a Chanel fragrance.
The case appeared so straightforward that I turned to my friend and asked why he had brought those bottles to me for “authentication.” Could he not see for himself that they were unmistakably fake?
Selling fake fragrances.
His reply was remarkable. Of course he had noticed. But the real issue lay elsewhere. These were not counterfeit "vintage" Chanel bottles produced recently and passed off as originals. They were perfumes manufactured in the 1980s and deliberately introduced, at the time, into the counterfeit market, where they were sold at relatively low prices. Having failed to sell, they remained stored for decades. In recent years, they resurfaced and were offered as “vintage Chanel from the 1980s”, now commanding premium prices.
Because the boxes were sealed, a superficial external inspection could easily suggest authenticity. Only upon opening them would the buyer discover the truth: the poor-quality liquid inside, darkened to near black after years of chemical degradation. It was, in every respect, a remarkable deception.
A careful observation.
Case three: I am presented with a still cellophane-wrapped Christian Dior fragrance that has been discontinued for over ten years. Finding a perfume that is ten years old is not, in itself, an impossible task: many perfumeries still hold stock that is several years old.
I immediately look for the batch code on the bottom of the box, but it was not there. This alone raises my suspicions. By chance, I then read the legal and promotional text on the packaging, which is usually printed in English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, and so on...and I am taken aback. The text was riddled with spelling errors. Now, can you honestly imagine a prestigious manufacturer like Christian Dior printing packaging with spelling mistakes? I certainly cannot. The counterfeiter, operating at a low level of quality, crudely copied the text found on the original packaging and produced the fake. Et voilà.
Why you need to be careful of fakes.
Well, these three cases occurred within the span of about a month, and they taught me three equally important lessons. First, how risky it is to buy vintage fragrances without at least a minimum level of experience. Second, how much demand for vintage perfumes has increased. Third, how dangerous these counterfeits are within the broader landscape of collecting. Being flooded with fake vintage perfumes risks undermining the entire phenomenon of fragrance collecting. One must be extremely cautious and avoid falling into these traps. Whether one is purchasing a vintage perfume for personal enjoyment, for collecting purposes, or as an investment, there must be no room for counterfeits.
-GUY LAROCHE perfumes (here)
-CACHAREL perfumes ( here )
-ROCHAS perfumes (here)