Avon Products Inc is the oldest beauty company in the US. It offers products like fragrances and aftershaves. The Avon bottles are the glass containers that these products come in.
Interestingly, Avon bottles, especially the vintage ones, are becoming popular among collectors. That is, the Avon bottles from many decades ago are considered valuable today, whether or not they have their original content.
However, with so many Avon bottles out there, it can be difficult to navigate the waters and identify what is valuable and what is not.
That is why we’ve prepared this article about Avon bottles. We’ll start by walking you through a history of Avon bottles. Then we’ll show you some of the most valuable Avon bottles out there and their worth. Lastly, we’ll tell you what makes an Avon bottle valuable.
Table of Contents
What are Avon Bottles?
The story of Avon bottles starts with a door-to-door bookseller who noticed that women who answered the doors were more interested in the scent on his body than the books he offered.
He decided to sell perfumes rather than books. In 1886, he incorporated “California Perfume Company” to make his perfumes. Following the vast success of the company’s “Avon” perfume, the company changed its name to “Avon Product Inc” in 1939. The company will later expand to include other cosmetic products such as aftershaves, bath oils, and lotions.
The glass bottles that the company’s fragrances and other products are sold in are what known as Avon bottles.
Avon bottles have always been iconic. However, Avon started making even bigger statement with their bottles by making figural bottles. These bottles were shaped like some other things.
The first figural bottles were shaped like a boot. In time, a wide variety of shapes were introduced. These include cars, motorcycles, boats, trains, guns, clocks, animals (dogs, horses, peaco*cks, etc), humans, more.
10 Rarest and Most Valuable Avon bottles
No. | Name | Year | Price |
1 | Avon Bottle Rare Car Collectible | 1974 – 1975 | $200 |
2 | Rare Vintage Avon Wild Country Aftershave Blue Motorcycle | 1970’s | $199.99 |
3 | 1960s Avon Charisma Perfume Full Bottle | The late 1960s or early 1970s | $173.97 |
4 | Avon Sweet Honesty Boddy Splash Full Bottle | 1970 – 1985 | $149.99 |
5 | Avon Old Bottle Dog Shaped | 1970 – 1980 | $105 |
6 | Vintage Rare Avon Model A Wild Country Aftershave Bottle | The mid or late 70s | $99 |
7 | Vintage Avon Pony Wild Country Aftershave Horse-shape Bottle | The 1970s | $99 |
8 | Vintage Avon Fashion Figurine Gay Nineties Unforgettable Cologne Decanter | The late 1960s. | $99 |
9 | Vintage Avon Big Mold Glass Train Aftershave bottle | The 1970s | $93.75 |
10 | Avon Shaving Brush Endeavour After Shave Lotion Bottle | The 1970s | $69 |
Some of the most valuable Avon bottles you can buy are:
1. Avon Bottle Rare Car Collectible $200
This bottle is officially the “Avon Thomas Flyer 1908” bottle. The Avon bottle was inspired by the Thomas Flyer – the Thomas Motor Company’s Model 35 automobile which won the New York to Paris race in 1908.
The rare Avon bottle is a fine representation of the open roof, four-seater car, with the mounted spare tire at the car’s rear forming the lid of the bottle. The glass “car bottle” is mainly white, but the seats, which are blue are detachable.
The Avon bottle originally held 6 fl. oz. of the company’s Wild Country aftershave. Production of this Avon bottle is in the 1970s, most probably between 1974 – 1975. It is about 7 inches long.
The bottle comes with the original content sticker at the bottom of the car, and this is very good and clear. The Avon bottle is also in fine condition, with only a little scratch (it the floor-tire contact area). It is worth about $200.
2. Rare Vintage Avon Wild Country Aftershave Blue Motorcycle (Full) $199.99
This rare Avon bottle holds 5.5 fl. oz. of the Wild Country after shave from Avon Products Inc.
This bottle can be traced back to the 1970s. The glass bottle is blue in colour and has a gloss finish. It measures 8L x 4H inches, and is shaped like a motorcycle, with a detachable handlebar.
Apart from the intricate detailing of the motorcycle bottle, one thing that makes this bottle very valuable is its condition. Specifically, the bottle still has its original content. It is full and unopened. The original nylon material for keeping the motorcycle’s handlebar is still available. Also, the bottle still has the original content sticker on its base, and it is very legible.
Thus, this isn’t just a rare 1970’s blue Avon motorcycle bottle, rather it is a full container of original Avon Wild Country aftershave. With its like-new condition, the vintage piece is very valuable, and cost almost $200.
3. 1960s Avon Charisma Perfume Full Bottle $173.97
This Avon bottle dates back to the late 1960s or early 1970s. It stood out as a relatively simple bottle in the era of figurine bottles. The glass bottle has a rubber screw lid. It is a small travel-size bottle that holds 1/8 fl. oz. of Avon Charisma perfume
One thing that makes this Avon bottle so valuable is that it is still has its original content. It still has all 1/8 oz of the silvery Charisma. You’ll also find the original content sticker on the shoulder of the bottle.
A full Avon bottle from about 50 decades ago is not something you’ll see every day. This makes this Avon rare and valuable, and priced at over $170.
4. Avon Sweet Honesty Boddy Splash Full Bottle $149.99
This beautiful bottle of Avon is a white transparent glass with some intricate details. Unlike many Avon bottle that come with brass or rubber stoppers, this bottle is all-glass. This bottle dates to between 1970 – 1985.
This Avon bottle is unopened, and still holds its content. Measuring 3.5 inches tall and 3 inches wide, this Avon bottle holds 6 fl. oz. of Avon Sweet Honesty body splash. The bottle is very clean and has its original content sticker in excellent condition on one of its sides.
Being in like-new condition makes this Avon Sweet Harmony bottle very valuable. It is priced at almost $150.
5. Avon Old Bottle Dog Shaped $105
This Avon bottle held 90ml of the Avon Tai Winds After Shave lotion. The Tai Winds line was launched in 1971. That puts the production of this bottle in the 1970s before the end of the figurine craze I 1980.
This vintage Avon bottle is shaped like a squatting Alsatian dog, with the head of the dig forming the lid of the bottle. The beautiful brown dog-shaped bottle has a gloss finish.
Also, the bottle is in very good condition. It is empty, but it still carries the original content sticker on its base. Though this is fading a little, it is still legible. So, this bottle is worth over $100.
6. Vintage Rare Avon Model A Wild Country Aftershave Bottle $99
This Avon bottle is inspired by the 1928 Ford Model A which was the automobile giant’s second market success. The bottle is shaped like an open-roof 2-seater vintage Model A, where the spare tire at the car’s rear is removable to reveal the bottle’s lid. A gloss finish is put on the dirty-yellow colour of the bottle to make a very beautiful piece. This bottle can be dated to the mid or late 70s.
The Model A Avon bottle is about 5 inches tall and 2.5 inches wide, and originally held 120ml of Tai Winds after shave lotion.
The vintage Avon bottle is also in good condition. You’ll find the original sticker at the bottom of the car (albeit seriously worn). However, this piece rare Aon bottle is just shy of $100.
7. Vintage Avon Pony Wild Country Aftershave Horse-shape Bottle $99
This Avon bottle is shaped like the head of a horse, with something like a keyring in the horse’s mouth just like the bits in horses’ bridles. The bottle is actually more of a pony than a horse because it has a pony’s horn-like feature on its head, and this is what forms the lid of the bottle.
The bottle is was made in the 1970s. It is the empty bottle that is offered here, but it was a container for 4 fl. oz. of Avon Wild Country after shave. The green bottle is 5.5 inches tall and 2.5 inches wide.
The Avon pony bottle is in fine condition. There are no cracks or scratches, and the original sticker at the bottom of the bottle is pristine. It is priced at almost $100.
8. Vintage Avon Fashion Figurine Gay Nineties Unforgettable Cologne Decanter $99
This rare Avon bottle is inspired by the 1890s, which in America is called the Gay Nineties and is regarded nostalgically as a decade of prosperous comfort. The bottle takes the form of a beautiful woman with manly biceps.
The bottle which is 7.5 inches tall, and about 2.3 x 2.5 inches wide. However, only lower part of the bottle (from the skirt’s waistline down) holds content, while the upper part forms the bottle’s lid. Thus, it originally held 3 fl. oz. of the Avon Unforgettable cologne.
With the cologne launched in 1965, this Avon bottled can be dated to the early period of the figurine surge – the late 1960s.
Amazingly, it is in very good condition. Its original content sticker is on its base, and it is very clear. Today, this Avon bottle is every bit as nostalgic as the period that inspire it because it is worth about $100.
9. Vintage Avon Big Mold Glass Train Aftershave bottle $93.75
This rare Avon bottle used to hold one of the company’s after shave lotions. It is shaped like a train’s locomotive, and has a brass stopper at its rear.
The green bottle is relatively big, as it is 7.5 inches long, 1.7 inches wide, and 2.6 inches high.
Like every authentic Avon bottle, this big mold train-shaped bottle has “Avon” embossed on it (at the front of the train bottle). Though it is empty and does not have the original content sticker, it is in great condition. It’s also a rare piece that is traceable to the 1970s. So, it is a valuable piece that is priced at $93.75.
10. Avon Shaving Brush Endeavour After Shave Lotion Bottle $69
This Avon bottle is shaped like a shaving brush, where the handle part is the main container, and the brush-hair part is the lid.
The rather small bottle is 5 inches tall and about 1.5 inches wide. It used to hold 45ml of Avon Endeavour After Shave lotion. The bottle was most likely produced in the 1970s.
This Avon decanter is in a good condition. There are no cracks or scratches whatsoever, and it has the original content sticker intact on the base of the bottle. The bottle is worth over $65.
Are Avon Bottles worth anything?
While the value of Avon bottles has not risen as high as most people will want, these bottles are valuable today. A single vintage Avon bottle from many decades ago that is in good condition can be worth anything between $50 to over $200.
What makes Avon bottles valuable?
A host of Avon bottles are not valuable today. This is because Avon Product Inc has offered their products till this day, but only vintage Avon bottles are worthy collectibles.
What makes an Avon bottle valuable include when it was made, how rare it is, and the condition it is in.
Age
With collectibles, the older a product is, the more valuable it tends to be. It is the same thing with Avon bottles. So, earlier Avon bottles are generally more valuable than the later ones.
Rarity
Avon bottles that are hard to find are generally more valuable than those that are more readily available. This is one reason why the pre-1965 Avon bottles are very valuable. These bottles are so rare that anyone that is found commands a good fee.
Condition
The closer the Avon bottles are to their original condition, the more valuable it’ll be.
The factors that determine the condition of Avon bottles include:
- Whether the bottle is opened or unopened.
- The original content of the bottle. That is, is the bottle full partly-full, or empty?
- The content stickers. Are they intact? How clear and legible are the markings on them?
- Original package. Is the original box of the Avon bottle available?
- How free is the bottle of sign of use like scratches and cracks?
So, Avon bottles that are unopened, still have their original content, and have all content stickers intact will be the very valuable. Having the bottles in their original packaging raises their value even more. Empty bottles can still be very valuable if they have their stickers intact and are free of scratches and cracks.
Final Thoughts
The Avon bottles of yesteryears are valuable collectibles today. Though their prices are relatively low compared to other collectibles, a vintage Avon bottle can fetch you the tidy sum of $50 – $200. Avon bottles from the pre-figural period can easily fetch you $200+. But you have to find them first, and they seem not to be anywhere.
