Most Avon bottles are worth $1-10, as of October 2026. The figural cologne and aftershave decanters Avon sold from the 1960s to the 1980s, shaped like cars, animals, guns, pipes and chess pieces, were made in the millions and still turn up by the box. Figural car decanters do a little better, at about $8-22 each on eBay. Older California Perfume Company bottles bring roughly $25-200 when the label is clear, and representative award pieces such as the Mrs. Albee figurines usually $15-50.
That is not a judgment on the bottles, which are charming and well made. It is supply and demand. Avon sold through millions of representatives, many buyers kept every bottle, and the collectors who drove prices up in the 1970s are now selling their collections at the same time. The good news is that a few groups still have real buyers, and they are easy to recognize.
Quick answer
- Common 1960s to 1980s figural decanters, full or empty: about $1-10 each, often sold in lots.
- Figural cars and trucks in clean condition: about $8-22 each on eBay, typically around $14; boxed adds a few dollars.
- Cape Cod 1876 ruby red glass pieces: about $5-20 each.
- California Perfume Company (CPC) bottles from before 1939 and early Avon pieces in original boxes: roughly $25-200, sales are thin.
- Representative award pieces, including the Mrs. Albee figurines: roughly $15-50, more for the earliest years and large boxed pieces.
How do you identify and value an Avon bottle, step by step?
Find the Avon mark, name the decanter and its contents, then decide whether it belongs with the common decanters or with the older or rarer groups.
- Look at the base. Most Avon bottles from the 1950s onward have "AVON" molded into the glass on the bottom, often with a small number. Many still carry a paper or foil sticker naming the product, the fragrance and the size in ounces.
- Name the figure. Car, truck, train, boot, pistol, pipe, bird, owl, cat, dog, chess piece, bell, figurine lady, Christmas ornament, bottle shaped like a bottle. The figure plus "Avon" is your search term.
- Read the contents. Men's decanters usually held aftershave or cologne: Wild Country, Spicy, Tai Winds, Oland, Windjammer, Deep Woods, Everest. Women's held cologne or bath oil: Sweet Honesty, Moonwind, Charisma, Topaze, Unforgettable, Here's My Heart. The fragrance does not change the value much, but it helps confirm the decanter.
- Check the cap. Many decanters have a plastic or metal head, wheel set or cap that is part of the design. A missing cap turns a $8 decanter into a $1-2 one.
- Check for a box. Avon decanters came in printed boxes. A clean box adds a few dollars on a common piece and more on older ones.
- Look for California Perfume Company or CPC. Bottles and boxes marked California Perfume Company or CPC, from before 1939, belong to Avon's early history and are collected separately.
- Check for an award piece. Items made for Avon representatives, such as President's Club awards, Mrs. Albee figurines, sales achievement plates and jewelry, are marked for representatives and are scarcer than retail decanters.
- Grade the condition. Paint wear on the figure, a faded or torn label, a cloudy or leaking bottle and a cracked plastic part all deduct.
A short history that dates your bottle
The company dates are the fastest way to separate the early bottles from the common ones. According to Wikipedia's history of Avon Products, David H. McConnell founded the business in New York in 1886, it took the name California Perfume Company in 1892, it began selling Avon-branded products in 1928, and the whole company became Avon Products, Inc. in 1939.
| Period | Name on the bottle or box | What you find | Typical value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1892 to 1928 | California Perfume Company, CPC | Perfumes, toiletries, flavoring extracts, often with paper labels | Roughly $25-200, more boxed or rare |
| 1928 to 1939 | CPC and Avon together | Transitional packaging | Roughly $20-100 |
| 1940s to 1950s | Avon | Perfume and cologne bottles, gift sets in boxes | About $5-50 |
| Mid-1960s to 1980s | Avon, molded on base | The big figural decanter era | About $1-10, cars $8-22 |
| 1970s to 1990s | Avon | Cape Cod 1876 ruby red glass, collector plates, steins | About $5-25 |
| 1990s onward | Avon | Gift items, steins, figurines | Mostly $1-15 |
What are Avon bottles worth?
Values are for clean examples with caps and labels, as of October 2026. Sealed contents and boxes add a little, not a lot, on the common pieces.
| Type | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Common animal, bird, boot, bell and pipe decanters | $1-8 | Usually sold in lots of 10-30 |
| Figural cars, trucks, trains, motorcycles | $8-22 each | Single cars sell; big lots average less per piece |
| Guns, pistols and western decanters | $5-15 | Complete with cap |
| Chess pieces | $2-6 each | Full sets of 32 bring more than singles |
| Women's figurine and lady decanters | $3-12 | Paint condition matters |
| Christmas and seasonal decanters | $2-8 | Common |
| Cape Cod 1876 ruby red glass, per piece | $5-20 | Pitchers and larger pieces at the top |
| Avon steins (1970s to 1990s) | $10-30 | Some sports steins more |
| CPC bottles with labels, before 1939 | $25-200 | Thin sales; rare boxed sets above |
| Representative awards, Mrs. Albee figurines | $15-50 | Earliest years and large boxed pieces higher |
Two real anchors from Underpriced AI's tracking of completed eBay sales: Avon figural car decanters sold for a median of $13.74 across 16 sales, from $8 to $21.98, with the Mustang, Jaguar, 1955 Thunderbird and stock car decanters among them, and an Avon Cape Cod 1876 ruby red water pitcher with its original box had a median of $13.49 across 60 sales, ranging from $3.59 to $99. Those figures fit the pattern of the whole category: steady low prices with occasional outliers.
Why are most Avon bottles worth so little?
Because there are far more of them than there are buyers. Avon sold through door-to-door representatives in enormous numbers, and in the 1970s its decanters were widely collected. People bought them as collectibles, kept them full and boxed, and passed them on in quantity. Many of the original collectors are now downsizing at once, and few younger buyers collect them as a set. The same pattern holds for most mass-made collectibles of the period, from Beanie Babies to collector plates.
Full or empty: does it matter?
A little. Many collectors prefer them full and boxed because that is how they were sold, and a sealed decanter with a clear label sells for slightly more than an empty one. The difference is a dollar or two on a common piece. Old cologne can darken, evaporate or leak, and a leaking decanter can stain its box and damage the paint, so a clean empty bottle beats a stained full one. Avon cologne is not alcohol for drinking, and these decanters can be shipped and sold normally, though carriers have rules on shipping flammable liquids, so many sellers empty them before shipping.
What changes the price?
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Complete with cap, clean paint, label intact | The baseline |
| Original box in good condition | Adds about 20-50 percent on common decanters |
| Missing cap or head | 70-90 percent less |
| Paint wear on the figure | 20-50 percent less |
| Label missing or unreadable | 10-30 percent less |
| Cloudy, stained or leaking | 30-60 percent less |
| Sold as part of a large mixed lot | Often $1-3 per piece |
| Complete set (chess, cars series) | More than the sum of singles, to the right buyer |
A worked example
Say you inherit three boxes of Avon bottles: forty figural decanters, mostly animals, boots and bells, plus six cars, a full set of chess pieces and a small bottle with a faded paper label reading "California Perfume Co."
The animals, boots and bells are a $1-5 group, best sold as one lot for roughly $40-100 total, or donated. The six cars are worth listing separately or as a small lot, at roughly $8-22 each in clean condition. The chess set is worth checking for completeness, since a full set sells better than loose pieces. The CPC bottle is the one to look at closely: if the label reads clearly and the bottle is undamaged, it is likely the most valuable item in the three boxes, roughly $25-100, and worth comparing with sold CPC listings before pricing.
Where should you sell Avon bottles?
| Channel | Cost to you | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBay, single listings | Final value fee, roughly 13-15 percent, plus shipping | Days to weeks | Cars, CPC bottles, award pieces |
| eBay or Facebook Marketplace, lots | Fees or none | Days | Boxes of common decanters |
| Avon collector groups and clubs | Low or none | Varies | Complete sets, CPC and award pieces |
| Thrift store donation | None | Same day | Common decanters not worth shipping |
| Estate sale | Commission | One weekend | Large collections with other household items |
Common mistakes
- Pricing from asking listings. Many Avon bottles are listed at $20-50 and never sell. Check sold results only.
- Shipping $2 bottles one by one. Postage costs more than the bottle. Sell commons as lots.
- Throwing out the boxes. A box adds value on older pieces and on cars.
- Overlooking CPC. The small, plain bottles with paper labels are often worth more than the colorful decanters.
- Losing the caps. The cap is part of the figure; without it most decanters are near worthless.
- Assuming rarity from a website list. "Most valuable Avon bottles" lists often quote asking prices or unverified figures. Treat them with caution.
How WorthPic reads Avon bottle photos
WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. From your photos it reads the figure, the cap, the color and paint, the label and the molded mark on the base, identifies the decanter and its era, separates common figurals from CPC bottles, award pieces and scarcer items, and gives an honest value range in US dollars with a most likely figure. It also explains what drives the price and which extra photo would settle it. It cannot see a slow leak, smell whether cologne has turned, or know whether a set is complete unless every piece is shown. It identifies and estimates. It does not authenticate, grade or appraise.
What to photograph
- The decanter from the front and side, in daylight, with its cap.
- The base, showing the molded Avon mark and any sticker.
- The box, all sides, if you have it.
- Any CPC or paper label close up and readable.
- For a lot, one group photo plus close shots of anything that looks different from the rest.
When to get it looked at in person
A box of 1970s figural decanters does not need an appraisal. A sold-listing search and a realistic lot price are enough, and many families choose to donate them. The pieces worth a second look are California Perfume Company bottles and boxes, early Avon gift sets from the 1930s to 1950s in their original boxes, representative award pieces and complete matched sets. For those, the National Association of Avon Collectors and active Avon collector groups know current demand, and Bud Hastin's Avon Collector's Encyclopedia is the long-standing reference for identifying pieces. If the same estate has older glass, see our antique bottles guide or our Depression glass guide.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Avon Products: founded in 1886 by David H. McConnell, California Perfume Company name from 1892, Avon products from 1928, renamed Avon Products, Inc. in 1939.
- Underpriced AI: Avon figural car decanters: median $13.74 across 16 completed eBay sales of Avon car decanters, range $8 to $21.98.
- Underpriced AI: Avon Cape Cod 1876 ruby red pitcher: median $13.49 across 60 completed eBay sales, range $3.59 to $99.