Scents & Cents-ability

What is with all these celebrity fragrances? JLo, Paris, Britney, Jessica, SJP, Hilary Duff and Danielle Steel, among others, all have nosed their way into the perfume game after getting a whiff of the business opportunity. So just how well are these scents selling on eBay and turning scents into cents for eBay sellers? Here’s a quick celebrity fragrance snapshot, based on sales over the last 30 days, according to eBay Marketplace Research:

Britney Spear’s fragrance lines, led by “Curious” and “Fantasy,” have been the hottest sellers of the celebrity set with over 2,300 units moving off virtual shelves over the last month, each item averaging just under $20. However, “Curious” has only brought $11.65 per bottle. One would think, in light of current events, a lemon-scented fragrance from Brit would do well.

Not far behind is Jessica Simpson’s “Dessert” line (pictured). Nearly 2,200 bottles of her perfume have sold, and while less than Brit's line, Jessica's items are commanding a slightly higher price of $22.50.

Despite slower than average sales for Sarah Jessica Parker’s “Lovely” (just over 1,100 items sold), at $24 per bottle, her scent is attracting the highest price of the named celebs, indeed lovely for sellers.

JLo’s three lines – “Still,” “Glow” and “Live” – as well as Paris Hilton’s “Just Me” (why is that name not surprising?) all saw strong sales in late October, but have tapered off throughout November. Both JLo’s and Paris’ fragrances have sold similar volumes (about 1,400 units each) and at a similar average prices ($17 per unit). One standout in the JLo line has been “Live,” (pictured, below) which is netting $23 per bottle.

All this said, by comparison over the last month, the lingering hint of celebrity smell still lags more established scents, such as the Victoria’s Secret (8,700 sold) and Estee Lauder (7,500 sold).