IPBA Founding of the IPBA

In May 2013, the International Perfume Bottle Association celebrated its 25th year anniversary in grand style in Las Vegas, Nevada. A return to Vegas was special in many ways, as we initially began our story there as a group of like-minded collectors of glorious perfume bottles and associated vanity items.

The International Perfume Bottle Association was established as the Perfume and Scent Bottle Collectors in July 1988 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Longtime perfume bottle collector, Fran Peters, was attending a convention, held every four years, of the Organization of Historic Bottle Clubs. At that convention, specialty meetings were held. Fran placed a notice on the bulletin board asking people who were interested in perfume bottles to attend a specialty session. Seventeen people responded and all agreed that they wanted to unite and “collect” other perfume and scent bottle collectors.

Charter Members of the IPBA, originally called the Perfume and Scent Bottle Association, were: Fran Peters, Jean Sloan, Joyce Geeser, Jeane Parris, James Conley, Hazel Martin, Sheila DeVarso, Leslie Fronczak, Betty Jordan, Cay Bettinghaus, Dick Pardini, Jody Speer, Bob Puterbaugh, Louise Beaton, Patricia Francois, Helen Sherwood, Luella Newman, and Jeannette Switch. Two charter members, Jeane Parris and Joyce Geeser, began the process of organizing the group. Perfume bottle dealer Jean Sloan notified all of her customers of the club’s formation. Joyce Geeser began disseminating information through antique publications. She started publishing a newsletter, Perfume and Scent Bottle News, and by the end of the first year, membership had grown to nearly 375. Jeane Parris began keeping membership and financial records.

The first annual convention of the Perfume Bottle Scent Collectors (PBSC) was held in 1989 in Dearborn, Michigan, and officers were elected to serve the Association. The Association officially became the International Perfume Bottle Association at the annual convention in Reston, Virginia, in 1994. In 1995, the IPBA became an approved 501c(3) not-for-profit association.