Caesar Man Cologne: any ideas about the sharp price rise ?

[Bigsly]

To me it's a rather basic 80s type soapy fougere, in line with "super cheapos" like Lomani, and not as refined as Gucci Nobile. And it's not like all 80s "masculines" are selling for the "big bucks," so I'm wondering what the appeal is. For example, did one of the major Youtube reviewers hype it up? From what I can tell it is selling for high prices, and it's not just people listing at high prices in the hope that they can get the prices to rise over time (or did they do that already?). Any other apparently odd sharp price rises on other vintage scents?

 

[jclaxton78]

I think it was discontinued. And because of that you have gougers on Ebay (and suckers who will pay it). I thought it was a lame scent anyway, flat, bug spray-ish, and trying to be Drakkar. No redeeming qualities other than the $10 price point (back when I had it).

 

[bigsteve]

After it was discontinued, I saw on eBay how all the sellers started gouging. I wish 'em luck. Peeps aren't going to pay that much money for this particular cologne.
Dakar by Al Rehab is *very* similar. It's a perfume oil in a little roll-on bottle, great performance and cheap.

 

[Katana]

They did the same thing with Izod, and it's just totally dishonorable - I saw that too when just browsing around one day. I still have about 2/3 a bottle of Caesar's and about 1/2 of Izod and when they are gone they are gone - OR should I preserve them and bring them out in about 10 years and try to find a sucker who will pay 300 bucks or so for them? I'm sure there is at least ONE out there. Naw, I'll just wear them now and then util that last tiny drop manages to escape the atomizer - oh and I agree - they are low cost casual fragrances and neither were "classics" so to speak - I really can't understand some people, on either side of these price gouging things - the buyers OR the sellers. But I guess, as my dad used to say - You can put any price you want on something and if you wait long enough someone will want it bad enough to pay it. (He was into antiques big time)

 

[MonkeyBars]

Hey Bigsly, good to see you!

Drakkar Noir has some dihydromyrcenol, which as you know is my nemesis. Caesars is supposed to be reminiscent of it – any of that junk in this one?

 

[ScottW]

...Peeps aren't going to pay that much money for this particular cologne...

Depends on what you mean by "that much money."

Maybe there's a whole lot of financially stable middle aged dudes stocking up on it because they're worried about their juice disappearing. Maybe I should take some profits here before the manufacturer takes notice and starts producing it again, like the Giorgio Red for Men secondary market boom and bust.

I bought mine for $8 and rarely wear it, but it is pretty good and also a bit unique even though there are others that are very close in smell. To me it's a bit cooler and greener than some others in its genre, probably because of how the rosemary plays with the bergamot & moss. The soapiness has just a bit more depth and a touch less brightness than Lomani or Drakkar Noir. I do think that Lomani PH in particular is a great buy at <$10 for fougere fans. Taxi by Cofinluxe is also in this ballpark, but not as distinguished as the others. Also agree that Dakar by Al Rehab is nearly a dead ringer for Caesar's Man.

 

[Bigsly]

Hey Bigsly, good to see you!

Drakkar Noir has some dihydromyrcenol, which as you know is my nemesis. Caesars is supposed to be reminiscent of it – any of that junk in this one?

Good to hear you are still a BNer! I don't get any major dihyrdromyrcenol in Caesar Man, unlike DN, so it might work for you. However, I think you might prefer Cabaret Homme, if you are going to spend that kind of money. Otherwise, as someone else said, Lomani's pretty good, and Taxi lags behind a bit in terms of quality (though Lomani could have been reformulated for all I know). I'd still rather go for vintage Azzaro PH or Paco Rabanne (if Cabaret is too expensive), and those can still be had at reasonable prices on ebay if one has some patience.

 

[Bigsly]

They did the same thing with Izod, and it's just totally dishonorable - I saw that too when just browsing around one day. I still have about 2/3 a bottle of Caesar's and about 1/2 of Izod and when they are gone they are gone - OR should I preserve them and bring them out in about 10 years and try to find a sucker who will pay 300 bucks or so for them? I'm sure there is at least ONE out there. Naw, I'll just wear them now and then util that last tiny drop manages to escape the atomizer - oh and I agree - they are low cost casual fragrances and neither were "classics" so to speak - I really can't understand some people, on either side of these price gouging things - the buyers OR the sellers. But I guess, as my dad used to say - You can put any price you want on something and if you wait long enough someone will want it bad enough to pay it. (He was into antiques big time)

Not only that, but $150 for a 4 ounce bottle isn't "crazy" relative to retail prices on designer scents at the dept. stores. Yes, it can cause some "cognitive dissonance" when you have a bottle you can sell for $150 that you paid $10 for, but then you think, "suppose I really want it and then the price is $300, or suppose I sell it for $150 and the price goes up to $300," but I'd say those are really good "problems" to have. LOL.

 

[Hugh V.]

I think the price gouging is simply because it's OOP and has a well-known brand name attached to it (Caesar's Palace).

I was seeking it out for a lighter, fresher interpretation of Drakkar Noir, and if it lacks the dihyrdromyrcenol of DN then I'd like to try it. I think I'm allergic to that ingredient because DN and Cool Water makes my face heat up and itch.

I keep forgetting to give Al Rehab Dakar a try. I'll see about getting it and report back here with my thoughts.

 

[Bigsly]

I think the price gouging is simply because it's OOP and has a well-known brand name attached to it (Caesar's Palace).

I was seeking it out for a lighter, fresher interpretation of Drakkar Noir, and if it lacks the dihyrdromyrcenol of DN then I'd like to try it. I think I'm allergic to that ingredient because DN and Cool Water makes my face heat up and itch.

I keep forgetting to give Al Rehab Dakar a try. I'll see about getting it and report back here with my thoughts.

Not sure it has none so if you are super-sensitive to it, I wouldn't blind buy a bottle. Cabaret Homme, Rive Gauche PH, or any number of others might be a better idea under those circumstances.

 

[Varanis Ridari]

If everyone just sits on their hands long enough, it will come back down. BN hype has lead to spikes in OOP fragrances, so I tend not to speak much on things I'm after until I have a good enough supply or decide to give up attempted ownership.

 

[Bigsly]

If everyone just sits on their hands long enough, it will come back down. BN hype has lead to spikes in OOP fragrances, so I tend not to speak much on things I'm after until I have a good enough supply or decide to give up attempted ownership.

Coincidentally, I was talking to someone the other day about national strikes. I said that in nations where people vote for those who then don't do what they want and expected (that is, in situations where the peoples' representatives don't act in a representative way) the easy solution would be for the majority to go on a national strike until they get what they want (assuming it's a reasonable policy notion), but that never seems to happen these days (there were some national strikes in Europe in the 60s and 70s, with varying degrees of success). As to fragrances, I don't think it's always a matter of hype. It may be there are some ebay sellers who have crafted a strategy for price hiking (such as to get friends/relatives to "buy" a bottle at a high price, but no money is actually made by the seller), but when you see a certain number of sales over a fairly long period of time, I doubt that is all "fake." And who are we to tell people that they shouldn't spend their money in this way. On various TV shows about appraisals, auctions, and pawn shops, I've see what I regard as a whole lot worse! LOL.

 

[MonkeyBars]

Not sure it has none so if you are super-sensitive to it, I wouldn't blind buy a bottle. Cabaret Homme, Rive Gauche PH, or any number of others might be a better idea under those circumstances.

It's very strange you mention Rive Gauche pH in this context, as I found it incredibly sweet powdery lavender – an opinion hardly anyone else shares seems to share. I think I'm hyperosmic to coumarin or something. A lot of vintage fougeres rub me the wrong way due to heavy coumarin doses.

 

[MonkeyBars]

Good to hear you are still a BNer! I don't get any major dihyrdromyrcenol in Caesar Man, unlike DN, so it might work for you. However, I think you might prefer Cabaret Homme, if you are going to spend that kind of money. Otherwise, as someone else said, Lomani's pretty good, and Taxi lags behind a bit in terms of quality (though Lomani could have been reformulated for all I know). I'd still rather go for vintage Azzaro PH or Paco Rabanne (if Cabaret is too expensive), and those can still be had at reasonable prices on ebay if one has some patience.

Thanks man. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure I tried Caesars Man and didn't like it.

I love Lomani but avoid Azzaro & Rabanne due to the birch tar "leather".

 

[Varanis Ridari]

Coincidentally, I was talking to someone the other day about national strikes. I said that in nations where people vote for those who then don't do what they want and expected (that is, in situations where the peoples' representatives don't act in a representative way) the easy solution would be for the majority to go on a national strike until they get what they want (assuming it's a reasonable policy notion), but that never seems to happen these days (there were some national strikes in Europe in the 60s and 70s, with varying degrees of success). As to fragrances, I don't think it's always a matter of hype. It may be there are some ebay sellers who have crafted a strategy for price hiking (such as to get friends/relatives to "buy" a bottle at a high price, but no money is actually made by the seller), but when you see a certain number of sales over a fairly long period of time, I doubt that is all "fake." And who are we to tell people that they shouldn't spend their money in this way. On various TV shows about appraisals, auctions, and pawn shops, I've see what I regard as a whole lot worse! LOL.

I've also seen the "buy the competing lower listings to control supply/price" tactic happen. That's how Halston Catalyst 3.4's started going through the roof. Any $30-$50 listings were gone in under a day and the $100 guys magically had higher quantities in stock. I put a fork in that one and said "I'm done", deciding I no longer cared to own the stuff haha!

 

[Hugh V.]

Not sure it has none so if you are super-sensitive to it, I wouldn't blind buy a bottle. Cabaret Homme, Rive Gauche PH, or any number of others might be a better idea under those circumstances.

Thanks for the heads up. I'm tempted to try it out for $3 but yeah, why subject myself to that if I usually get that bad a reaction.

Thanks man. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure I tried Caesars Man and didn't like it.

I love Lomani but avoid Azzaro & Rabanne due to the birch tar "leather".

Does Caesars Man have that birch tar "leather" that Drakkar Noir has? Because that's what turns bad on my skin.
Funny that you mention Azzaro because that one too goes cheap and dirty on my skin, so maybe it's the birch tar.

Paco Rabanne PH though is different. It gets a slight bit dirty in the heart, but it dries down into a very clean scent on me.

 

[Vinrambo09]

The original pimp juice lol

 

[peter4ptv]

To me it's a rather basic 80s type soapy fougere, in line with "super cheapos" like Lomani, and not as refined as Gucci Nobile. And it's not like all 80s "masculines" are selling for the "big bucks," so I'm wondering what the appeal is. For example, did one of the major Youtube reviewers hype it up? From what I can tell it is selling for high prices, and it's not just people listing at high prices in the hope that they can get the prices to rise over time (or did they do that already?). Any other apparently odd sharp price rises on other vintage scents?

crazy, just few years ago was around 10 $, i have my from around mid 2000 for like 7-8 $
it is basically drakkar noir clone not worth more than 20$, you can get dakar al-rehab for 10 $ 50 ml. spray and is the best of all clones same as how drakkar noir was 30 years ago double the power smells for days.

 

[Slayerized]

crazy, just few years ago was around 10 $, i have my from around mid 2000 for like 7-8 $
it is basically drakkar noir clone not worth more than 20$, you can get dakar al-rehab for 10 $ 50 ml. spray and is the best of all clones same as how drakkar noir was 30 years ago double the power smells for days.

I agree it is definitely not worth those high price tags.....It is a fun fragrance giving you a memory of the old drakkar, starting off very strong but quickly starting down to a stripped linear DN with questionable longevity imo. Still own a 110/120ml bottle which I maybe start using more when my DN runs out.

 

[sellersburg]

I definitely saw Caesar's Man at Ross a couple of months ago. I nearly bought it, but reviews said it was a cheap reformulation made in China. I know people trash reformulations a lot, but I really haven't found one that was unwearable. Have you tried that one?

Btw, if you haven't tried Belcam's Drakkar classic match clone, it's the bomb. A guy on YouTube thought it was better quality than current Drakkar in terms of scent and longevity. It's definitely worth more than the 8 bucks it sells for.

 

[Bigsly]

Some new thoughts. I do think we're seeing a firming up of a collector's market, at least with certain fragrances (for whatever reason). And think about collectibles such as baseball cards or dolls. Even if you can buy something that looks exactly the same, the collectors want the originals. In this case, there is almost always some difference, so it's also like a guy opening up a restaurant and selling Large Mackies, which are supposed to be like Big Macs but certainly don't taste exactly the same - the key question for some will be whether the price difference is worth it. However, it also seems like a kind of irrational frenzy develops (leading to higher prices), which perpetuates itself (at least until the "bubble" pops). I did try to sell some scents like this recently on ebay and in fact did get the "big bucks" for them, so this is no longer just somebody paying his friend to buy a fragrance he lists on ebay, with the hopes that it will generate interest. That certainly may have occurred but there seem to be plenty of buyers now!

 

[Hugh V.]

I definitely saw Caesar's Man at Ross a couple of months ago. I nearly bought it, but reviews said it was a cheap reformulation made in China. I know people trash reformulations a lot, but I really haven't found one that was unwearable. Have you tried that one?

If I see it at Ross for under $20 I might get it just to see what it's like.
For me though, I've already found a lighter version of Drakkar Noir, which is Abercrombie and Fitch Woods.

Btw, if you haven't tried Belcam's Drakkar classic match clone, it's the bomb. A guy on YouTube thought it was better quality than current Drakkar in terms of scent and longevity. It's definitely worth more than the 8 bucks it sells for.

It smells the same. I'll have do a side by side test to see if there's any slight difference.

 

[mikemotorbike]

They did the same thing with Izod, and it's just totally dishonorable - I saw that too when just browsing around one day. I still have about 2/3 a bottle of Caesar's and about 1/2 of Izod and when they are gone they are gone - OR should I preserve them and bring them out in about 10 years and try to find a sucker who will pay 300 bucks or so for them? I'm sure there is at least ONE out there. Naw, I'll just wear them now and then util that last tiny drop manages to escape the atomizer - oh and I agree - they are low cost casual fragrances and neither were "classics" so to speak - I really can't understand some people, on either side of these price gouging things - the buyers OR the sellers. But I guess, as my dad used to say - You can put any price you want on something and if you wait long enough someone will want it bad enough to pay it. (He was into antiques big time)

insurance claim to replace house contents after fire perhaps

 

[Varanis Ridari]

Some new thoughts. I do think we're seeing a firming up of a collector's market, at least with certain fragrances (for whatever reason). And think about collectibles such as baseball cards or dolls. Even if you can buy something that looks exactly the same, the collectors want the originals. In this case, there is almost always some difference, so it's also like a guy opening up a restaurant and selling Large Mackies, which are supposed to be like Big Macs but certainly don't taste exactly the same - the key question for some will be whether the price difference is worth it. However, it also seems like a kind of irrational frenzy develops (leading to higher prices), which perpetuates itself (at least until the "bubble" pops). I did try to sell some scents like this recently on ebay and in fact did get the "big bucks" for them, so this is no longer just somebody paying his friend to buy a fragrance he lists on ebay, with the hopes that it will generate interest. That certainly may have occurred but there seem to be plenty of buyers now!

This is why I'm getting all my backups out of the way and mostly leaving vintage fragrances. I can't handle the stress of frenzies, bubbles, dishonest sellers, or hype turning what was something fun and educational into a source of anxiety. I have enough anxiety from important life events as it is.

 

[Hugh V.]

Btw, if you haven't tried Belcam's Drakkar classic match clone, it's the bomb. A guy on YouTube thought it was better quality than current Drakkar in terms of scent and longevity. It's definitely worth more than the 8 bucks it sells for.

I just did a side-by-side testing of Belcam Classic Match and Drakkar Noir.

On its own, Classic Match smells just like Drakkar Noir. Easily the best clone of Drakkar Noir.

Side-by-side though, Classic Match smells more synthetic, cheaper, more astringent, and the Lemon Pledge smell lasts a lot longer here than it does in Drakkar Noir.
Next to Classic Match, the soapy aspect of Drakker Noir stands out so much more, it's either better blended or has higher quality ingredients, and surprisingly smells a lot less chemical.

I used to have a love/hate relationship with DN but after this little test, I've definitely gained a greater appreciation for it. I'll probably add it to my cologne rotation.

 

[The_Cologneist]

This is mostly under $20 on Ebay.

 

[bigsteve]

I keep forgetting to give Al Rehab Dakar a try. I'll see about getting it and report back here with my thoughts.

So what did you think of it??? :huh:

 

[Hugh V.]

So what did you think of it??? :huh:

Sorry. I once again forgot.

I'll probably get it this month along with Azzaro PH clone Cuba Black.

Al-Rehab Dakar, Caesar's Man, and Duc de Vervin's are the only significant Drakkar Noir clones I have yet to try.

 

[Bigsly]

This is mostly under $20 on Ebay.

Do you mean Caesar Man or something else? Remember, if you don't want the Made in China one it has to say Legendary Cologne, not just Cologne (on bottle and box). There's one really bad review of the Made in China one on ebay and on Fragrantica someone said it was a lot weaker, but it wasn't clear about whether he thought it was very similar. You might find a seller who doesn't know there is a difference, sees the low prices, and puts a Legendary one up for around $20 for 100 ml. If you like straightforward fougeres, that's an excellent deal!