Lipstick Tubes

Q: I went to an estate sale that had a great collection of vintage lipstick tubes. These were ornate lipstick tubes, even mini works of art in gold, silver, wood, bakelite, celluloid, and enamel. There were at least 250 of them. Each tube had a piece of paper rolled inside with the date it was purchased, from the 1920s through the 1940s. I bought several tubes but regret not buying the lot. Was there any monetary value to this collection?

A: A collection is worth about 25% more than the total value of the individual tubes. The lipstick tubes you bought are not worth what you paid even if they are no longer part of a large collection. Lipstick tubes by famous designers in 18K gold or precious jewels sometimes sell for several thousand dollars. A Van Cleef & Arpels 18K gold ladies’ lipstick tube case sold recently for $2,460. Ordinary tubes by an unknown maker sell for $5 or less. Some special tubes for popular brands are also popular.