How swapping works
Swapping is the other way to move a bottle on ScentSell. Instead of selling for cash, you trade fragrance for fragrance — bottle for bottle, collector to collector. No money changes hands for the bottles themselves, and there's no 15% commission, because ScentSell isn't a party to the trade and never holds funds on a swap.
What a swap actually is
A swap is a private, agreed trade between two members:
- You offer one or more of your active listings (and optionally sample credits — more below), and
- You're asking for one of their listings in return.
You can only put up bottles you've already listed. Your cabinet isn't offered automatically — if nothing's listed, you'll be prompted to list a bottle first. That keeps both sides honest about what's genuinely on the table.
Swaps are a premium feature, and you'll need your phone number verified before you can make an offer. The free Starter plan is for browsing.
Equity — how fairness is worked out
Every listing carries an equity value — the same valuation ScentSell uses across the marketplace (Australian retail, fill level, condition, scarcity). When you build a swap offer, the proposal screen adds up the equity on each side and shows you a live fairness reading:
| Reading | What it means |
|---|---|
| Very Fair | The two sides are within ~10% of each other |
| Reasonable | A modest gap |
| Unbalanced | A noticeable gap — consider adding to one side |
| Strongly Unbalanced | A large gap — worth rebalancing before you send |
The fairness reading is a guide, not a gate. You're both free to agree on a trade that suits you — but seeing the numbers keeps surprises out of it.
Sample credits — closing a small gap
If your bottle is worth a little less than theirs, you can add sample credits to balance the trade rather than throwing in a whole second bottle. Sample credits are small decants you agree to send alongside:
| Sample credit | Indicative value |
|---|---|
| 2ml | $12 |
| 5ml | $20 |
| 10ml | $35 |
Sample credits only appear if you've turned on "I offer samples" in your profile. You agree the actual fragrances and sizes with your partner in the swap messages — the credit just balances the equity on paper.
Invite them to browse
Not sure which of your bottles they'd want? You can tick Invite to Browse My Scents instead of (or alongside) picking specific bottles. That lets the other person look through your collection and tell you what catches their eye, then you firm up the trade together in messages.
The shape of a swap, start to finish
- Propose — pick what you're offering, what you want, and send it (with an optional message).
- Negotiate — they can accept, decline, or counter. Counters go back and forth until you agree. (Proposing and accepting)
- Accept — once accepted, you each have 48 hours to post. Addresses unlock in the Shipping tab. (Shipping a swap)
- Ship and receive — confirm addresses, complete the pre-ship checklist, post road-only with tracking, then mark received when each parcel lands.
- Done — when both sides confirm they've received, the swap completes automatically and you can rate the experience.
What ScentSell does and doesn't do
- We do give you the tools: equity valuation, a moderated message thread, an address exchange that only opens once the deal is locked, tracking, a pre-ship checklist, and an AI mediator if something goes wrong.
- We don't hold money on a swap, guarantee the other person, or guarantee the condition of what arrives. A swap is a trade you both choose to make. Trade at your own risk, post tracked, and keep your photos. (Safety and disputes)
Next steps: