Avon was founded in 1886, the year when Cosmopolitan published it's first magazine. This was during the Victorian Age when women were dressing conservatively. By 1897 Avon, originally called the California Perfume Company, made it's first $500 in sales. That was considered enormous amount of money back in those days.
The company's name did not change
until 1939, after WWII ended,
then the perfume company name
changed to Avon, when it branched
out from strictly a perfume industry
to cosmetics. During this time frame
since Avon was founded, fashion was
evolving fast. In 1920, fashion
entered the modern era.
In 1939, the beginning of WWII,
Avon started manufacturing products
to support efforts of our troops,
such as insect repellents, etc., the beginning
of what evolved through out time into our
familiar Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard
which we now sell today. In 1949,
after the war ended, Avon reached
25 million in sales with 65,000 representatives.
The company reached nearly a billion in the
early 1970's. Avon aired it's first TV commerical
in 1954. In the next 10 years Avon started
manufacturing collectibles which include
home decor and fashion. While continuing to
expand itself, Avon started to grow internationally.
In 1964, Avon joined the New York
Stock Exchange and started trading
Avon stocks. During this time Avon
began to market novelty containers and
figural decanters, such as fancy soaps,
bubble baths, scented candles, candle holders, etc.
Avon became the first cosmetic company to open
in China, selling moisture cream. The picture of
the above Avon collectibles can also be viewed at http://www.glassmenagerie.com, a website that
displays retired Avon collectibles.
The image below is the first container used for
selling Sweet Honesty, one of Avon's oldest
fragrances that is still found on the market today.
A bottle of 1.7 oz spray can now be purchased for $14.50.
Avon began to sell jewelry in 1971,
and fashion clothing in 1973.
In 2006 Avon celebrated it's
35 years of sales in jewelry. In the 1980's,
Avon partnered with and owned
other top company names such as
Tiffany & Co. and others to
produce their line of jewelry.
As a producer of a large variety
of styles, Avon has become today
one of the largest costume jewelry
manufacturers in the world.
The above picture illustrates Avon's charm bracelet
in 1973, representing fashion clothing and accessories
on their market. The updated version of Avon's charm bracelet
honoring it's 125th anniversary, has recently been awarded to
representatives placing a minimum of $50 per campaign in sales.
The bracelet itself is worth $50.00.
.The illustration of the Avon brochure below dates back to 1973.
