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Way too much soap

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
I haven't bought a soap or a cream since early 2018. I have enough for several lifetimes. Really stupid. I have so much soap it makes me anxious. It is a constant reminder of my mortality. I have at least 30-40 vintage Williams, 2 dozen modern Williams, a couple dozen Palmolive sticks, nearly a dozen Arko, about a dozen Valobra/DRH/Wilkinson/etc sticks, 4 or 5 tubs of Proraso, a half dozen tins of Simpsons Luxury unscented cream, tubes and tubes of Ingram, Palmolive, Proraso, and other creams, 4 or 5 TFS and RR soaps, a couple MWF, 450ml (ONE POUND!) each of 2 varieties of JM Fraser's cream and Palmindaya cream, a few slices of Cella, Vitos, & other Italian soaps, and a bunch of one offs from artisans, etc.

These were purchased over the course of a dozen or more years. I'd get a deal on a dozen pucks of 1980s Williams in the factory packaging, then I'd go to Ireland 2 or 3 times a year and I'd bring 2 or 3 Palmolive or Wilkie sticks or Ingram creams back to America each time, then in 2015 I read about Williams being discontinued so I bought 3 dozen from Pharmapacks for less than a buck apiece shipped, then CO Bigelow offered buy 2 get 1 on Proraso... it was never a binge... rather a slow, steady accumulation. Suddenly I realized there was a giant box of soap and creams in my closet in the cellar.

If you're new to this thing, take your time. But you won't. Ten years from now you can copy and paste this post and call it your own.
 
I reckon you are from UK? Palmolive is still producing sticks, there is just no export to the island. Here on mainland we have plenty.

No, I'm from the States. Well, I'm glad they're still making them. They used to be priced in the Arko/Derby range and then after the rumors circulated, the price doubled and so I grabbed a bunch. Now they've doubled again upwards of $7 to $10. I just checked Tesco and Manor and Kemfit, which are the online UK stores I know of. I checked Smallflower in Chicago, my typical go-to for hard-to-find apothecary stuff in the States -- and they're out too. so something has changed or perhaps it's Covid supply line interruption. It looks like there is a groovy 70's-style label product popping up in AU & NZ, so maybe there has been a facelift (hopefully not reformulation)
 
I haven't bought a soap or a cream since early 2018. I have enough for several lifetimes. Really stupid. I have so much soap it makes me anxious. It is a constant reminder of my mortality. I have at least 30-40 vintage Williams, 2 dozen modern Williams, a couple dozen Palmolive sticks, nearly a dozen Arko, about a dozen Valobra/DRH/Wilkinson/etc sticks, 4 or 5 tubs of Proraso, a half dozen tins of Simpsons Luxury unscented cream, tubes and tubes of Ingram, Palmolive, Proraso, and other creams, 4 or 5 TFS and RR soaps, a couple MWF, 450ml (ONE POUND!) each of 2 varieties of JM Fraser's cream and Palmindaya cream, a few slices of Cella, Vitos, & other Italian soaps, and a bunch of one offs from artisans, etc.

These were purchased over the course of a dozen or more years. I'd get a deal on a dozen pucks of 1980s Williams in the factory packaging, then I'd go to Ireland 2 or 3 times a year and I'd bring 2 or 3 Palmolive or Wilkie sticks or Ingram creams back to America each time, then in 2015 I read about Williams being discontinued so I bought 3 dozen from Pharmapacks for less than a buck apiece shipped, then CO Bigelow offered buy 2 get 1 on Proraso... it was never a binge... rather a slow, steady accumulation. Suddenly I realized there was a giant box of soap and creams in my closet in the cellar.

If you're new to this thing, take your time. But you won't. Ten years from now you can copy and paste this post and call it your own.
Thats a lot! I dont buy unscented soaps thought. Do you use the vintages or just collect them?
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
Thats a lot! I dont buy unscented soaps thought. Do you use the vintages or just collect them?
I use vintage Williams a lot, especially in the winter. I have some that goes way back, but most of what I have is from the 70s-80s. Most of it was bought in lots rather than as individual pucks. Of particular note are 12 pucks still in the factory packaging; they're early 1980s vintage. I've had them about 4-5 years but haven't opened the packaging yet.
 
I enjoy trying new soaps & other products. But after I try them, I usually sell or pif them. I have my den paired down to my favorites. But I'm always open to trying new things in case I find a new favorite. That's how I found my current favorite soap, Ethos.
 
It's true. I close my eyes and suddenly it's the day after my funeral and I see my grieving wife and daughters sitting on the basement floor surrounded by piles of Williams Mug Soap saying "What are we supposed to do with all of this stuff?"
That's what I was saying. Some people imagine their family treasuring or auctioning their soap collections. It's much more likely that the soap will be thrown away by people rolling their eyes and talked about at every family gathering.
 
Just when I say I have plenty, GFT Coconut Oil cream showed up last week and a care package from Connaught showed up today. I'm expecting a SV soap from IB and ordered Peaches and Cognac from A&E. I went to Connaught for a particular soap but to get free shipping I HAD to get a few others, ya'll know how that goes. 🙄
 
After 3 years of DE shaving I probably bought 10 soaps & cremes just to find the ones that suits me best and now I'm trying to narrow them down to 3 or 4 favourites but must admit whenever something new comes out from my fav brands I'm still tempted 😄
 
It's true. I close my eyes and suddenly it's the day after my funeral and I see my grieving wife and daughters sitting on the basement floor surrounded by piles of Williams Mug Soap saying "What are we supposed to do with all of this stuff?"
Foam party at the wake?
 
I prefer a minimalistic approach... my current "rotation" consists of Sterling SDM puck, Jenny Peggy's Humidor puck and a tube of Proraso white cream.

I won't be getting another Proraso in tube, nor an SDM, both are disappointing. Humidor soap OTOH is out-of-this-earth, love it, both scent and performance wise.

I've TOBS new Lime Zest "croap" on my next-one-to-get list.
 
I accumulated lots of soaps and creams over the past few years. And even after some serious PIFs I am only down to 25 soaps. I am trying to 3017 my stock now. It seems the only way to work through them methodically. And no more purchases!
 
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