If you are planning to purchase Avon products through ebay, there are some things you need to know beforehand.  First, most Avon products have a shelf life of 3 years when stored correctly:  temp controlled, in darkness, still sealed.  Once opened, most products last about 1 year.  The newer Avon products have expiration dates, but iIf you are buying a discontinued item, contact the seller for the copyright date on the packaging and/or the product code from the packaging.  The last digit of the code is the production year for that product.  For example, a product code of 22192 and a copyright date of 2002 means the product was designed, produced and sold in 2002.  If the copyright is 2000, but the product code printed on the item is 22192, then the packaging design was made in 2000 but the actual product was produced in 2002.  By using this method of determining age, you can help make sure your products are still fresh and usable.  Many items, like bubble bath and shampoo, are still usable after the 3 year date, but some products, like anti-aging creams or sunscreens are not as effective.  Likewise, many cosmetics and/or fragrances may have changed chemically if they are older than 3 years even if they haven't been opened.  If a seller won't give you this information, the product may be older than recommended and they don't want to lose the sale.  Try buying it from someone else if possible.  A knowledgeable buyer will be a happy buyer.  Of course, if you are buying a collectible and have no plans to wear or use the product, then the production date does not matter.  I say this because some people collect bottles and/or containers without ever planning to use the product.  Good luck.  Hope this helps.