Re: MAC silver packaging
IIRC that wasn't a collection per se, but sort of transition packaging as they went from the old cylindrical black tubes (I have some lipsticks from as late as 1998 in the old black tubes...and MAC at that time was putting expiration dates on the bottom lipstick stickers) to the bullet-shaped tubes. I have three or four lipsticks (Mystic, O, Odyssey) from the permanent collection that I bought at different periods in 99 that are in that silver pewtery packaging. That silver bullet only seemed to last a year; it seems to be about 2000 that they went to the black bullet that is still in use today (with different colors, of course, for LE collections).
I know someone else will correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I can tell just by looking at my stash.
merleskaya