The Rising Cost in Hair System Prices

[Smartone84]

Just wanted to vent a little bit on here. I'm sure we've all seen it by now. The turmoil the industry has been in as a result of Covid and the subsequent rise (sometimes drastic) in prices for hair systems in 2020. It has really been sad to see. I've kept an eye on all prices for quite sometime so I remember what certain units were for sure. Lordhair has by far been the worst as far as price increases go.

For example their super thin skin unit, the "S22" was $169 before Covid. Today it is $229.

Their "Air" model was $189 pre Covid. Today it is $249.

So these are basically a WHOPPING $60 increase in the span of what I believe was approximately 6 months.

Am I the only one who's surprised there isn't more of an outrage online over these crazy jacked up potentially price gouged increases??

 

[JMC]

Truthfully I am not mad at it. I do wish prices were lower, but I understand supply and demand.

I honestly don’t understand how hairpieces are as cheap as they are. You have a lot involved from the actual hair harvesting, base making, knotting then the cost of the middle man. I only got into hairpieces about 6 months ago and I really think it’s an extremely affordable product.

Don’t get me wrong I love lower prices, but I’m not mad about it.... yet

 

[Milo Bloom]

You don't want to know what system prices used to be like back in the day, believe me!

 

[Smartone84]

You don't want to know what system prices used to be like back in the day, believe me!

If these things blow up bigger and there is more supply and demand issues I wonder if prices will go up even further. There can only be so much hair to go around to make these things.

 

[Noah]

I'm with JMC on this. I don't want to sound like a shill for the industry, but these things are unbelievably cheap given what they are and the difference they make to us. What other bespoke handmade item can you buy for $200 - 250? Here in Tokyo that is dinner for one at a restaurant. I am actually slightly uneasy that I am benefiting from some young Korean or Bangladeshi girl working a 12 hour day for breadline wages. I just hope someone is keeping an eye to make sure there is no underage labour in there. I'm sure there has been in the past.

 

[BaldBearded]

If these things blow up bigger and there is more supply and demand issues I wonder if prices will go up even further. There can only be so much hair to go around to make these things.

It has nothing to do with the hair, and everything about the availability of labor to make them.

As I explained in another thread, no more knotting is happening in N. Korea, as a result, the companies are frantically trying to train new, and far more expensive knotters in China.

I expect prices to keep going up, as workers demand higher and higher wages. They are also refusing to work on "complicated" systems, and getting lace done at all is nearly impossible.

I understand your frustration, understand the frustration of service providers who have to return systems (at our own cost) because they are not perfect. Or frantically trying to find systems for customers, searching the world over for inventory.

Trust me, no one in the industry is having a good time now.

 

[BaldBearded]

Truthfully I am not mad at it. I do wish prices were lower, but I understand supply and demand.

I honestly don’t understand how hairpieces are as cheap as they are. You have a lot involved from the actual hair harvesting, base making, knotting then the cost of the middle man. I only got into hairpieces about 6 months ago and I really think it’s an extremely affordable product.

Don’t get me wrong I love lower prices, but I’m not mad about it.... yet

Low prices for base materials, low labor costs, and extremely low margins.

 

[Smartone84]

As I explained in another thread, no more knotting is happening in N. Korea, as a result, the companies are frantically trying to train new, and far more expensive knotters in China.

I expect prices to keep going up, as workers demand higher and higher wages. They are also refusing to work on "complicated" systems, and getting lace done at all is nearly impossible.

I understand your frustration, understand the frustration of service providers who have to return systems (at our own cost) because they are not perfect. Or frantically trying to find systems for customers, searching the world over for inventory.

Trust me, no one in the industry is having a good time now.

Believe me I know. The damage this pandemic has done to the hair system world has been catastrophic. Companies just flat out don't have anything right now, it's brutal. You click on a certain color you want for a stock system and it says "2-3 month wait". Wtf! Curtis at MHE has 8-12 week wait MINIMUM for all his systems. His company is basically at a complete standstill until North Korea opens up. When do you think the borders will open??

It's funny bc I always thought these things were 100% made in China. Why do you think these companies never tried to just get everything made in China? I got kinda sad when I realized that the most tedious part of making these things is probably done in some sort of slave workshop in North Korea of all places.

 

[Fanjeera]

The vaccine is out now, so we should see a drop again, when North Korea opens again.

 

[AxC123]

i can live with a small increase. agree with Noah that it is still cheap, compared to labor costs in the western world...if only they could industrialize ( automate) the knotting process, it could be even cheaper... but 250$ is still much better than the 1000.00 charged by salons

 

[Smartone84]

i can live with a small increase. agree with Noah that it is still cheap, compared to labor costs in the western world...if only they could industrialize ( automate) the knotting process, it could be even cheaper... but 250$ is still much better than the 1000.00 charged by salons

Would be hard to believe these things could ever be made by machine.

 

[judoway]

the big question here is, are the prices ever going to drop again?

 

[Smartone84]

the big question here is, are the prices ever going to drop again?

I would HOPE so. I can't imagine companies having the gall to boost prices $60 permanently like this. Even Curtis over at Hair by MHE. His systems are now $299. Were $240 pre-covid. Insanity. Plus he also charges $18.95 for shipping no matter where in the US you are.

 

[grincher]

Unlikely, if history teaches us something here, the Chinese are quick to raise prices and never lower them. To me they still represent good value for the work put in.

 

[BaldBearded]

the big question here is, are the prices ever going to drop again?

When North Korea opens up again, the prices should drop. These companies are highly competitive with each other. Model names and prices can be identical from factory to factory.

It will take just one company to lower prices once the border opens, and the rest will follow.

 

[BaldBearded]

I would HOPE so. I can't imagine companies having the gall to boost prices $60 permanently like this. Even Curtis over at Hair by MHE. His systems are now $299. Were $240 pre-covid. Insanity. Plus he also charges $18.95 for shipping no matter where in the US you are.

His prices have probably gone up more, and he is eating the increase.

And here is the thing... there is no gall... it's what the market will bear. Twenty thirty years ago... you would have paid way more, with very few options, and no option at all to buy on-line or direct.

Have you noticed that the price of automobiles in many markets goes way up, every year, much higher than inflation (which is flat in most economies)? Don't buy a car. Education... way higher... don't go to school.

 

[Hair2019]

Just wanted to vent a little bit on here. I'm sure we've all seen it by now. The turmoil the industry has been in as a result of Covid and the subsequent rise (sometimes drastic) in prices for hair systems in 2020. It has really been sad to see. I've kept an eye on all prices for quite sometime so I remember what certain units were for sure. Lordhair has by far been the worst as far as price increases go.

For example their super thin skin unit, the "S22" was $169 before Covid. Today it is $229.

Their "Air" model was $189 pre Covid. Today it is $249.

So these are basically a WHOPPING $60 increase in the span of what I believe was approximately 6 months.

Am I the only one who's surprised there isn't more of an outrage online over these crazy jacked up potentially price gouged increases??

I would not worry about a mere $60 increase in price. That is nothing, especially if you're getting 3 to 6 months out of a system - that works out about $10- $20 month price increase. The bigger worry is whether the supply of hair systems is still going to be available. Count yourself lucky you're still able to purchase systems in the current pandemic.