Why Do Custom Pieces Take So Long To Deliver?

[esc2000]

Obviously no supplier wants to divulge his supply chain secrets, but safe to assume that most customer makers use factories in China.

I've always wondered, how much of the 8 week timeframe for a custom can be attributed to:
- Backlog of orders from the factory
- Actual time required to make a custom piece
- Shipping

I have no idea but my guess would be, 5 week backlog, 1-2 day time to actually make the piece, 2 week cheap shipping back to U.S.

Given the above assumptions, I imagine that a supplier could come out and offer one week customs as long as there was a stateside factory to do the labor. I'm sure this would cost at least 3x, but it may actually be profitable as a business if run well.

Thoughts?

 

[BaldBearded]

You are wrong about the length of time it takes to make the system.

8 weeks is relatively short time-frame. Some places are quoting 12-14, at least for the first system.

A template needs to be copied, and the mold needs to be made. The hair needs to be selected and prepared. If you have blended colors, the hair needs to be blended (there can be up to six or so areas on the system that can get different color mixes). There is also hair density per area. The venting (hair direction) needs to be calculated, and the base has to be made.

The knotting itself can take 40-50 hours, depending on complexity.

It has become so expensive in China, that some of the factories have opened up factories in other, cheaper countries. I can't find stats on hair system workers, but factory workers make around $27.50, per day (about $6.70 in Vietnam, which is why some companies are opening up factories there, and other places).

After the system is created, it goes through QC (Quality Control) before it is shipped.

The quickest I ever got a system, was six weeks, and that was a rush.

A good, custom hair system, made in China, is going to run anywhere from $399 to $899 (standard length, color, etc).

For comparison, a Cesare Ragazzi CNC hair system, allegedly made in Italy starts at around $3,500.

Making a hair system is an art, and takes years of training, you would need to pay someone VERY high wages. If an Italian system costs $3,500, and the average factory worker makes about $8 an hour, I will bet the comparable salary in the US is double. So you are now at $7,000. And you have saved yourself maybe a few days on either side for shipping.

There is a reason they are not made in the USA.

 

[esc2000]

Thanks for the education on the topic. I had no idea. Concerning a bit how much systems will cost in the future as Asian economies get stronger over time.

 

[BaldBearded]

Thanks for the education on the topic. I had no idea. Concerning a bit how much systems will cost in the future as Asian economies get stronger over time.

There will always be countries that will have cheap, trainable labor. It will probably be where the cheap companies go first.

We didn't even talk about the hair sources, which is a whole other ball of wax.

 

[grincher]

Interesting narrative BaldBearded

 

[BaldBearded]

Interesting narrative BaldBearded

Thanks... I bet many folks don't realize what goes into making a hair system.

The hair sourcing thing, a whole other story. I have watched some vids. You can only imagine where the hair can come from.