Wig prices. SM are not money grabbing monsters!!

Ruchi

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 11:11 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

Only on page 7 but I don't understand this... Any person employed would leave their job if they weren't ever getting a raise because why pay more money if one can pay less? But someone self employed (who BTW needs to pay all taxes/FICA) can't charge more as time goes on because she shouldn't make that much an hour based on the calculations of her clients? So instead of taking $5 raises each year, and she did a larger raise a few years later, she's scamming the public? That's ridiculous.

Almost all sm's work off the books so no taxes to pay

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 11:16 pm

Ruchi wrote:

Almost all sm's work off the books so no taxes to pay

That's a pretty harsh and unfounded comment to make. I know many yashar people who do report their work. These include sheitel machers.

Ruchi

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 11:18 pm

amother Birch wrote:

Oh what a load of BS. I don't know in which utopian universe you live in or what your SM relative tells you.
I'm on a chat with many many SM. The young hires are a nightmare. They expect premium pay for completely inexperienced work. The SM needs to train them in while still paying them big bucks.
It's not like it once was.
When I started out many many years ago I worked for a SM at $12/hr (I was already married with a kid) and she hardly had time to teach me anything. I had to learn everything myself from watching her and experimenting. I also did all her secretarial work in addition to the wash and sets. Let me tell you I worked like a DOG and she paid me bubkes. But that was my way of breaking into the industry.
Today's girls ask for premium pay and get fully trained on the job. All at the expense and time of the SM.

My niece works at a so called top sm in BP who charges a mint. (Will not share her name) She was not trained by her and nor were the other 3 workers.
They had completed professional training and courses and that's why she employed them. They had to come to her and wash a couple of wigs, blow and style them and she was happy with their work so hired them.

amother

DarkGray

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 4:15 am

This whole discussion is silly. So many people need to learn the basics of supply and demand. Especially in an industry with low barriers to entry, if there is truly a disconnect in pricing vs skill more people will flood the field and bring prices down. Not sure why there is a socialist attitude where outsiders should dictate what a woman can decide to charge for her talent and services.

BTW DH is proficient in Choshen Mishpat and says there is no onaah issue in an industry where talent and reputation vary widely.

amother

Cornsilk

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 9:11 am

amother Blonde wrote:

The rates are raised when their expenses go up.
It's not extortion. Everyone has a choice to use cheaper sheitel machers.
And according to this logic, you should be working for minimum wage and never ask for a raise, it's extortion.

Nobody is getting raised by twice their wage from one minute to the next.
It also isn’t comparable to calling a plumber which shouldn’t happen very often.
Washing and setting a wig is a monthly expense.
It shouldn’t cost as much as calling down a plumber to your home.

Also washing one wig takes time, but washing a few doesn’t take much longer.

It takes 2 hours to wash and air dry a wig, but in those 2 hours you can wash and air dry 10 wigs as well.

amother

Cornsilk

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 9:23 am

amother Blonde wrote:

No one went up suddenly from $50 to $120. That's non-sense. The only sheitel machers I know that charge $120 are the real famous one's that everyone knows they're very expensive. You don't need to go to a famous sheitel macher, but many people go just for the name. Most sheitel machers charge $50-$80 range. I've been using my sheitel macher for 12 years now. She used to be $35, then went up to $40, then $45, now she's at $50. I occasionally use a different sheitel macher that takes $45. The $120 one's are only the famous one's that are known that they're expensive.

Interesting. My Sheitel macher went up from $40-$60 in the span of a few months.

At the rate I’m going, I need to look for a new sheitel macher every year.

If they would raise it with $5 I don’t think I would care.

amother

Cornsilk

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 9:29 am

amother OP wrote:

I’m not saying anything about myself. I’m talking about the market in general.
The funny thing is apparently I’m on the cheap side for a wash & set. According the numbers being posted here.
I’m trying to stop the attitude that SM are money grabbing monsters as they are being made out to be.
I’m sorry it seems like I failed quite miserably.
It’s very sad to read some of the comments here. We are just trying our best to support ourselves our families & employees while providing a service to those who come to us.

If you’re on the cheap side, people aren’t talking about you.
Some SM are just doing it because they can.

Since you aren’t doing that, why are you speaking for them?

amother

Cornsilk

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 9:32 am

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

That's a pretty harsh and unfounded comment to make. I know many yashar people who do report their work. These include sheitel machers.

So why when you pay with a quickpay , do they charge additional money for tax?

amother

Cornsilk

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 9:35 am

Amarante wrote:

Let me try to explain WHY the comment is offensive because you appear to be tone deaf.

The poster is stating that a SAHM does nothing and contributes nothing and her sole value to the husband and family is her physical appearance. Since she has plenty of time and money, her sole "job" is to use it for shopping and cosmetic procedures.

While there might be a few women who are married to fabulously wealthy men and who therefore have multiple servants and nannies, the vast majority of women who stay at home do so because they have young children and it economically doesn't make sense for them to work or they lack reliable reasonably priced day care. They certainly aren't sitting on their tushes all day having facials and eating bon bons.

And unlike Ghostwhite, I will post this under my "real" name.

ETA - This is about as "real" a name as any imamother - I didn't post imamother color.

I don’t think that’s what she meant.

She meant about people who are busy looking beautiful and have time and money to spend.
(That happen to also be sahms)
She didn’t say that sahms all are busy looking beautiful.)

She’s talking about a specific type of crowd.

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 11:45 am

amother Cornsilk wrote:

So why when you pay with a quickpay , do they charge additional money for tax?

I'm not sure I understand your comment.
I have no idea who you're talking about.
Are you asking if they charge the customer tax? No, self employment means that they are responsible to pay their income taxes completely, no portion from the employer.
This has nothing to do with the customer.

amother

Forsythia

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 12:01 pm

Raising prices is not price gouging. Price gouging can only be done in situations where an individual has a tremendous advantage over others in the market. For example, when someone buys off all the bottled water during a storm.

Amarante

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 12:33 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

I think it depends on the state and what it is for

In some states there is sales tax charged on services.

Also some SM would sell products and of course the sheitl itself is a taxable sales almost everywhere

But unless you pay cash literally - you leave a paper trail. Papal and Venmo report transactions to the IRS. It was going to be changed to $500 but they deferred that for a year so it is still $20,000 in terms of triggering a 1099.

amother

Ghostwhite

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 12:48 pm

doodlesmom wrote:

Sorry, I did not read all the comments, but in every work environment a person has to decide if it’s worth it for them to work for the salary/compensation given.
If not people ask for a raise from their boss or raise their prices.
No one is upset when a worker gets a raise from their employer…..no one expects them to prove that they need it etc.
Same should be for shaitel machers. They are providing an expert service.
They have expenses related to their business.
They also have to pay for life.
It’s not worth it for them to work for x amount at this point.
If you don’t want to pay x amount then don’t.
But they definitely have the right to charge!

They don’t have the right to charge 3x what others do. That’s geneiva especially because it encourages the honest ones to raise their prices just because they know the other high priced sm’s get it,

amother

Ghostwhite

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 12:48 pm

Amarante wrote:

You grossly exaggerated what was said and put words on her mouth.
That’s not ok.

amother

Ghostwhite

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 12:49 pm

amother Dandelion wrote:

Very mature. And you know I posted in response to you saying what terrible aveiros sm are doing in your eyes. I’m not the one who is angry at a group of people, I’m not the one judging others and asking hashem to judge through my eyes. So your response makes no sense.

Your statements above to me are clearly judgmental and that you don’t see it but accuse others of it says a lot

amother

Ghostwhite

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 12:50 pm

amother Caramel wrote:

I think a SM is totally justified to charge what she wants. Hairstyling is skilled and physically exhausting work. If you don’t like it, there are plenty of people breaking into the field who will charge less. If you don’t want a newbie then you are admitting that experience is valuable and a commodity.
** I am saying this as a professional with a graduate degree that required seven years of education. If SMs are charging 120, then there’s a market for it and it’s a free market. They are entitled.

The dishonesty is that only newbies and inexperienced are charging the lower prices. That’s not true.

amother

Ghostwhite

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 12:53 pm

amother Cornsilk wrote:

Yes thank you for explaining
I thought everyone understood what she meant but I guess not

amother

Cappuccino

Fri, Jan 27 2023, 12:54 pm

amother Ghostwhite wrote:

I truly don't understand how you can say they don't have the "right" to charge whatever someone is willing to pay them.

Absent unusual circumstances there is a free market economy and someone can offer their services for whatever they want to charge. If people are willing to pay it, their business model works - if no one wants to pay that amount, then they will have to adjust their prices until there is a balance.

There are individuals who command a huge fee for their services. They do so because they are in such demand that they have more than enough clients. This is true in every field.

It is very bizarre to me that people feel entitled to use the services of individuals at a price they want to pay. I can get a mani/pedi at an ultra trendy salon for $150 or I can go to the local shop for $30. Should I be enraged that there are manicurists that can charge this amount because they have a client base that is willing to pay it?