Wig prices. SM are not money grabbing monsters!!

amother

Ghostwhite

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 8:13 pm

amother DarkGray wrote:

I just don’t get it. Lawyers, musicians, party planners, electricians, builders, restaurants, photographers, interior decorators, and lots of other professions are all over the map with pricing. The person charging three times the price may have more years experience but often can’t show that he or she is three times the value. Yet some people want to pay for reputation, experience, comfortability factor even though they aren’t necessarily getting dollar for dollar value. That’s their prerogative.

There is no reason that all SM shouldn’t be earning $400 a pop any more than $14 per wash. It’s simply what the market is willing to pay. If it gets to the point that it’s easier work for higher pay than comparable office and similar jobs the SM market will start to flood with capable girls who want to make an easy lucrative parnassa. There’s no monopoly on learning to wash sheitels.

My cleaning lady went from $10 to $18 over the last few years. I can either swallow the price for the 5 hours I have her a week or try to find someone who will work for $10. The market has moved on, time for all of you complainers to get with the program or send your daughters to SM courses so you can kvell about them making $120 a pop.

You didn’t prove anything
The cleaning ladies who doubled their prices are just as greedy and wrong

amother

Lavender

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 8:21 pm

I went to school to do hair and decided that I don't want to be a sm since it's hard work and they don't make enough to justify it ( it's physical labor, on your feet all day and super busy erev yt). That's why I'm defending them on this thread. I decided to work in a completely different field but I understand how hard they work. Yes I'm sure there are a few who hire everything out and don't do any of the work but I'm sure they worked hard to get their good reputation so they have so many clients. You don't start off charging $120 and have many people who want to use you, it takes years to build up a steady clientele and I fargin them the right to charge whatever they want. I personally wouldn't use someone who charges that much, I have found a decent sm in my area that charges $35 but if she raised her price that much I would gladly find someone else.

amother

DarkGray

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 8:24 pm

amother Ghostwhite wrote:

You didn’t prove anything
The cleaning ladies who doubled their prices are just as greedy and wrong

How about the very women complaining about the SM? Not too long ago they use to start entry level in an office for $12-14 an hour and are now asking for $25 right off the bat? Are they just as greedy and wrong?

How about the playgroups who doubled their prices over the last few years? Are they greedy and wrong?

If the entire world is greedy and wrong just maybe that makes everyone right…

amother

Ghostwhite

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 8:25 pm

amother Lavender wrote:

So you just admitted the one who charges $35 is decent.
I doubt the $120 one is 4 times as good, just 4 times greedy

amother

DarkGray

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 8:28 pm

amother Ghostwhite wrote:

So you just admitted the one who charges $35 is decent.
I doubt the $120 one is 4 times as good, just 4 times greedy

Technically you are considering the $35 one to be not greedy at all so the $120 must be infinitely more greedy in your value system, not 4 times. Just helping you with the math.

amother

Coffee

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 8:31 pm

amother Sienna wrote:

How are shaitels now?
And out of curiosity, do you apply this to other mitzvahs as well? Like if kosher food is to expensive you just eat non kosher or not certified (which could go either way, like lettuce. Lettuce might have bugs or might not.) etc. (Not bashing, just trying to understand,)

There are a lot of things I relaxed on because I truly believe it isn’t meant to be this hard.

I had so much hammered into me in bais yaakov that I realized after 20 years you don’t need to make yourself crazy. 20 years ago you could get a beautiful shaitel for a reasonable price. Now - it’s gotten out of control, competitive etc.

[parts encouraging stopping to follow halacha removed]

amother

Ghostwhite

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 8:34 pm

amother Coffee wrote:

There are a lot of things I relaxed on because I truly believe it isn’t meant to be this hard.
I prefer leafy green veggies - I’m not going to kill my self to find microscopic bugs - I buy Trader Joe’s triple washed and do a once over - zehu. I had so much hammered into me in bais yaakov that I realized after 20 years you don’t need to make yourself crazy. 20 years ago you could get a beautiful shaitel for a reasonable price. Now - it’s gotten out of control, competitive etc.
I am finding more and more of my friends over 40 uncovering their hair. We are over it. Im truly a happier person.

You being happier isn’t a justification to stop keeping halacha
I feel so sad for you
What’s next? This is a wrong attitude
Keeping Shabbos and taharas Mishpacha is hard too
We don’t get to pick and choose
That’s not yiddishkeit

amother

Cappuccino

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 8:35 pm

amother Ghostwhite wrote:

You didn’t prove anything
The cleaning ladies who doubled their prices are just as greedy and wrong

So everyone who charges market rate for their services is greedy.

Honestly you seem extremely entitled in that you think everyone owes you their labor for the price you want to pay and anyone who raises their price is greedy and selfish.

Normal people try to get as high a salary or compensation as they can. That isn’t greed. That is just normal behavior 🤷‍♀️😂

A cleaning lady most definitely will not be hired if she charges more than the market will pay.

amother

Ghostwhite

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 8:37 pm

amother DarkGray wrote:

Technically you are considering the $35 one to be not greedy at all so the $120 must be infinitely more greedy in your value system, not 4 times. Just helping you with the math.

Is it not more than 3x the price? So it’s almost 4x

Is this really the only argument you have left?

amother

Sienna

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 8:42 pm

amother Coffee wrote:

This is so sad. You’re giving up on Halacha for convenience.
Did you ever hear the stories of women who were moser nefesh to go to the Mikvah? To keep kosher? Etc.
And instead of buying kosher brands, you buy Trader Joe’s which probably costs about the same, and if you buy store brands that has a hechsher than TJ is way more expensive. I’m really sad.
Edited to add that 20 years ago we had cheaper wigs and more expensive. And there were also controversies then. Remember the white part? Scalp? You could get a Paula young wig then, you could get one now. And everything in between, then and now. 20 years ago you could’ve gotten a $5000 wig or a $500 one or a $50 one.

amother

Coffee

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 8:54 pm

amother Sienna wrote:

I’m amused at what you believe is Halacha vs chumra.
I’m not paying for garbage bodek stems. Trader Joe’s is much more affordable and lasts longer.
I’m happy where I am frumkeit wise and I don’t need or care about your judgement.
You do you my love - I will do me. I’m a happier and healthier person when I practice this way. Whatever works for you - I’m happy for you.
It will be nice when we learn to just accept people and not “pity”, “judge”, or look down on others to make ourselves feel better.
I was very clear that this works for me, and I am a happier, healthier person. For you, it may not work- and that’s okay.
As for meseiras nefesh for mikvah etc…I have done my fair share of that over the years…bh eating a nice salad without throwing away half of it and slaving over ridiculous checking hasn’t killed me yet.

You do you…without judging others.

amother

Eggshell

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 8:56 pm

amother Coffee wrote:

I stopped covering my hair because of the shaitel industry. I don’t like scarves and tichels on my head and the way shaitels are now - just made me realize covering is not for me. I have no regrets and feel so much more liberated.

You’re blaming the sheitel industry for your choice to stop keeping Halacha?

amother

Lightyellow

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 8:58 pm

amother Sienna wrote:

I agree that it's sad, and no one should stop covering their hair because of unscrupulous business practices.

But listen to yourself.

You lecture her on giving up halacha for convenience. What about the sheitel machers whose greed makes it more difficult for people to follow halacha? No lecture for them, I guess.

amother

Sienna

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 9:04 pm

amother Lightyellow wrote:

You’re right. But even where I live there are ppl who wash shaitels for $20-$25. And they look great. But as others have said, that’s what ppl in business do. For everything there’s a choice. I can choose to go to a cheaper store or a more expensive one. If she’s going to Trader Joe’s as a regular supermarket, she probably could spend more money on getting a shaitel done. It’s also about priorities. If she said she’s going to Aldi as her supermarket I would think very differently.
Shaitel machers, as any other business person, should never take advantage of anyone.
But at the same time two wrongs don’t make a right.

amother

Ghostwhite

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 9:05 pm

amother DarkGray wrote:

Technically you are considering the $35 one to be not greedy at all so the $120 must be infinitely more greedy in your value system, not 4 times. Just helping you with the math.

I don’t need help with math thanks
But I think you need help understanding what it means for a service provider to be ehrlich and decent to other Jews

amother

Eggshell

Sun, Jan 29 2023, 9:05 pm

amother Lightyellow wrote:

I don’t think that’s really fair. It’s possible to find wigs at a cheaper price, they just might not look as good as the “in” options. No one is forced to wear a sheitel. You can wear tichels, hats, falls. It’s not an excuse to stop covering.

Is it fair kosher meat is so expensive? Can I blame the butcher for my wanting to buy non-kosher meat bc of the crazy prices? No. If it’s too expensive then eat chicken and veggies. You don’t have to have the best. You do have to keep Halacha. There’s no opt out.