S/O shaitel prices, supply & demand

amother

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 4:27 pm

I don't understand why everyone complains about shaitel macher prices and therapist prices. The way economics work is that price is dictated by supply and demand. If I decide to charge $1000 for an hour of my time, probably no one would hire me unless I have a specific skill set that they need. And if I charge $15 for a wash and set (and do a decent job) I'll probably be way overbooked unless I raise my prices, that's how a capitalist economy works!
Why is this so hard to understand??

amother

Hotpink

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 4:29 pm

amother OP wrote:

Why does a new thread need to be started about this?

amother

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 4:30 pm

amother Hotpink wrote:

Why does a new thread need to be started about this?

Since it's not specific to SM, it can also be about therapists, frum clothing etc

amother

Amethyst

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 4:31 pm

Most people do understand. It's just that some people are very entitled and selfish and think that everyone owes them everything. Maybe they're also jealous of the money others make.

amother

Hotpink

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 4:42 pm

amother Amethyst wrote:

Most people do understand. It's just that some people are very entitled and selfish and think that everyone owes them everything. Maybe they're also jealous of the money others make.

Or maybe they don’t like to be taken advantage of

amother

Oxfordblue

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 4:46 pm

amother Hotpink wrote:

Or maybe they don’t like to be taken advantage of

How are you being taken advantage of if you can choose to use the service or use a cheaper one?

amother

Amethyst

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 5:06 pm

amother Hotpink wrote:

Or maybe they don’t like to be taken advantage of

They're not being taken advantage of if they make the choice to use an expensive service, whatever the service may be. That's where entitlement and selfish come in. They expect the best and most experienced service but they don't want to pay the price for it, thus blaming the service provider for "taking advantage". They can find cheaper service, but they don't want to.

amother

Amaranthus

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 5:45 pm

I feel like in certain industries it’s not a luxury is therapy a luxury I unfortunately know people that can’t go to therapy because of the price and no they have a home office what exactly is the therapist overhang.
I feel like Sheitel machers became big so they hired assistants to wash secretaries to take calls verses keep it small the SM will make the same and the customer won’t need to pay $85 a wash and set. I feel also that some Jewish stuff that are not options for us get inflated like an esrog before sukkos, Sheitel macher, certain food before pesach etc. we are forced to pay the prices but we really can’t afford any of it

amother

Amaranthus

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 5:46 pm

amother Amethyst wrote:

Where I live a SM for a wash and set is 65-100 per Sheitel an average therapist is $200 an hour and no there’s no cheaper

amother

Petunia

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 5:48 pm

I posted this on the other thread. There are halachos about price gouging. A frum person with yiras shamayim shouldn't just be charging whatever they feel like and can get away with.

amother

Amethyst

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 5:48 pm

amother Amaranthus wrote:

Getting your wig done professionally is a luxury, not a basic necessity. Everyone can learn to do their own wig. And there are always affordable sheitel machers around that do a good job even if they're not famous.

amother

Amethyst

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 5:49 pm

amother Petunia wrote:

I posted this on the other thread. There are halachos about price gouging. A frum person with yiras shamayim shouldn't just be charging whatever they feel like and can get away with.

You may charge the going amount, which is what they're doing.

amother

Amaranthus

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 5:50 pm

amother Amethyst wrote:

No it’s not a luxury please stop saying every thread that it’s a luxury looking like a mentsch is a must. People work full time and don’t have time for that. Getting nails done by me is a luxury but a Sheitel must be worn for yiddishkeit and I know people that took courses and was a complete fail!!!

amother

Glitter

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 5:50 pm

Because if all the sheitel machers/manufacturers band together and agree to keep raising prices they kind of leave customers with no choice.

amother

Petunia

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 5:52 pm

amother Amethyst wrote:

You may charge the going amount, which is what they're doing.

Nope. They're creating an impossible market, which is worse than price gouging. I wonder if any of these people who raised their prices to double or triple the going rate actually care about doing the right thing, or just care about getting away with making as much money as they can.

Ruchi

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 5:55 pm

amother OP wrote:

I'm trying to understand the rationale behind the idea that you need to charge more otherwise you'd be too over booked.

What does one have to do with the other?

You can fill up your appointments without being over booked. You simply don't accept more customers than you can handle and the price can remain the same.

is it because if you feel you have become very popular, that it legitimises charging over the top?

Ruchi

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 6:01 pm

amother Amethyst wrote:

Busy working moms with large families do not have time to do their own wigs.
It's not a luxury to have it done by someone else.

Those saying that it is a luxury are plain and simple trying to stick up for the corrupt ones who charge the earth for wash styling.

By the way, the sm's hired help wash and style and they don't t pay them even a 1/6th of what they charge you. The sm just touches up on your head which takes a minimal amount of time.
So the crazy prices are further unjustifiable.

amother

Magenta

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 7:20 pm

amother Amethyst wrote:

Getting your wig done professionally is a luxury, not a basic necessity. Everyone can learn to do their own wig. And there are always affordable sheitel machers around that 2do a good job even if they're not famous.

Can you please provide free or almost free sheital classes?

BTW, I took a basic course after my marriage, paid over 100 for it. Married many years. I still can't curl my wig. And them crimp came in style and I hadn't learned that, or how to straighten my wig.....

amother

Petunia

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 7:32 pm

You know the huge, splashy ad campaigns to "support from businesses"?

Imagine if there was a huge, splashy ad campaign to teach frum business owners choshen mishpat, and especially the halachos of ona'ah. LOL! It would never happen. The ones running the ads are only interested in their holy bottom line, no matter how holy they make themselves sound.

puzzlepieces

Thu, Jan 26 2023, 8:17 pm

amother Magenta wrote:

There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube, how to crimp hair, the only difference is that you need to be careful with the temperature and use heat protectant.