Top Tips and Advice for Sellers and Buyers

One member of HairSellon who has extensive experience in the business has kindly written in to provide some excellent insight and advice for both buyers and sellers using this site.

Hello,

I have been doing this for quite a long time. There are many scammers out there. I just wanted to send a few simple rules to those thinking of selling their hair.

1. NEVER cut your hair before you KNOW you have the cash in your account/hand. Once your hair is cut, the price drops dramatically. If you Do cut it before selling, then you have only yourself to blame.

2. A serious buyer does not need a lot of photos to decide what your hair is worth and whether or not to purchase it. One showing the actually loose length clearly with a measuring device is one of them. The other two are one that shows the thickness of the hair at the intended point to be cut with a tape measure TIGHTLY wrapped around it showing the TRUE thickness (braiding your hair and doing this does NOT give an accurate measurement is useless for this purpose. Finally, a good close up of the last 12 or so inches will give the buyer a better idea of the thickness and health of the ends of your hair. Beyond these three photos, no other ones are needed, but, since you are trying to sell your hair, then showing it in the best possible conditions can help. If you make it appear beautiful, then this will help.

3. If you wish to know if a buyer is genuine and serious, then ask for a refundable deposit. The amount of money that this might cost either of you is tiny compared to the false expectations that can arise from getting over-priced bids and a long drawn out decision from a possible buyer.

4. Know what you can live with in terms of how short you are willing to go and know WHY you are cutting and selling your hair! If you are planning on cutting your long hair anyway, then decide on a price you will be happy with. Once you get that price accept it unless you have multiple bidders. If you do have multiple bidders, then as for deposits to make sure they are serious and genuine. It is very easy to say you will pay thousands of dollars for someone’s hair if you never have any intention of actually doing so.

5. Understand that if you are not selling a lot of length, then there are a lot of others out there that are selling similar lengths of hair. Price is determined by how rare your length, color and health of your hair. Asking too much initially will only keep the honest buyers from contacting you. If you are serious about selling your hair, then sentiment and false expectations of it’s value will only cloud your judgement when trying to sell. So, do NOT be fooled by some of the ads for high prices. Look at the ads that have expired to see what prices are unrealistic and look at those that sell quickly for what your hair might actually be worth. Also, contact successful sellers to get a better idea of what made them successful.

6. Remember that the length of your hair does NOT include all those layers and thin ends. Get your hair trimmed to get rid of the thin ends, care for it and keep it well trimmed and THEN try and sell it if you want to be successful! If your hair does not look like it has been well cared for, then it won’t bring you much, if any, money. Even shorter, well kept, hair is more valuable than longer hair if it doesn’t look good and well cared for.

7. Expect to get a lot of scammers who don’t care about you or your hair. They are here for their own reasons, and they have nothing to do with actually buying your hair for a fair price. If you suspect someone of this, ask for a price and for a refundable deposit. If they fail to give you one, then you know they are not genuine.

8. Finally, don’t worry about WHY someone wants to buy your hair. If they buy it, then it is theirs to do with whatever they want to do with it. If it is important to you what will happen with the hair, then know that the person can tell you anything they think you might want to hear. YOU have no way to know if they are being honest, so there is no point in asking the question unless you just wish to fool yourself into thinking it will be used for a purpose you approve of.

I hope this helps both buyers AND sellers. As I said, I have been doing this a long time. I know what works and what doesn’t for buyers and sellers. I wish you all the best in the sale of your hair and to all legitimate buyers:)!

LC

January 7, 2015 13:51

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