I decided to research and write this page on selling hair after reading about hair thefts around the country. That's right, the news magazine This Week reported in May 2011 that a thief in Houston stole $150,000 worth of human hair from a salon that does extensions and make wigs. He took a couple big bags of "Remy" hair, which is the most durable and silky kind and typically comes from women in India. Apparently this is becoming more common. Recent thefts include $10,000 worth from a San Diego salon, $85,00 worth in Missouri City, Texas, and hair valued at $60,000 San Leandro, CA. A theft in Dearborn Michigan resulted in the owner of the beauty supply store being killed.
Obviously there is money in that pony tail - if you have one. How do you cash in? There are a couple ways, and you'll find two resource below. One is a company that directly buys your hair, but you are likely to make more if you list it for sale on a site where people bid on it. You can see what your type of hair is worth by browsing through the listings to find those that are most similar. There are all sorts of factors that influence price. It is better if you have never dyed it, don't wash it too often, keep it covered, and so on. Some sellers even list the vitamins they take.
Now for the bad news. You will generally need to have ten inches of hair to get any decent price, and it can take almost two years to grow that much, so you won't be able to cash in too often. Of course growing hair is not difficult work, but obviously selling your hair is not going to be a regular income source. It is just a quick way to raise some money if you are willing to chop off that ponytail. And as one writer on the subject says, it is "less painful than selling any other body part."
How Much Money Can You Make?
What is referred to as "virgin hair" (no chemical treatment) is the most valuable. Longer hair gets more of course, as does hair that has some natural shine to it. Younger might be better, but in looking at the listings for sale on one website, I did see this: 17" mostly pepper, little salt, European hair, weighs 5 ounces; virgin hair – never colored, last perm done when 16, now 60! She was asking $681.
In looking at websites direct buyers it became apparent that the higher prices are found on the sites where you accept bids. One company paid just $10 per ounce for hair, for example, which would make the woman's hair mentioned above worth just $50.
Some other listings I found included:
10-12 inches dark brown; $600
12" thick, dark blond, Scandinavian; $1,000
15 inches wavy brown, healthy lifestyle and diet; minimum bid $750
Ways to Make More | Related Opportunities | Tips
Well, you could convince your friend with the long blond pony tail that she would look better with short hair, then buy the hair from her for $50 to resell for $1,000. If you have a few friends with long hair you might have a temporary business doing this! If you know someone who works at a beauty salon you might make a deal to buy any long hair cut off.
Qualifications / Requirements
Hair.
Instructions
Grow your hair. Take photos. Cut it off. Sell it.
Resources
http://www.bloombrook.com - This is an example of company that buys hair directly. This one prefers that it be at least 12 inches and "has not been dyed or permed."
http://www.hairwork.com - You'll almost certainly make more money selling hair on listing or auction sites like this.