So, many

[Ashlbee]

*accidentally posted with iPad before fixing title xD supposed to say so...many...HAIR TOYS, lol*

Hello everyone! I was wondering, do any of you feel like you have a hair toy obsession? I just added it up today and realized I've spent just shy of $400 on hair toys! O.O


Sorry for the long winded blurb below. Some of my friends have looked at my like I'm nuts for spending money on hair stuff, so I guess I'm basically shamelessly looking for support/confirmation this isn't a ridiculous amount to splurge... Or a cold dose of reality! Lol


I just started using hair toys now that my hair is getting longer (waist!! Yay!) and I don't intent to splurge like this ever again, I feel like these are start up costs. Like, I needed at least one long hair fork, one short, a long stick, a short stick for various styles. (Cough, excuses, cough, lol) Plus, I didn't want to buy cheapo plastic things that my hair will eat and I'd just have to replace later, I wanted pretty, quality ones!


I've tried to justify this by telling myself they are all quality pieces from small business owner craftsman and artists that are hand carved/made from quality materials like hard woods, bone, antler, and metal that will last and that I am supporting artists but still, it seems like a lot! Especially since it was in a relatively short span of time...


BUT! I am graduating University in a few weeks so I sorta consider this a graduation present to myself. I am graduating debit free so spending a few hundred on a present to myself isn't too unreasonable is it??


What do you all think? Is this outrageous to spend? Do you all spend your hard earned money on hair toys? I love all my, toys! My hair toy collection currently contains around 14 pieces (a wooden fork, a wood carved sword stick, a pair of Ed's acrylic hair sticks, 6 pairs of Ed's wooden hair sticks, an Ed hair stick spear, a Ravenslar metal fork, two antler sticks, a carved wooden leaf stick)


Now that I have a strong base, all I really want to add to my collection over the next few months is a Ravenslair hair sword, a wooden moon, a multi-prong comb, an axe stick, and an antler hair fork.

[Jorja]

I wrote a longer reply but lost it! Basically, good for you - you deserve a treat, your hair deserves a treat. A graduation present is well earned. But I would love to see pictures of your hair decorations, especially the antler sticks, are they like deer antlers? That would be amazing! :D

[lunalocks]

$400 seems like a lot! But then when you think that even a used hair fork (my route) is $25 to $45, it doesn't take many to have it all add up. I remember the excitement of using my first hair fork, that it worked, that I could do SO MANY BUNS that I could never do before and how it looked. So I splurged and bought 5 in the course of a month. But that satisfied me. And there are one or 2 that I prefer so what I have decided to do from now on is to only acquire those that really work in my hair and that I really love.

People without the need for hair toys don't know what they are or why they are special. They just don't understand so of course, they think I'm nuts. Other people, though, go gaga over shoes, hand bags, jewelry, clothes etc. and spend far more shopping for those than $400. So it has to do with values, priorities and choices. If you're not broke, and it makes you happy, go for it.

Congrats for graduating debt free!

[kaydana]

It would only be "outrageous" if you were going hungry to feed your hair toy habit. Once your basic living costs are covered, it's no more outrageous to spend your money on one thing than it is to spend it on another. Enjoy your new toys!

[LadyCelestina]

Uuuh well to be honest,it's quite a lot,but if they are truly of a good quality,will last you for a long time and you love them all,why not?It's not like you are wasting money on hair toys when you can't afford food.There are plenty of people with big hair stick collections here on LHC,I'm sure :D.
Also,outside of LHC,in the mainstream hair care world,people might spend even more than that on their hair in one year...just not on toys.

[Ashlbee]

I really want to post pictures! I just need to figure out how... Haha. My ipad doesn't seem capable of it so may may have to tinker with it on my computer when I get home. Would I just upload pics to my album and then link the, to a post with the URL image link function? (Sorry I'm such a noob! Lol) I can post the links the the items though! I don't have most of the, yet anyway as they are in the mail.

[chen bao jun]

People on this forum aren't going to say that this is too much for hair toys, you know.
It's up to you how you spend your money, in my opinion anyway. So long as you aren't in debt or using credit cards racking up bills that you can't afford. It is smart to also save and invest once you get out of school but I assume you are taking care of that. Besides, I can't talk. Last year when I joined this forum, I spent something like $350 on some ficcares and some Francelux in less than a month. I ended up giving away the Franceluxe because it had metal that I thought would eat my hair and I have yet to use the Ficcares because one was the wrong size and the others don't really work in the hairstyles I do right now, but like, the sky didn't fall down and neither did we go without food or ruin our retirement account. I play around with them every once in a while and it seems like I'm learning to use them (they hurt like heck at first but not anymore). At least you can wear everything you bought right now!

[Ashlbee]

Here are some of ,y new hair toys. Sorry if these pics don't show up/are GIANT, first time trying to post pictures XD

https://img1.etsystatic.com/011/0/5546334/il_fullxfull.447663397_desd.jpg

http://img0.etsystatic.com/013/0/6542368/il_fullxfull.449874568_8ps0.jpg

http://img0.etsystatic.com/003/0/6015492/il_fullxfull.401526016_97y6.jpg

http://img3.etsystatic.com/010/1/6542368/il_fullxfull.447016083_1d9x.jpg

http://img2.etsystatic.com/008/0/5642214/il_fullxfull.408049218_nvpo.jpg

http://img2.etsystatic.com/012/0/5642214/il_fullxfull.426817910_3m5r.jpg

[Nae]

Well, um, at around an average of $30 a pop per hair toy. Then counting the collection I have in my bedroom, which is well into the triple digits......


You know what? Never mind. Don't add all that up.

Just know that $400 is not anywhere in the neighborhood of what quite a few of us have spent on these things. Beware the dark side.:bigeyes: Hair toys seem to breed around these parts.

It is okay if you can afford them, and if you slowly build your collection, in my, obviously biased, opinion.

[lunalocks]

Those are all absurdly beautiful.

[olivelover]

Ashibee, I don't know if that helps, but I've found the most convenient way of posting pictures here from my ipad is installing the photobucket app and the just using the links it provides. They look okay-sized when viewed on the board from the ipad (I hope they look regular sized on a computer screen as well).

[Ishje]

you have some great hairtoy's ashlbee! personally I think it should not matter how much one spends to get it.
if the money is there then I don't see why it would be bad to buy gifts for yourself once in a while.

[Ashlbee]

Thank you guys so much for the responses! It's nice getting feedback from people with the same interests :D I do really love all the hair toys I bought, I think they are beautiful and of good quality and I love supporting small craftsman businesses. And nope! Not going into debt or without food to buy them, haha. So at least I'm being semi-responsible :o) I'm just normally a frugal spender/saver so seeing it all added up took me by surprise!

[Ashlbee]

Thank you so much!

[Achlys]

I love the first two ones. If you are happy with them, then all's great. :)

[olivelover]

The horn ones are my favorite, they are so gracious and intricate. Do you have action shots? =)

[QMacrocarpa]

My personal feeling is that going from near-zero to having a handful of nice hairtoys is great. Going from having a handful to having several handfuls, though, is not for me (not saying that's your situation). I'd just start feeling kind of oppressed by the pile, and calculating how long it would take me to rotate through them all, and it would feel like bad spending to me, even if I could afford it. So just keep in mind that amassing a big collection might be an experience of diminishing returns, and keep your collection a size that you're happy with.
:blossom:

[Ashlbee]

My personal feeling is that going from near-zero to having a handful of nice hairtoys is great. Going from having a handful to having several handfuls, though, is not for me (not saying that's your situation). I'd just start feeling kind of oppressed by the pile, and calculating how long it would take me to rotate through them all, and it would feel like bad spending to me, even if I could afford it. So just keep in mind that amassing a big collection might be an experience of diminishing returns, and keep your collection a size that you're happy with.
:blossom:

Yes, I certainly never want so many they don't feel special. I basically want each one to have a specific function/distinct look and then be done except for the occasional new addition. For instance, I love the horn ones because they are almost indestructible and one of a kind. The gold moon is a vintage topper, the acrylic waterproof for swimming, etc. I agree I don't want a HUGE collection.

I am working on getting some action shots soon!

[jacqueline101]

Those are neat toys.

[irisheyes]

It's your money, so spend it any way you wish! You deserve a treat.

I justify my hair toy expenses this way: I don't spend money on haircuts, hair color, perms, tools, etc. So if I want a hair toy once in awhile, I get it.

So please, enjoy your new hair toys!

[Ashlbee]

I have another question for you my friends. Can a wood stain your hair even if the wood is not stained with anything? I have fairly light blonde hair and my lignum vitae wood stick (pale brown when I bought it) has darkened under the sunlight to a dark sage green. I love the color, I think it compliments me nicely, but is there any chance the green wood will stain my blonde hair green??

[Jorja]

Ohh those are so lovely, definitely not wasted money they will be beautiful forever. And I second what Irisheyes says :thumbsup: