Affordable hair toys?

[Mahars]

I would really love to buy a hair fork, but I can't find a site that sells them for a price I can afford. Does anyone have recommendations for good hair toy sites that don't charge an arm and a leg?

[Curlsgirl]

I tried the cheaper ones on ebay at first but they just aren't the quality of the more expensive ones. The good ones are smooth and hold like a rock and they last forever! For less expensive ones I recommend 60th street. They aren't as elaborate maybe as some but are very good quality and you can get one at a very reasonable price in my opinion. I am waiting on a fork from Etta Mae too which I have heard is a very good quality. You might check out her site on Etsy. My advice is not to waste your money on cheaper things most of the time.

[Curlsgirl]

Here (http://myworld.ebay.com/60thstreet) is the 60th street on ebay FYI if you don't have it :)

[Magdalene]

For a really cheap option, there's always wavelength pins (Double ended knitting needles bent in half). They cost around 2 USD and you get two pairs to a package!

[Mahars]

Thank you again curlsgirl! I'll check out 60th street. I may just fork over the money to get something good because I definitely want something I'll like and can use.

[Mahars]

Thanks Magdalene. Where do you get those? Do they look nice?

[CurlyNinja]

Sorry to sidetrack the thread a bit, but does anyone know where to find the knockoff ficcares I've heard mentioned? It seems like such a nice clip but at ~$35 the price seems rather steep.

[dancingbarefoot]

Thanks Magdalene. Where do you get those? Do they look nice?

You just buy double-pointed knitting needles (preferably aluminum ones) and bend them into shape.

[Mahars]

Oh haha of course. Thanks dancingbarefoot.

[Xandergrammy]

Sorry to sidetrack the thread a bit, but does anyone know where to find the knockoff ficcares I've heard mentioned? It seems like such a nice clip but at ~$35 the price seems rather steep.


Just my 2 cents, but the real deal is worth every penny. I have fake ones and real ones and there's really no comparison. It's definitely worth it to save up for a real Ficcare.


Leni

[CurlyNinja]

Just my 2 cents, but the real deal is worth every penny. I have fake ones and real ones and there's really no comparison. It's definitely worth it to save up for a real Ficcare.


Leni

Hmmm...maybe that is best. I looked around for "imitators" and it didn't seem like there was that much of a price difference even for clips of visibly inferior quality.

[Mahars]

Sorry to sidetrack the thread a bit, but does anyone know where to find the knockoff ficcares I've heard mentioned? It seems like such a nice clip but at ~$35 the price seems rather steep.

I actually found a pretty decent one at Icing. It's similar to Claire's. It's silver colored metal with little shapes cut out (like filigree) and it has a surprisingly strong grip. I don't remember exactly how much it was, but it wasn't more than 7 bucks. I think it's a good buy for the price.

[sapphire-o]

Looks like the forks from 60th Street are just as expensive as other ones now. Isn't it?

[Smokie]

I tried the cheaper ones on ebay at first but they just aren't the quality of the more expensive ones. The good ones are smooth and hold like a rock and they last forever! For less expensive ones I recommend 60th street. They aren't as elaborate maybe as some but are very good quality and you can get one at a very reasonable price in my opinion. I am waiting on a fork from Etta Mae too which I have heard is a very good quality. You might check out her site on Etsy. My advice is not to waste your money on cheaper things most of the time.

Don't get me wrong, I adore my two Etta Mae forks. I really do. But the inside is just a bit rough for my liking. I've got superfine hair and they tend to snag a teensy bit. Nothing that can't be resolved with some fine grit sandpaper, some sealant, and another bit of sanding though. I've been discussing it with my father. He's the carpentry/mechanics guru of the family. Oh, they're also -very- sharp. I'm always afraid I'm going to cut my head open with 'em but it does make them quite easy to insert.

[snowbear]

If you're up for trying a whole slew of hairtoys, the local Claire's (or the like) often has a buy one, get one free, and they have lots of cheap and fun toys.

[eadwine]

The 60thstreet forks are, even though more expensive now than 3/4 year ago, still the cheaper ones of the bunch, and they make VERY good quality forks. I have two now and am pondering one (or even TWO!) more.

Do make sure you know what usable length you need. It would be a shame to get a fork for that amount of money and then having it turn out too big or too small.

But I can most definitely recommend 60thstreet. They are very nice people to deal with :) Oh and they make custom lengths! Don't be guided just by what appears on ebay.

[daeana]

If you're up for trying a whole slew of hairtoys, the local Claire's (or the like) often has a buy one, get one free, and they have lots of cheap and fun toys.
they also let you play with them in the store, so that's really helpful too.

[Miss Murphy]

For a cheaper yet hair safe option, I can recommend Vietnam Treasures/QueCraft. They now even have an etsy store, with lower prices than on their ebay store:

I also find that shipping is very reasonable - you only pay once, every additional item is free.

CurlyNinja - I bought a Ficcare Maxima on the Swap Board (and I love it!). That's also a place to look for reasonable priced toys.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5265766

Smokie - I have the same problem with Etta Mae's forks. I have a french twist comb that I'm hesitant to use because it snags my hair, and I sanded down the points because they hurt my scalp putting in. I still recommend them to anyone - lovely made, very pretty, and nothing that oculdn't be helped with some sanding.

[Ruadh]

I got two forks from 60th Street one bocote and the other purple heartwood. Both are of good quality, smooth and sturdy. I got them for less than $20 in September. I lost the bocote (doh!) and am watching his store for another, I will gladly pay the going price after seeing what others get for their forks.

[Anje]

I picked up a very decent small fake ficcare (aka fakeare, fakkare, etc) at Walgreens a while back. Might have cost $5. They came in silver and gold and have no teeth inside, but a very strong spring. I can clamp it on the edge of my bun and know it'll stay. Last I looked, CVS also had a decent large Maximus-like fakeare with a good spring ($8ish), but there's a coating on the lower part of the jaw that peeled off on mine.

That all said, I got a real Ficcare Ficcarissimo for Christmas, and that's what holds my bun when I'm at the gym. It's large enough to fit over the whole thing and has teeth to match that great spring. Bun doesn't move. So the real thing is definitely good.

[Ursula]

It might help if you defined "price you can afford" more clearly. "Less than $30" will get you quite a different set of results than "Less than $15", although both can be met - albeit with a larger set of compromises in the "Less than $15" range.

I'm more generous with my price limits for hair toys, buget wise, than I am for things like shampoo and conditioner that get used up. $35 for a really nice hair fork will last me years and will have good swap/sale value on the swap board if it doesn't work out. $35 for a bottle of conditioner will only last weeks or months, and a half-used bottle of conditioner doesn't get you much in sale or swap.

Part of the reason why the price of many quality hair toys is what it is that they are made by people in the US, working for themselves and selling them at a price that reflects a fair wage for their work. Paying that price is a matter of justice. $30 for a wood fork that took a skilled artest 2 hours to carve is paying them $15 an hour for their work - never mind the cost of the wood, and the investment they made in tools. That's cheap, by any standard.

Once things pick up around here, it might be worth keeping an eye on the swap board (and the swap board at the Beauty Bottle as well), to see if anyone puts up something you like. A lot of my hairtoys are second- or third- hand, but you'd never know to look at them.

[eadwine]

I got two forks from 60th Street one bocote and the other purple heartwood. Both are of good quality, smooth and sturdy. I got them for less than $20 in September. I lost the bocote (doh!) and am watching his store for another, I will gladly pay the going price after seeing what others get for their forks.
Have you emailed them yet? They do custom orders :)

[HeatherWeather]

http://www.argusdesigns.com/ Try this site. My sister used to have hair toys from this site, but then cut her waist length hair to jaw length.(could have killed her for it!!!!:mad:) And now im waiting till my hairs bsl and then im going to treat myself from lots of hairtoys from here.Its quite affordable.especially if you use in the u.s.

[Ruadh]

Thanks eadwine! Hadn't thought of that...:doh:

[Patrycja]

I second the Quecraft recommendation.I just bought the Dragon Barette and including shipping to the southern US-it was 9.98.And they are handmade,so it has that personal touch.I plan on getting the horn comb next,since Miss murphy decided to sell hers to someone before I spoke up :P

Claires is great but I find their hairsticks are very flimsy.So,if you have even sorta thick hair,it'll bend and break.I am very glad you posted this thread btw.I've been wondering the same thing.I am dying for a good quality yet cheaper hair fork.

thank you too Heatherweather thats going to be my next place I'm going to order from.After that,I'm going to save up for a Flexi 8

[Ursula]

http://www.argusdesigns.com/ Try this site. My sister used to have hair toys from this site, but then cut her waist length hair to jaw length.(could have killed her for it!!!!:mad:) And now im waiting till my hairs bsl and then im going to treat myself from lots of hairtoys from here.Its quite affordable.especially if you use in the u.s.

Unfortunately, Argus Designs is closed, and has been for a couple of years. Several people involved with the company are in the military, and have been deployed and unable to work. The last notice said they were closed for 2007 - it is now 3 months into 2008 with no update.

[Mahars]

I'm more generous with my price limits for hair toys, buget wise, than I am for things like shampoo and conditioner that get used up. $35 for a really nice hair fork will last me years and will have good swap/sale value on the swap board if it doesn't work out. $35 for a bottle of conditioner will only last weeks or months, and a half-used bottle of conditioner doesn't get you much in sale or swap.

Good point. I think I'm going to look into this swapping system. I'm a bit wary of plopping down a bunch of money on something I can't feel and see before buying, but if I can swap it, I won't feel so bad about buying it in the first place. Thanks for the idea.

Thanks everyone else for your ideas on where to buy. Now I'm going to start shoppin. I hope I haven't enabled anybody. :D

[jojo]

Just my 2 cents, but the real deal is worth every penny. I have fake ones and real ones and there's really no comparison. It's definitely worth it to save up for a real Ficcare.


Leni
i second this id rather have one proper ficcare, than half a dozen fake ones, they snag my hair something chronic!

hows things Miss Killer braid lady?:)

[Xandergrammy]

i second this id rather have one proper ficcare, than half a dozen fake ones, they snag my hair something chronic!

hows things Miss Killer braid lady?:)



Hi jojo!!! I just started a new photo album, so I'm going to try to post at least one picture a day.

[jojo]

Hello there!
Oh im gong to check that out, one a day sounds fun see you there xx

[jojo]

heck where are the photo journals kept??? im seriously withdrawing here!

[Miss Murphy]

Jojo - just click on any user's avatar, and then on the right side you have the photo albums.

Or just take the link I'm offering you ;)
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=79

[Pegasus]

Thank you again curlsgirl! I'll check out 60th street. I may just fork over the money to get something good because I definitely want something I'll like and can use.
"Fork" over the money.

<Beavis and Butthead voice>

Mmm hmm heh. Heh hmm.

[DotDotDot]

For a cheaper yet hair safe option, I can recommend Vietnam Treasures/QueCraft. They now even have an etsy store, with lower prices than on their ebay store:

I also find that shipping is very reasonable - you only pay once, every additional item is free.

CurlyNinja - I bought a Ficcare Maxima on the Swap Board (and I love it!). That's also a place to look for reasonable priced toys.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5265766

Smokie - I have the same problem with Etta Mae's forks. I have a french twist comb that I'm hesitant to use because it snags my hair, and I sanded down the points because they hurt my scalp putting in. I still recommend them to anyone - lovely made, very pretty, and nothing that oculdn't be helped with some sanding.

*enabled* Those Quecraft things look really nice! Thanks for the link.