'Price Gouging': Mendy Reiner Sounds Off on Sheitel Prices

Some sheitels are now priced between $10,000 and $16,000, a trend that has sparked growing concern in the Orthodox community. An Israeli attorney, Nechama Tzivin, recently filed a petition asking the Chabad Beis Din to address what she characterized as extreme pricing in the wig industry.

Mendy Reiner, whose family operates ZC Wigs and who also founded the kidney transplant organization Renewal, has criticized these high prices. Speaking on the Clappy and Frank podcast, he stated: "There is no reason whatsoever that anybody pays more for a top-of-the-line wig. You can never justify a wig that's $6,000 to $16,000. It's unheard of... it's unacceptable."

Reiner provided details on manufacturing costs. Processed hair, which has been colored or chemically treated, costs approximately $500 to $900 to manufacture and has a shorter lifespan. Virgin, or unprocessed, hair costs roughly $1,500 to $3,500 to manufacture and lasts considerably longer while offering greater styling flexibility.

Reiner questioned why these production costs justify retail prices of $8,000 or more. He characterized the pricing as particularly troubling for families managing simcha expenses who feel pressured to spend thousands on a sheitel. "It is, without a doubt, price gouging, and I find that the bigger problem is that it's very rampant in Israel," He said. "You have people who can't make ends meet when they make a simcha, and they're buying one wig and spending six, $7,000 on short sheitels."

According to Reiner, significant markups accumulate as wigs pass through multiple distribution stages. His company has adopted a manufacturer-direct model to eliminate intermediaries. "We started doing manufacturer direct sales. We're going straight to the consumer, cutting out all the middlemen and middlemen down the line," He said. "People can literally save three, four, $5,000 on sheitels."

Reiner challenged the assumption that exceptionally expensive sheitels contain superior hair, suggesting some consumers are drawn to high prices themselves. He advocated for consumer education about hair quality, manufacturing costs and supply chains, stating: "First of all, we have to educate."