Salon furniture underbidding is 'sucking the blood out of the beauty industry' American Beauty Equipment President, Richard Orenstein says

"There is a salon furniture war going on that's just unbelievable."-Richard Orenstein by LatriciaWilson  

 "There is a salon furniture war going on that's just unbelievable," according to President of Bensenville, ILL.,American Beauty Equipment, Richard Orenstein. According to Orenstein salon furniture companies who sell good quality furniture are having to compete with people who sell poorer quality furniture at lower sale prices.

American Beauty Equipment shampoo bowl chair
on display during the 2013 America's Beauty Show
downtown Chicago in the McCormick Place West
Convention Center Credit:Latricia Cherise Wilson

Orenstein said 15-years-ago guys like him,who were in the beauty industry got salon furniture and started selling it to people like they should."Now there's people all over our country... who sit behind computers who buy and sell...merchandise and dump it for nothing,"he said.

Orenstein also said the underbidding practices of furniture dealers selling salon furniture has ruined various markets within the U.S. . "But what it's doing to ours is that its just turned it into a virtual flea market," he said.

  According to Orenstein there are salon chairs being sold for $100 with free shipping included on eBay, when American Beauty Equipment sells salon chairs from $200-$300."None of us can figure out how they're doing it," he said.

He also said that salon furniture underbidding practices has turned the industry into a virtual Flea market. "We know when you go to China it's impossible to make a chair that cheap unless your littorly losing money," he said.

"Salon furniture companies in the United States have completely gone out of business because of stuff like that," he said.

On eBay, ebay.com a styling barber chair can be purchases for 119.88.On the other hand, Collins Manufacturing Company sells salon chairs for a few hundred dollars and the U.S. Salon Supply has styling chairs for sell that are over $2,000.

According to Orenstein salon furniture underbidding practices is creating significant challenges for salon owners as well."What it's doing to the beauty industry is that when you call me and you want me to buy your salon cause you're going out of business, I'll give you five dollars for it because that's all you paid," Orenstein said.

He also said in  the past salon owners were able to sell their salon for $10,000-$15,000."Now your...salon is worth nothing because you paid nothing for it," he said.



According to Orenstein people that have been around for 60 to 100 years are going out of business because of some guy behind sitting behind a computer dumping on inventory he got from a warehouse.

According to Orenstein the salon furniture and equipment dealers who underbid salon furniture and equipment are leeches that will move on to the next industry after they are done sucking the blood out of the beauty industry.

"The big guys like me... know that these guys aren't going to be around for too long but we still have to fight with them in the trenches," he said.

The American Beauty Equipment  website, americanbeautyequipment.com has a "BEWARE OF EBAY" message on the A.B.E FAQ's page that informs individuals of the potential risk of buying salon equipment from the"leeches" Orenstein says is sucking the blood out of the beauty industry.This message states,"People call our company or come to me in person and say I bought something on EBay and now it is broke or just plain is bad and does not work right. There is a reason and until people stop buying certain items there IE: Pedicure spas, Beauty Salon Equipment & Nail Tables, this will always happen."