Buy kitchenware in exchange of "HAIR" - The doorstep hustle.

Exchanging goods to get a new product is always a good deal. We often see many megastore as well as online stores offer good amount of discount on products in exchange. These offers provide discounts on new purchases by trading in old devices and typically require the used product to be in working condition, although some exceptions may apply. However, the exchange offer is not limited only to big stores. There are certain exception and exchanges can be done at door step through ferriwala. A feriwala is a mobile street vendor in India who travels from place to place selling their goods. Today I found one under my building selling products in exchange of human hairs.

While going out for a walk to the nearby market, I saw few household ladies of my building negotiating with with a ferri guy. The guy was carrying some steel utensils and plastic casserole used in the household kitchens. These products were used in day to day activity. I thought they were buying it but all these ladies were carrying a bunch of hair in their hand which surprises me. I deliberately asked them, and they get excited to share me about the exchanging scheme running door to door by these feri guy.

I already heard of some #feriwala, selling their products in exchange of old cloth, old paper or old kitchenware* But exchanging for #hairs was very surprising to me. You can exchange them for new #kitchenware products. Being a housewife, you can get the best deal for small kitchenware items. What else you have to pay.... nothing! Just collect the regular hair that were fallen around while combing, keep them safe and then exchange them for some new products when you had bunch of them. I learned that these household ladies were regular in buying certain new items for their kitchen through this feriwala. The feriwala was regular to their home on weekly and monthly basis.

The feriwala is soft spoken guy, who was travelling in a bicycle and carrying some kitchenware products on it. He is holding a damru - a small two-headed drum or pellet drum and playing it while passing through the building it was done to let people know of his arrival. The ladies can ask him to stop to do the exchange.

His cycle has all kind of small kitchenware. From steel utensils to plastic item. Anything could be bought in exchange of hair. But the hair supposed to be one fallen from the head, rather than collecting from the barber shop. They are not accepting any cutting hair. The hair should be from the head. They were very particular to this.

Two ladies bought steel products in exchange of their hair. My curiosity to know the usage of hair let me to put up the question with the #feri guy. And he said that they use them for wig. They collect these hair and sold them to local wig maker and they get a price for it. I am not sure about the quality and durability of their products. But they do appears to be enough for daily usage. Once cracking the deal, he quietly walked off to the next building.

I was quite impressed with this door to door selling. Well what the ladies need. A shopping at door step without paying anything. A perfect deal for these housewife to cater their kitchen needs.

In good faith - Peace!!