Looks like investment interest in laser companies is pretty good. I own stock in Candela (symbol CLZR), which makes the Gentlelase laser, and it's gone up in the last several days. This is more evidence that the laser hair removal business is thriving. Check it out at http://money.excite.com/jsp/qt/full.jsp?symbol_search_text=CLZR

As usual, there are currently 5 laser hair removal devices for sale on Ebay. Of the 5 listed 3 of the 5 lasers offered today have NO RESERVE PRICE AND NO BIDS!) The prices on these gems rang from $102 with no reserve to a "Buy it now price of $9,999" and a reserve of $7,999 and NO BIDS. One of them even has a "Buy it now price of 5,999. But my favorite is the one with the minimum bid of $1,800 and no bidders!

Is that a very optomistic perspective on this trend?

The stock goes up because the leases/sales of new machines continues to keep them in business, not because the treatment itself is doing well. People did not throw away their pet rocks, but people did stop buying them.

You have to ask yourself, if this is so great, why would anyone get rid of theirs? If we assume that the doctor, or former laser tech is taking his or her money bags to spend the rest of his or her life on the beaches of the world, why didn't some one else in town jump on the chance to buy this proven money maker before it was listed on Ebay? Furthermore, why aren't people jumping over themselves to save some money on stating up this sure fire money maker?

[ July 22, 2003, 01:15 PM: Message edited by: James W. Walker VII, CPE ]

Hey James, I totally agree that electrolysis is the preferred method of hair removal. Especially for total smooth hair-free skin. But for some areas, where one is not insisting on total hair removal and would be happy with just less of it or a "thinning out", I like laser due to its speed and convenience. With all this talk on the internet about laser hair removal, I thought I'd look into buying stock in one of the major laser companies, but you may be right it may be more about the number of lasers sold to prospective business owners and not about the demand for laser hair removal that is driving the stock price up. Just some thoughts, thanks.

You can make some money off this stock. You just have to decide when you want to sell it off. A laser company is not the kind of stock I would want to be buying and holding till the end of time. I have seen to many of them go under, change names, and restart.
Take the quick turn around if you can get it.

On another note, electrologists really would not have a problem with lasers if they did not overstate what it is that they have to offer, and would refrain from misrepresenting electrolysis.

James I saw a whole bunch of used Mercedes for sale on eBay, and some of them have no bids. Does this mean that Mercedes makes crappy cars that betrayed their owners? How do you explain this in terms of your theories on laser machines for sale on eBay?

Let me also add that a laser company's stock growing proves nothing about the "laser business" thriving. That is nothing more then an opinion by a stockholder. James, do you see how I can argue a point without bashing all lasers and laser operators in General? While it's true that some laser practitioners and laser companies promise MORE than they can deliver, I hope that you don't think you can correct this situation by trying to make lasers seem LESS efective then they really are. I'm sure you think you are doing the right thing, but I honestly believe you have gone too far and are now actaully hurting peoples chances of making the best decision. I can tell that you mean well, but I can also tell that your anger is making you lose credibility and in some cases embarassing yourself. I know it sounds corny James, but two wrongs don't make a right.

I'm glad to hear you're making money on Candela! It's climbing back toward the price it was at three years ago, so perhaps it will surpass its glory days.

My Dear Redhead:
If you have read as many of my posts as you seem to answer, you know that my problem is exactly the fact that some operators DO OVERPROMISE. If they said that this thing can give you a reduction in size and maybe number of hairs, but can not give you perfectly smooth, hairless skin we would not waste so much breath here.

As for growing even more hairs than were there before, that is something that happens to some people. It has happened with such regularity that some have taken to offering Laser Hair GROWTH treatments in order to capitalize on this fact.

Finally, (for now anyway) to truly appreciate my pointing out the lasers that were offered on Ebay so many moons ago, If you can find me a Mercedes Benz that is less than 5 years old, (especially one that is less than a year old as was the case with one of those lasers that day) offered for a reserve price that is less than 10% of it's original retail value, and a buy it now price just a hair over 10% of it's original retail value and not one bidder for ten days to conclusion of the auction, then you will have a direct comparison to what I was pointing out. Other than that, our two posts are comparing apples to starfish.

Are you saying that because some laser opererators overpromise what they can delver, you have made it your mission to "underpromise" what they can deliver? Have there also been case when Electrology has stimulated new hairgrowth?

Maybe Mercedes is a bad example. How 'bout we switch my comparison to computers? Isn't it likely that oversaturation and competition and new advances has as much to do with the eBay market as Laser failing as a hair reduction method?