Keeping your hair on has taken on a new meaning in town.
At least six wigs have mysteriously disappeared from the heads of two female mannequins at the Raglan Lions Opportunity Shop over the past month or so.
“We’re all a bit bamboozled by it,” said shop manager Wendy Coxhead.
At first Wendy thought people may have been swiping them for the Raglan Art To Wear contest at the end of May, but none of the wigs turned up on stage there. Then, as the wigs continued to disappear, mostly in twos, she thought maybe the thief wanted something to wear to this weekend’s Masquerade Ball.
“First of all you think it’s a bit of a joke. Then when it gets to three or four (wigs), it’s not funny any more. When it gets to six, you think b****r it, the mannequins can just go bald.”
And bald they have remained.
Shop volunteer Pat was on duty when the last two wigs went missing about two weeks ago.
There were two female customers in the shop at the time (“but they wouldn’t do it”), when Wendy came in with some stock. When Pat looked up five or ten minutes later she noticed the latest two wigs had disappeared from the mannequins.
She is mystified about how someone could have slipped in, taken the wigs and disappeared so quickly without being seen. “I’ve no idea who did it. Not a clue.”
The stolen wigs were a mixture of long and short hair ones, either blonde, brunette or black with bits of grey. They were inexpensive, at about $18-$20 each, but the volunteers would love to have them back, Wendy said.
“They’re just natural-looking wigs. On the mannequins they just make them look complete,” she said.
Any information about the wigs could be given to Wendy (phone 825-8008) or the Raglan Police.
Rachel Benn
