After reviewing eBay listings for this product, we moved onto catalogue advertisements and other representation of the product. Due to the lack of catalogue listings and advertisements specifically on the Ten-Ten Hair Setter, we analyzed competitor catalogue listings, packaging, and advertisements to gain a better understanding of the Ten-Ten's design and features. This analysis considers how consumer behaviour concepts and perceptual biases may have influenced the product’s design and how it was perceived.

Kindness 20

The Kindness 20 is a very similar product to the Ten-Ten Hair Setter and may have been a direct competitor, sharing key characteristics with the Ten-Ten. A listing from Eaton’s Spring/Summer Catalogue (1969) shows it was sold with pins and a handle, suggesting these features were standard and likely included with the Ten-Ten (Eaton’s 1969, 317). This emphasis on portability and convenience reflects consumer preferences, valuing products that offered efficiency and ease of use.




 

Clairol 2-Minute Hair Setter

Another product that provides insight into the design of hair setters during this period is the Clairol 2-Minute Hair Setter. The packaging shows the British pound symbol, suggesting that this model is from the United Kingdom. The Clairol 2-Minute Hair Setter also features removable rollers and has a base designed to heat them efficiently. It highlights similar key design elements that reflect the growing consumer demand for speed and ease of use (Esty n.d.). By promoting speed and ease, the Clairol 2-Minute Hair Setter appealed to consumers who saw problems when they perceived a gap between their current state, using regular curlers, and their desired state of achieving faster, salon-quality results at home (Engel, Blackwell, and Miniard 2014, 350)

 

90s Hairsetting Devices

In later years, there is an increased variety of hair setters, which may hint at a rising demand and growing popularity. A 1993/94 Consumer Distributing Catalogue shows a wider selection of hair setters than in earlier decades. Descriptions in the catalogue show advancements in design, with products offering features like larger roller sizes, more styling options, and soft-cushioned rollers, suggesting a shift toward comfort and customization (Consumer Distributing 1993-94, 225). This increased variety suggests that manufacturers were responding to consumer feedback and the growing demand for comfort and customization. This increase in variety aligns with Engel, Blackwell, and Miniard’s point that consumers are likely to seek products that match their values, preferences, and previous experiences, which reinforces a perceptual bias (Engel, Blackwell, and Miniard 2014, 36).
 

Takeaways 

The Kindness 20, Clairol 2-Minute Hair Setter, and later 1990s models show how consumer behavior shaped product design and innovation. Consumers engage in extended decision-making when they perceive a gap between their current state and their desired state (Engel, Blackwell, and Miniard 2014, 350). With hair setters, advertising features like speed, ease of use, and portability address that gap. As the products evolved, manufacturers responded to growing demands for comfort and customization, reflecting consumers’ increasing bias toward products that aligned with their personal preferences and lifestyle needs.

For the Ten-Ten Hair Setter, these insights suggest that its design and advertising likely focused on similar values: speed, convenience, and simplicity. The Ten-Ten’s features, such as its portability and efficient heating mechanism, would have been key selling points. Advertisements may have highlighted how the product could provide salon-like results at home in a fraction of the time. The marketing likely framed it as a time-saving beauty solution, promising quick, hassle-free results.