Beanies, caps, hats and even bicycle helmets: hairdresser Younes Saeed has gathered a whole collection of headwear in his Heiloose barbershop over the past six months. Customers regularly leave behind something, so he hopes to find the rightful owners. “Maybe people have been missing their caps for a long time and have no idea it’s neatly waiting for them here.”
Every week two or three things are left behind with the barber. Another jute shopping bag this week, Younes says, pointing to the coat rack. The collection has since grown into a true collection.
“A customer jokingly said that I must do my job very well if all those customers forget their caps and hats,” Younes says with a laugh. “Apparently they are so happy with their new haircut that they spontaneously forget they came in with a baseball cap or hat on their head.”
Bart Oostindie, a regular customer of the barber, adds: “I think you can compare it with when it rains. You come in somewhere with an umbrella and when it stops raining when you go out, you think no more.”
Is there a favorite item? Younes digs through the tank and takes out a bright orange Unox hat. “That doesn’t quite fit the season, but it’s nice for skating fun,” he laughs. He also thinks that there are quite a few valuable items that he would like to have picked up.
In addition, he also wants to get rid of it because it takes up quite a bit of space in the corner of his business: “Fortunately, it is a large box, so something will fit in it. But if I have to put down two of those boxes, that is not convenient” , according to the owner of the ‘smallest barbershop in Heiloo’.
People who consider that their beloved hat could well be with Younes, can ‘just walk in’. “If they don’t come forward, I’m going to give the hats away eventually, I think.”