European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 7, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A hair raising adventure by Sperling Saya his company. Hair club la a Success because he la a client a Well a the president Hla hair a a weaves can take three months and coat $3,000.sy Sperling makes a Fortune catering to the Bald Pate set by Larry Mcshane the associated press at age 26, he was 30 pounds overweight painfully shy recently divorced living with his sister and a worst of All a he was Bald. Hair Anoia kept this Guy Home saturday nights fearful he d be in Over his head on the singles scene. But life got better he got a hair replacement. And he started a business a hair replacement business. And business got better when he delivered this simple message Quot in a not Only the hair club president. I m also a  he s 50 now and life could t be better for by Sperling the Man who brought hair replacement off of the Back pages of dubious magazines and onto late night television presides Over an Empire that s spreading like a new head of hair. Quot i can t go anywhere without everybody coming up to me i m one of the most recognized men in America right now a probably More recognized than Lee Iacocca Quot Sperling said recently As hirsute in his Manhattan office at 3 . As he looks on esp at 3 a m Iacocca s a favorite in the Board room Sperling s the Darling of stand up comedians and men affected by the hairline recession. Go ahead and laugh by says. He a not thin skinned and the jokes Are Good for business Quot it s free publicity Leno once said something i think by Sperling has More Power at the hair club for men than Gorbachev does in the soviet  it s great stuff Quot says Sperling Quot its humorous. Well take  he a also taking his business All across America. New branches opened last year in Phoenix Denver Kansas City Indianapolis and St. Louis bringing the total to 40 cities two More Are poised to Start business in California another two in Florida. Sperling s system of hair replacement involves attaching human hair to the existing healthy hair on a Man s Scalp. The whole process takes 8 to 12 weeks and costs $2,000 to $3,500.readers action line not All retirees get worldwide shipping a i am retiring with 21 years of Active service and moving to the Philippines Stuttgart transportation office told me that to ship my household goods to the Philippines i would have to pay the difference in Cost from my Home of record they referred to a statement on my orders about not having 18 years Active Federal service on nov 1. 1981, As eliminating me from tree worldwide shipping i have attended Many pre retirement seminars and was told repeatedly that shipment of my household goods was free any place upon retirement what can i do to gel an exception to policy now that i discovered it May Cost me As much As $8,000 $10,000 dollars to ship my household goods my Home of record is Leesburg. Fla master sgt. Douglas t. Mccloud Stuttgart Germany its a dream come True for the plumbers son from the South Bronx an underachiever turned entrepreneur. It was 1968 when Sperling stopped Selling swimming pools and started Selling hair opening a cramped office around the Corner from the current hair club Headquarters a four floors on Madison Avenue. Slowly but surely business expanded in 1982, it exploded when Sperling personalized his message to masses. Quot when we went on the air with my commercial we got the Best response Ever Quot Sperling says. Quot the phones were off the Hook. We got 10,000 Calls the first month we went on the air with it a unbelievable response Quot Sperling never doubted he would make it big Quot i knew there were 30 million Bald men. I looked at the other alternatives transplants toupees Quot both those choices i can t go anywhere without everybody doming up to me. I m one of the most recognized men in America right now a probably More recognized than Lee Iacocca. A by Sperling a sgt. 1st last f. Jones office of the Deputy chief of staff logistics he Usa eur replies the joint Federal travel regulation states you must have 18 years of service As of nov. 1, 1981, to allow for worldwide Home of selection. If you did not have 18 years of service As of nov 1, 1981, you Are entitled to shipment of your personal property to a any location in conus the 48 states and the District of Columbia b a Home of record outside the United states or the place outside the United states from which you were first called or ordered to Active duty. Or. C any other place at a Cost not to exceed what it will Cost the government if you had selected a specific place m conus what this rather technical language Means is that you done to have to use your Home of record Leesburg. Fla. As tie specified place in conus you could choose a location m Idaho. North Dakota or Oregon for example As you specified location in conus that location Zouki then he used to determine any excess Cost Tor your actual shipment to the Philippines bothered by especially the latter. A the younger Man would be very reluctant to Wear a Toupee because if he a intimate with a woman How does he explain taking it off at night and putting it on a head Block excuse me i Wanna get my hair Quot Sperling says. Quot it did t take too much to convince me not to go with a  so he went with weaving and the rest is hair Story. Sperling acknowledges his trademarked process is not meant for every Tom or Dick who a hairless Quot if you do a Guy s hair and it looks Good you have a Friend for life. Conversely if it does t work for him we re Gonna give him some kind of financial  fortunately 95 percent of the clients Are pleased with their new looks he says. The better business Bureau gives him a satisfactory rating and says it arbitrates any unresolved disputes. Of course it has t been All smiles. Sperling has come under fire for his Campaign to cover americans thinning tops. Richard Sandomir author of Quot Bald like me Quot vocally advocates the natural look and decries Sperling As Quot the spuds Mckenzie of hair  a Contrare replies the Debonair Sperling. He provides the same service As your family dentist a sort of. Quot if your lost your front Teeth you can Chew with your Back Teeth but yet you still want to Cap your front Teeth. Why because you had Teeth there before and you feel awkward with missing Teeth Quot he explains. Quot if you have a full head of hair and All of a sudden you went Bald you d have missing  i regret that we cannot Grant you an exception to policy since the joint Federal travel regulation is based on Law i Hope this answers your questions if additional information is requested please Contact your local transportation office. To write us readers action line is the readers a court of last resort Quot striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn for the answer write to readers a action line co the stars and stripes. Unit 29480. Apo a 09211. All letters must be signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers Page 16 a the stars and stripes Friday. February 7, 1992