Is there REALLY a shelf life for wigs?

From a customer e-mail: 

Is there a shelf life for wigs?  I would like to buy a few with your great sales, but I don't know if the wigs break down after a while.

I actually have synthetic wigs in my collection that I bought clear back in 1999 . . . and they’re costume wigs, to boot!

The suggested expiration dates on our site (which you can see here) are to tell you how long you can expect to wear them if you wear them every single day, like to work and stuff.  However, if you only wear them once in a while, they can last a very, very, VERY long time.  That’s why I always keep a little collection and rotate them out.  That way, no one wig in my personal stock ever gets worn out too quickly.

Everyone handles this differently, though.  :)

The gist is this: 

Synthetic wigs will keep indefinitely if not worn.  I definitely suggest taking wigs out of storage every couple of months to wear them or place them on a mannequin head.  If you leave them in the box indefinitely, they can become misshapen. 

Human hair wigs will need to be moisturized periodically, even if in you aren’t using them.  Just like leather, if you let them go too long without some moisture, they will become dry and brittle and begin to break down.  As long as you keep this in mind, though, you can store them for many years without any problems.