32 years in the tattoo business and I never cease to be amazed by people. One would think that after all this time dealing with people I would begin to understand them a little.
I realize that the average person doesn’t realize the difference between a good tattoo and a bad tattoo. This is becoming more obvious by the ever-increasing amount of cover-up and attempted fix-up work that I am doing these days. Unfortunately, we are talking to people within days of getting work at shops and asking how long they have to wait before getting something fixed or covered up. Remember my last letter: POTS AND PANS DO NOT A COOK MAKE!!! Which translates to:
Very few people realize that there are no real licensing requirements for Tattoo Artists in most states. Allow me to explain: In NC for example, where I owned and operated a very successful studio for many years, if a Tattooist is working in a shop he/she must be inspected and obtain a permit from the local Health Department.
It simply means that the person in question has passed inspection. Translated it means that they have an approved Autoclave Sterilizer, know how to use it and can read the state regulations and understand them enough to relate them back to the Inspector. It is unfortunate, but the Health Department regulations DO NOT state that you must actually know how to tattoo before you obtain a permit.
In Texas where the SHAPERS QUEST is now located the situation is even worse. There are NO, I repeat, NO local Health Department Regulations that govern tattooing. The permits are issued out of Austin, and heres' the kicker: THERE IS NO PRE-OPENING INSPECTION!!! All reputable studios will purchase the permit(which by the way is the most expensive I have ever encountered), have proper autoclave sterilization, and abide by the State Regulations, even though they are BARELY ENFORCED. I personally know of three(3) Tattoo Shops(notice I didn't say studios) in Montgomery County that did not bother to purchase the State Permit, but just decided to open and start scratching. This should raise some questions in your mind. If they are willing to break the law by tattooing without a Permit, are they also willing to RE-USE NEEDLES, NOT PROPERLY STERILIZE(if they sterilize at all), etc.,etc. THINK ABOUT IT!!! By the way, Texas also STILL allows Dry Heat Sterilizers. This is the basic equivalent of the "bun warmers" for the hot dogs you buy in convenience stores. It is totally useless and has been BANNED by almost every other state. FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, there are only two(2) types of approved Sterilization. E.O.GAS, which is used by Hospitals and Medical Research facilities and PRESSURIZED HOT STEAM which is commonly called an Autoclave. USED PROPERLY, an Autoclave will neutralize every bacteria known to man. Of course it would also help if Texas required MONTHLY AUTOCLAVE TESTING, like all other states do. And just so you will know, you are always welcome to inspect my sterilization area AND view my sterilizer test results.
This represents a problem because people are under the impression(unfortunately the wrong impression) that if you own or work in a Tattoo Studio, that you might actually know what you are doing. OOOPS!!!With the ever-increasing popularity of tattoos, there are people opening shops almost wholesale fashion. Most of these people have no interest in tattooing other than to PROFIT!!! I have met people that own and operate Tattoo Studios and have no idea how to tattoo and really have no interest in learning. They will hire any idiot that can hold a tattoo machine and start preying on the buying public. If you have no knowledge of the art yourself; how can you be sure the people that work for you do? Almost every biker or tattoo magazine has equipment manufacturer ads offering starter kits, a book on how to tattoo, and a bottle of Instant Tattoo Artist pills. YEAH RIGHT!!!!!!!!
Folks, it takes a long time to become a good tattoo artist. Most people that are really good were taught by an accomplished artist. They have served an apprenticeship and learned not only the mechanics of tattooing, but the history of tattooing as well. If a person survives a proper apprenticeship they have a true love for this craft, and a good deal of knowledge about how to tattoo. Before I go any further let me also say that I have met people that are "self-taught" and some of them are damn good tattoo artists. However, most of the "self-taught" artists that turned out to be good were helped along the way by an accomplished artist that recognized their potential and helped them refine their skills.
Now on my soapbox and to the original point of this letter:
Why would a person not bat an eye at paying $150.00 or $200.00 for a pair of athletic shoes that may last for six months and then bitch about the price of a tattoo that is going to last them a lifetime. DUH!!! There is no such thing as a DISCOUNT TATTOO. No doubt there are cheaper tattoos and there is always your cousins friend that tattoos in a trailer park for $20.00 and a six-pack. However, getting a really bad tattoo covered up is sometimes three to four times more expensive than getting it done right the first time. And lets not even mention the cost of laser tattoo removal for those tattoos that cannot be repaired or covered up.
My point is: At least be willing to spend the same amount of money on a good tattoo as you would spend on those designer shoes or jeans. Be more concerned about the quality of the tattoo rather than the price of it. I'm not advising anyone that the highest priced tattoo is always the best one. What I am advising is, don't let price be your major concern. For example: If you go into a Tattoo Studio, pick out a design, and get quoted a price of say $200.00, and then go to another studio and are quoted $75.00 for the same tattoo, there is something really wrong and you should run like hell. In a city of any size, or on a convention floor for that matter, all the really good Tattoo Studios will probably be within $10-$20.00 of each other. Take the time to look around the shop! Does it look clean? Look at the people that work there, if they were waiting on you in a restaurant would you still want to eat there? Does the studio or any of the artists belong to any professional tattoo organizations? Above all do not be afraid to ask questions. All reputable studios and artists will be willing to explain what an Autoclave is. Ask to see the artist’s portfolios. Only one out of every ten customers actually does this. Trust me, if they are proud of their work they will be happy as hell to show it to you. The portfolios should also contain more than six pictures. And take the time to really look at the pictures; are the lines straight and precise? Is the color good? Overall appearance of the pictured tattoo; are there places to look chewed up or where shading or color looks poor or uneven? Ask your friends where they got tattooed. Or hell, for that matter ask a stranger. I have never met anyone that wouldn’t talk about their tattoos, GOOD OR BAD!!!! Look at the difference between the tattoos you see on friends or other people you meet. If they look bad, find out where they got it and stay the hell away from there. Above all be smart, if 20 people recommend a studio or artist to you, by all means go there! If someone tells you they know where to go to get one cheap-BEWARE!
With these letters I am hoping to help educate the buying public. Whether you choose to get tattooed at The Shapers Quest or not, PLEASE be smart enough to get good quality work. There are other really good studios besides the Shapers Quest, however there are more bad than good and that is real unfortunate.
Retail stores, restaurants, bars, etc. close every day for not providing good quality merchandise or services. And yet the sub-standard Tattooist continues to thrive. Why do you suppose this is? As I asked earlier, why do we spend more on an article of clothing that is temporary than you are willing to spend on a tattoo that will be part of you forever?
BEAU
REMEMBER THE BITTERNESS OF POOR QUALITY IS THERE LONG AFTER THE SWEETNESS OF LOW PRICE IS FORGOTTEN!!!