Latest tattoo lowdown.....

[ian]

A tattoo is only worth what someone is willing to pay. What you may see as overpriced may be a no brainer to the next guy.

There's no reason to subliminally put someone down for how they choose to spend their money.

If I were an out of towner and wanted to be tattooed by the artist that was discussed, I'd drop $700 for a couple hours, no question. I'd do it with a smile on my face :D

When I'm staring at my sick new tattoo, the money I spent would be the last thing on my mind.....

[eisen777]

Yup, I agree. I guess were all just naive and getting ripped off. Thankfully I'm too happy with the work to care.

[Bunny Switchblade]

I picked up three more tattoos this weekend!

Got tattooed by Topper @ Philadelphia Eddie's on Friday then headed to Brooklyn, NY and got tattooed by Steve Delgatto & Mike Perfetto on Saturday.......I'll get some photos up of the tattoos when I get some good ones!

I also had a surprise visit at Mike Perfetto's shop by Tony Polito.....Tony and another one of Mike's customers literally had shirts coming off so they could show me tattoos on each of them from Coney Island Freddie & Brooklyn Blackie!

Needless to say i had one of the best weekends I have had in a very long time.....It would take something incredible to top this weekend!!!

[WeRnDoG]

Agree!! Demand for an artist undeniably determines the rate. I would have thought $100 hour is a thing of the past in most shops that are worth 2 shits. A lot of people forget to factor in the behind the scenes time that an artist spends researching and drawing for their tattoo.

A tattoo is only worth what someone is willing to pay.

.

[smiling.politely]

if you can look at a tattoo with no frame of reference, and automatically know who did it (as is the case with Grime), it's worth what they want to charge. premium output is worth a premium price.

[CultExciter]

Everything is relative. Where you live...where the artist lives...etc etc...

You can't expect the same rates in Des Moine, Iowa as you would in San Francisco.

That said, we don't discuss what you have paid/charged because of those factors, and because it may not always be the same for everyone else. Like @ian said, just be stoked with what you got, because money comes and goes, even for a relatively broke guy like myself.

[Bunny Switchblade]

You guys have to pay for your tattoos????

[Bunny Switchblade]

Yeah.....what people pay is their business!

I have put out some serious money to add some quality pieces over the years and I have never thought twice about it if it was an artist I really wanted something from!

If I feel it's not worth it to me to pay what someone has quoted me then I just don't get tattooed by that person.....and that has only happened one time so far! I never tell someone what I have paid for a tattoo......it's really none of their business and I think it is honestly rude to ask someone!

[Gregor]

A lot of members of LST see money talk hijacking threads and they stop coming and contributing. Can we stop discussing this now ? Its nearly as bad as the "I want a sleeve tell me what to get" type threads . pure bait .

[CultExciter]

Let's see them tats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bunny Switchblade]

Let's see them tats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All I got to post up is this!

[chrisnoluck]

Made a trip to Chicago this weekend and got these..

Mario Desa

Frank William

[Bunny Switchblade]

Sweet!!!

I gotta get to Chicago sometime soon!!!

[chrisnoluck]

Sweet!!!

I gotta get to Chicago sometime soon!!!

It was my first time there and it was awesome! Such a cool, big city. Some of the architecture of the buildings is unreal.. Compared to the small city in Central Pennsylvania that I am from, atleast..

My girlfriend also got tattooed by Frank and got one from Nick Colella, and my best friend ended up getting his first tattoo from Mario.. I'll see if I can get some pictures to post.

[CultExciter]

@chrisnoluck, lucccccckkkkkkyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!

[hgiles]

I started a Tibetan Skull (rib panel) a month or so ago with Chad Koeplinger. In the meantime I started and finished the other rib panel with Brian Bruno -- who I have to say is a super-competent, professional tattooer as well as a great artist. Seriously, I have mad respect with him after having sat with him all day (1p-730p).

I am finishing up with Chad in about 2 weeks. And am looking forward to having it finished, but not looking forward to the pain! Ugh! It'll be well-earned. I will put up some pictures as soon as I can get someone to take some. I can't very well do that myself.

[Bunny Switchblade]

It was my first time there and it was awesome! Such a cool, big city. Some of the architecture of the buildings is unreal.. Compared to the small city in Central Pennsylvania that I am from, atleast..

My girlfriend also got tattooed by Frank and got one from Nick Colella, and my best friend ended up getting his first tattoo from Mario.. I'll see if I can get some pictures to post.

Damn....you all did it up!

I was in Philly getting tattooed on Friday and then Brooklyn, NY on Saturday to get tattooed.....it's nice to see others out on the road getting excellent stuff from great artists too!

April seriously was a really good month for a lot of LST members!!!

**** that "dick" I posted was an old tattoo i got last month.....it's all i had on the computer to post....ha ha ha!

[chrisnoluck]

Damn....you all did it up!

I was in Philly getting tattooed on Friday and then Brooklyn, NY on Saturday to get tattooed.....it's nice to see others out on the road getting excellent stuff from great artists too!

April seriously was a really good month for a lot of LST members!!!

**** that "dick" I posted was an old tattoo i got last month.....it's all i had on the computer to post....ha ha ha!

Nice, who did you get tattooed by in Brooklyn? We have a trip there in a few weeks to get tattooed

[Bunny Switchblade]

Nice, who did you get tattooed by in Brooklyn? We have a trip there in a few weeks to get tattooed

Steve Delgatto & Mike Perfetto........Tony Polito came out and kept me company at Mike's shop!

I had such an awesome time in Brooklyn.....I'll be back up there soon!

[Dan S]

It was my first time there and it was awesome! Such a cool, big city. Some of the architecture of the buildings is unreal.. Compared to the small city in Central Pennsylvania that I am from, atleast..

My girlfriend also got tattooed by Frank and got one from Nick Colella, and my best friend ended up getting his first tattoo from Mario.. I'll see if I can get some pictures to post.

Sweet! Both excellent artists, never fo wrong there!

[Dan S]

Ya know, as far as price, a few are getting mighty tweaked over a RESPONSE to a poster talking price.

I get tattooed in Chicago. It's a fairly large city, indoor plumbing and everything. Might not be Nueve Yorico, or el-Lay, but hey-it's still a city.

Custom work will run around a c-note an hour, unless you are getting poked a bit. That's roughly, hey, maybe it goes $150, maybe it goes $75, whatever you manage to negotiate for. If I'm going to get custom-work done, I want an hourly rate, not a flat-price that might work out to be $500 an hour. I have no problem paying an artist for his time working on the design...if he tells me he spent 3 hours working on it, fine, I'll pay him for it.

But don't charge me $350 for a piece of flash from the wall that took you 25 minutes to zap out.

Sure enuf, if you like the work, it's worth whatever you want to pay for it. My whole point was that I think sometimes the market is pushed by TV and such, and the rates get inflated.

Reading about prices doesn't scare people off, reading about why prices could be kept secret is what scares people off. Used to be, the price was posted right on the piece on the wall, and the hourly rate was typically posted as well. No muss, no fuss, and everyone knew where they stood.

That's my last thoughts on it, again, if it violates a rule to discuss money, then an admin should delete my posts. And the one by the OP who talked about how much he paid.

[hgiles]

Ya know, as far as price, a few are getting mighty tweaked over a RESPONSE to a poster talking price.

I get tattooed in Chicago. It's a fairly large city, indoor plumbing and everything. Might not be Nueve Yorico, or el-Lay, but hey-it's still a city.

Custom work will run around a c-note an hour, unless you are getting poked a bit. That's roughly, hey, maybe it goes $150, maybe it goes $75, whatever you manage to negotiate for. If I'm going to get custom-work done, I want an hourly rate, not a flat-price that might work out to be $500 an hour. I have no problem paying an artist for his time working on the design...if he tells me he spent 3 hours working on it, fine, I'll pay him for it.

But don't charge me $350 for a piece of flash from the wall that took you 25 minutes to zap out.

Sure enuf, if you like the work, it's worth whatever you want to pay for it. My whole point was that I think sometimes the market is pushed by TV and such, and the rates get inflated.

Reading about prices doesn't scare people off, reading about why prices could be kept secret is what scares people off. Used to be, the price was posted right on the piece on the wall, and the hourly rate was typically posted as well. No muss, no fuss, and everyone knew where they stood.

That's my last thoughts on it, again, if it violates a rule to discuss money, then an admin should delete my posts. And the one by the OP who talked about how much he paid.

Dan S, I agree in the sense that I gotta know what I can expect to pay and how I am being billed. I don't like paying by the piece either, becuase I don't know what the piece is until it's finished. This leaves you quite vulnerable as a client and Ive definitely been burned before. Otherwise you might as well walk in and say 'Rape Me!' However, I generally don't think the talk of money is necessary for anyone except the artist and client.

When someone asks me what I paid, I often just offer the shop/artist hourly rate.

[WeRnDoG]

When are you putting up The Bruno piece for us to see?

I started a Tibetan Skull (rib panel) a month or so ago with Chad Koeplinger. In the meantime I started and finished the other rib panel with Brian Bruno -- who I have to say is a super-competent, professional tattooer as well as a great artist. Seriously, I have mad respect with him after having sat with him all day (1p-730p).

I am finishing up with Chad in about 2 weeks. And am looking forward to having it finished, but not looking forward to the pain! Ugh! It'll be well-earned. I will put up some pictures as soon as I can get someone to take some. I can't very well do that myself.

[kylegrey]

Reading about prices doesn't scare people off, reading about why prices could be kept secret is what scares people off. Used to be, the price was posted right on the piece on the wall, and the hourly rate was typically posted as well. No muss, no fuss, and everyone knew where they stood.

Who hasn't looked at the old Pike flash with the prices and such by the likes of Grimm, Shaw, Lee Roy etc and ....

1- Flipped at the price ,how cheap it was .

2-Flipped to see something from one of the greats and the lucky recipitents .

Just think in fifty or so years time people will have the same reaction to your (insert whatever amount here ) Grime tattoo.

[Dan S]

Who hasn't looked at the old Pike flash with the prices and such by the likes of Grimm, Shaw, Lee Roy etc and ....

1- Flipped at the price ,how cheap it was .

2-Flipped to see something from one of the greats and the lucky recipitents .

Just think in fifty or so years time people will have the same reaction to your (insert whatever amount here ) Grime tattoo.

Yup-price will only be a sidenote!