Dick blick / skin candy fiasco

[Ursula]

Surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet

Apparently one of north America's largest art supply chains will begin selling Skin Candy tattoo inks.

Any decent tattooer I know or follow online has been freaking out about this.

Apparently the ink is shit and so's the dude who sells it. (I don't know him or even his name).

Tattooers worth a fuck have been urging people to visit this link and send them (the art store) an email in hopes of stopping this or at least getting the word out to boycott.

Http://www.dickblick.com/customerservice/contact

I know, I've never shopped at dick blick and now I never will.

[Ursula]

Here's the image that been posted all over

[Ursula]

Just an additional thought after sitting here for a few minutes.

I feel like the skin candy company is more at fault. They are in tattooing. They should know better. I understand they probably stand to make a lot of money from this deal. I don't understand selling out an industry that's supported you over the years, even when your product is inferior.

If anyone is gonna hate on Dick Blick and send them emails, then we also need to give Skin Candy the same treatment.

[Abellve]

Absolutely. I had not heard of this but you are right. This is bad all around but Blick doesn't owe tattooing the debt that someone making money from inside the industry does. Our relationship with tattooing is supposed to be symbiotic but now it's gone one-way for so many people that it'll be sucked dry -- for all of us. And our relationship with outside industry should be limited, cautious and beneficial to our craft.

I've bought from them a lot, but will not now and intend to contact both companies.

[truejew]

Been seeing this on fb. First time I heard that skin candy is involved. And my fw's are taking way too long to get here. Are they actually going to carry tattoo supplies? Why would they sell ink but nothing else? This sounds a little fishy still. I also havnt been following this too closely.

[Ursula]

On the skin candy website it does list them as a seller of the ink.

I'm assuming that they are just waiting to get around any laws or regulations involving selling needles or machines, or they are just looking for someone to provide them at the right wholesale price points.

Maybe they want to start out with just ink and see how it does before launching the Dick Blick Machine or some bullshit.

Or maybe they see all the FW they're shipping to tattoo shops and thought hmmm what else can we sell them under the guise of art supplies..... I could see how a non tattoo art person would make the mental jump from paint to tattoo ink.

[G.Uristti]

weather its true or not i sent an email to DB. if they respond ill post the convo.

my email wasnt as well written as id like it to normally be but, i came at them from two different stands points.

[Hands On]

i was just made aware of the fact that... well...

Sears.com carries tattoo supplies!

if you search for "tattoo supplies," they literally have everything. i guess they gotta compete with amazon, but holy hell.

[Jennifer Stell]

i was just made aware of the fact that... well...

Sears.com carries tattoo supplies!

if you search for "tattoo supplies," they literally have everything. i guess they gotta compete with amazon, but holy hell.

Amazon is like the evil empire of you can buy anything from us.... Even shit that just ain't right... Ask @ShawnPorter...

[Abellve]

Sears.com carries tattoo supplies![/url]

if you search for "tattoo supplies," they literally have everything. i guess they gotta compete with amazon, but holy hell.

What the?!? It is all too much.

[waverly]

I've been telling people to go to Sears for supplies for years now.

"Yeah, man, they're gonna act like they don't know what you are talking about but you have to be insistent. You have make them understand that you know what's up and then they'll sell to you. Besides, all their tat guns are Craftsmen so they are guaranteed for LIFE!"

[MGblues]

Amazon is like the evil empire of you can buy anything from us.... Even shit that just ain't right... Ask @ShawnPorter...

I can remember when S&R was the evil empire of tattooing...

Get a starter kit and start scratching away.

[ShawnPorter]

Amazon is like the evil empire of you can buy anything from us.... Even shit that just ain't right... Ask @ShawnPorter...

Amazon used to carry uranium.

$26 a tin. True story.

They also recently allowed an author to publish a book on their kindle book creator app on how to molest children....

So yeah. Tattoo supplies won't make them loose any sleep.

[Guest Chris1963]

DICK BLICK will require Tattoo or Biz license depending on state and ID. They have even created a professional tattoo artists database so once your in the database you can shop at any of the 34 stores even if you forgot your license.

[Guest nikkixmalicious]

as some one who is currently going through an apprenticeship this shit is the biggest insult. it's like "why am i going through all the sweat and tears and working my ass off when any idiot with a credit card can access the same things i can?" then i remember that with out a real artist teaching you the subtleties of the art your work is gonna be shit no matter how much shit you buy from sears. good luck turning out any good work mother fuckers

[G.Uristti]

I can remember when S&R was the evil empire of tattooing...

Get a starter kit and start scratching away.

ive said something similar in one of these threads... the mainstreaming of tattooing started loooong ago. even though it was way more subtle it still was going on. whats happening now is just the inevitable.

[MadeIndelible]

I just saw the Sears thing on Tumblr. Crazy.

And, I just got an email back from the VP of merchandising at Dick Blick saying that due to responses to their carrying Skin Candy inks, they "are reviewing [their] product selections and will respond responsibly," whatever that means. It all seems like a form response to me.

[Duffa]

Not to derail the thread but, @ShawnPorter - are you friggin serious??!!! About both the Uranium & the "book"... wtf is going on with this world??

Where did the uranium come from do you know? (As in, what country it was sent from) I'm still in disbelief... got any other good ones? lol

[ShawnPorter]

Not to derail the thread but, @ShawnPorter - are you friggin serious??!!! About both the Uranium & the "book"... wtf is going on with this world??

Where did the uranium come from do you know? (As in, what country it was sent from) I'm still in disbelief... got any other good ones? lol

I'm not sure where the uranium came from (despite dying to say Uranus) but it was small tins to... calibrate geiger counters.

The e-book, "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: a Child-Lover's Code of Conduct" was pulled after a threatened boycott, but other books like it are on there.

[Duffa]

@ShawnPorter - the uranus line killed me. Nice ;) and yes... to "calibrate geiger counters"... I bet it was (it probably was the intention, however I'm sure it could be used for other uses in capable hands). In regards to the book, or should I now say books - I don't even know where to begin on that one... so probably best to leave it. You should possibly make a thread about your astonishing Amazon finds

[David Flores]

someone wrote a letter to sears and got this response. (wasn't me)

[ShawnPorter]

@ShawnPorter - the uranus line killed me. Nice ;) and yes... to "calibrate geiger counters"... I bet it was (it probably was the intention, however I'm sure it could be used for other uses in capable hands). In regards to the book, or should I now say books - I don't even know where to begin on that one... so probably best to leave it. You should possibly make a thread about your astonishing Amazon finds

I worked for Amazon for nine years and have a certain amount of (near post traumatic stress) distain for the company; I only talk about them when I'm being a cunt.

Oh. They also carry gallon jugs of 100% pure wolf urine; which we were going to mix with the uranium, put in a super soaker and see if we could mutate us some Teen Wolfs....

[irezumi]

someone wrote a letter to sears and got this response. (wasn't me)

that's not what i expected to see. thanks sears.

[Ursula]

UGH. For some reason instead of talking to people who are actually tattooers and trying to explain himself to them, the clown from Skin Candy sent me a Facebook message. Today. Little late on that one bro... Anyways. Here it is.

Skincandy Bloodline

hi Ursula, Im the piece of shit you were talking about on the Dick Blick blog, nice to meet you, I see you never met me or know who I am so maybe i should introduce myself before you judge me, my name is August, I've been making ink in the tattoo industry 16 years, started out making powders and worked my ass off to get where I am, every ink i make i test in my own skin before i ever sell it to the public, I have never screwed anyone in the business and love what I do, I would love to get you a sample of my Bloodline before you judge it or me, please call the office 818-567-1848 to request, id be happy to speak with you as well and maybe diffuse my shittyness and what a piece of shit I am.. that you speak of, lol, thanks August owner Skincandy/Bloodline

Here's my reply.

Ursula Thomson

A) I'm not a tattooer

B)I'm far from the only person who thinks your a piece of shit for making this deal with Dick Blick

C) I still think you're an asshole for selling to Dick Blick

D) If you're really that great you'd know why everyone thinks this dick Blick thing bad.

E) I've heard your ink is trash anyways.

[CultExciter]

Yeeesh. The guy really has no idea what a joke he is to the tattoo industry. I DON'T NEED CANDY FOR MY SKIN! I'M SWEET ENOUGH!