Any collectors in the South Bay/Los Angeles area?

[Genie of the West]

I'm thinking this forum should have quite a few people in or around the Los Angeles area. Have any of you heard of 3rd St. Tattoo in Hermosa Beach? It's relatively new but one of the first tattoo shops opened in the city of Hermosa Beach when they changed the city laws to allow tattoo shops.

Anyway I went there once for a chest panel from Nick Hayes and I'm planning on going back soon. A lot of local people and people I know have gone there for work and I like my artist there. I was just wondering if anyone in the area had heard of the shop or artists who work out of there and also if anyone had any other shop suggestions for the area. I want to do a walk in and get my stomach done soon and was planning on going back to Nick Hayes but I'm also open to collecting from other local talent. I've heard that Johnny 2/3s from Yer Cheat'N Heart is pretty good as well. The more famous shops in LA area I've heard of are Zulu and Broken Art (owned by Jeremy Swan).

[TrixieFaux]

I don't know those shops you mentioned (except Broken Art)... but @DJDeepFried and I both go to Memoir Tattoo on Beverly in west LA. We have gotten great work from Kim Saigh & James Spencer Briggs. Shawn Barber & Brendan Rowe are also great, and they get really good guests like Seth Wood.

memoir tattoo ©2010

Then there's Unbreakable Tattoo...a lot of good artists there, I'd be interested in getting one from Jim Sylvia.

Unbreakable Tattoo - www.tattoounbreakable.com

Then there's Dark Horse with Bryan Burk who has an interview you could watch right here on LST. He's amazing.

Best Tattoo Artists | Top Tattoo Shops and Parlor in Los Angeles | Dark Horse Tattoo Los Angeles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TujVa9bS6L0

And last one for now: Shamrock Social Club. I have one from Mark Mahoney. It was just a small one before I knew better, but what a great experience. Coolest guy.

Shamrock Social Club

[CABS]

I used to live in Long Beach, so of course I'm biased. Port City, Dark Horse, Spotlight for starters. If you're willing to trek to Orange County you got Gold Rush, Torch, Sid's. If you're ever in the Valley, you got JoJo Ackerman's spot in Santa Clarita.

Tons and tons of options in SoCal.

[Genie of the West]

I don't know those shops you mentioned (except Broken Art)... but @DJDeepFried and I both go to Memoir Tattoo on Beverly in west LA. We have gotten great work from Kim Saigh & James Spencer Briggs. Shawn Barber & Brendan Rowe are also great, and they get really good guests like Seth Wood.

memoir tattoo ©2010

Then there's Unbreakable Tattoo...a lot of good artists there, I'd be interested in getting one from Jim Sylvia.

Unbreakable Tattoo - www.tattoounbreakable.com

Then there's Dark Horse with Bryan Burk who has an interview you could watch right here on LST. He's amazing.

Best Tattoo Artists | Top Tattoo Shops and Parlor in Los Angeles | Dark Horse Tattoo Los Angeles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TujVa9bS6L0

And last one for now: Shamrock Social Club. I have one from Mark Mahoney. It was just a small one before I knew better, but what a great experience. Coolest guy.

Shamrock Social Club

Thanks so much! James Briggs I almost forgot about him. I emailed him like 2 weeks ago actually and haven't received anything back! I really like the look of Kim Saigh's work as well but I'm just not sure if I should pick any good artist or specifically seek out a black/gray work specialist.

Thanks @CABS as well. When I saw your post in another topic about Port City I checked out their work it's really good. I'll be shopping around in the next couple weeks and see how to spend this here tax return :cool:

[Genie of the West]

To revive this topic I think I decided on an artist for my next big piece and that will be Jim Sylvia. An idea just came to me today and he'll be perfect for this because it includes an owl (so trendy) and he does great owl tattoos. As soon as I get some disposable income I'm booking an appointment because my tattoo itch has been severe for months now.

A strange thing has happened to me lately. All my tattoos thus far have been black/gray fine line and I always used to dismiss american traditional tattoos as unoriginal and uninspired. But about a year or 2 ago out of nowhere I fell in love with traditional tattoos and now that's all I want for my next several tattoos including my next sleeve. Something about the style and art of traditional tattoos just clicked one day and now they're my absolute favorite. I have a serious hard on for traditional style ink now. I feel like I was such a fool for not realizing this earlier.

And there really is so many options in so. cal. it's enough to make your head spin. I wish I had the money to explore them all right now!

[cltattooing]

Don't forget Flying Panther and Tahiti Felix's Master Tattoo!

(edit: wait, that's San Diego.. d'oh)

[Genie of the West]

Don't forget Flying Panther and Tahiti Felix's Master Tattoo!

(edit: wait, that's San Diego.. d'oh)

its the thought that counts buddy. and if im ever in san diego i now know where to start

[MadeIndelible]

Don't forget Flying Panther and Tahiti Felix's Master Tattoo! (edit: wait' date=' that's San Diego.. d'oh)[/quote'] It seems that your private message capacity is full. Was trying to send a response to your message. Sorry for the thread hijack, folks.

Also, SD has Guru.

[SnowyPlover]

I'm sorry, but by bringing up San Diego I have to add Full Circle Tattoo and Marcus Kuhn's (The Gypsy Gentleman) Just Good Tattoos!

[CABS]

Riding along with that wave of SD recommendations, Lifetime (Rob and Thor) and Seven Seas (Sergio is one of my favorites currently).

But yeah, my favorites as of right now in the LA area is Port City in Long Beach, hands down. Everyone there KILLS.

In Orange County my go-to spots are Sid's (Tomas, Jonty, Beam) and Torch (Justin, Kyle).