Missed opportunities/The one that got away/Regrets

[UglyButProud]

Did you ever have the chance to get work done by someone and passed it up for one reason or another? You shake your head in disgust every time you think about it? I don't mean a wishlist, but actual stories of the one that got away.

Mine was Ed Hardy around 1992 @ Tattoo City. I had already traveled out to S.F. twice and had work done by Eddy Deutsche, Dan Higgs and guest artist Henk Schiffmacher. Both times I hung around the shop for 2-3 days solid and stayed with Eddy and Alex Herman. Saw my first lungfish show then too....

The third time I went out to get work done by Marcus Pacheco and have Eddy finish my sleeve, Ed was around the shop for a couple days, which i hadn't seen on my previous visits. I asked Eddy to introduce me if possible. He did, and told Ed I was his old (Eddy's) friend from "the mean streets of Detroit" which wasn't really true. Ed was cordial but all business as he looked up for a second, shook my hand, and went back to his business. I mentioned to him "I would love to get some work done" by him and I was travelling to S.F. a couple times a year to get tattooed. Eddy told me "every once in a while, Ed will come in a do a few walk ins and leave. As I was staying with Eddy, I got invited to go to the movies "with a bunch of guys from the shop". That night Eddy and I went and met Corbin, Higgs, Igor Mortis and a few others at the theater to see American Me. As we were hanging around outside bullshitting, Ed Hardy walks up and we all go in and see the movie.

The next day, As Eddy was finishing my sleeve, I noticed Ed in the shop again. I went out of my way to say Hi when he came over to see what Eddy was doing. He was polite and hung around for a few minutes,then vanished. Later, when we were done, I saw Ed again. This time he said to me " I have some time later (when he got back from an errand or something) if you wanna get tattooed". I nearly shit myself..... I said, I would talk to him when he got back....

I was simultaneously flustered/excited/nervous. This was my shot to get tattooed by one of the greats and I had almost NO MONEY! I had already withdrawn all the money in my bank account and my 1 credit card was maxed. I asked Eddy if he would give me back the money I just paid him with the promise i would repay him in a week or two with interest..he said No, he needed what I paid him. I called my mom to wire me money and was again told "NO"!

When Ed got back to the shop, I had to embarrassingly tell him "thanks. but can't do it this time". I told him I would be out again and would DEFINITELY love to get some work done. He smiled and said "nice meeting you".

well, you can guess the rest.......... Share your stories about the one(s) that got away!

[suburbanxcore]

Oh man. Brutal story. Haha. But I'm sure you have some pretty incredible stories and memories from that time period that worked out a lot more positively.

[CABS]

Capilli Tupou.

Too painful to type out the whole story. Would share in person.

[RoryQ]

Capilli Tupou.

Too painful to type out the whole story. Would share in person.

Can we twist your arm?

[hogg]

I wish I'd gotten something from Mike Malone other than tribal rosettes (in green, at that), but I was a young idiot. I've since cured myself of the young part.

[CABS]

Can we twist your arm?

I had the inside scoop that Capilli was coming to the Bay Area, so I emailed him right away. This is end of May 2013 and around this time, I also had made some friendly wagers that I could hold off on getting tattooed for 7 months (till the end of the year). My friends didn't think I could hold off because I had been going pretty nuts getting multiple tattoos a month. I wanted to prove them wrong. A free prime rib dinner, a couple free lunches, free beer, and a "winner gets to choose the loser's tattoo" were some of the prizes being offered.

I finally get an email back from Capilli saying I had first dibs. Had to regretfully decline the offer and not get tattooed. Still bums me out to this day.

[SStu]

@UglyButProud = trust this is your sad part of the story - but - how special is it that you got to actually MEET all these folks . . .

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this would fit into the "regret" part of the thread -

back around 1976 - while living on a serviceman's wage, somehow actually saved the funds, made the arrangements took the subway (+ more) from Manhattan to White Plains and got a piece on my back from Spider Web. Given the pre-internet age combined with me being a post-hippie (fill-in-the-blank) sun-worshiper - I gave the artwork hell, and over the years it suffered accordingly.

To make matters worse I THEN let some hack tattooist convince me he could bring it back to life. Needless to say the mistake was made - and I permitted destroying what was left of an eclectic piece of history.

Embarrassing and a crushing shame, to say the least. I've since covered up the resulting abomination.

I love the educational properties of the internet . . .

[hogg]

My friends didn't think I could hold off because I had been going pretty nuts getting multiple tattoos a month.

[AverageJer]

It's a fun thread- thanks for the stories. I have nothing comparable to contribute. We went to Brooklyn once so my wife could get a walk in tattoo at Three Kings where she ended up getting tattoed by Andy Perez. We both had a good time and in retrospect I wish I had gotten one too.

The closest I can come is in another category- when I was in 10th grade (1988) I was offered a ticket to see the Replacements and I turned it down because I had practice for some school play I was in. I've always been into honoring commitments, still am, but I have always regretted this one time I didn't blow it off.

[UglyButProud]

@UglyButProud = trust this is your sad part of the story - but - how special is it that you got to actually MEET all these folks . . .

Yeah...no boo-hooing about it, I appreciate every minute of those experiences. I had a lot of years after to set up something with Ed again and didn't. In my mind, he was always out of reach, as far as his price/time. Plus, how cool would've have been to get a walk in tattoo from Ed Hardy..... Like Hogg said "I was a young idiot"

[CABS]

Not the first time Ross has called me a hoe.

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Plus, how cool would've have been to get a walk in tattoo from Ed Hardy...

This totally resonates with me. I feel like I should get tattooed by as many veterans as possible before they retire.

[hogg]

All in love, @CABS. All in love.

[RoryQ]

I think I mentioned this a while back, but the wife gave me permission to put up her "near miss" which was a kind of a swerve on her part.

She had set up with Shige to get tattooed in Yokohama. What was originally going to be a rib panel or smaller back piece somehow morphed into the full neck to knees turtle back piece (he kind of talked her into it, but I think maybe they both got a little caught up in it... neither of them like saying "no").

He was planning out this really brutal schedule to happen the following year with 4 full day sessions to be done during a two week visit. I was getting my front by Tomo.

Then... during the wait...

...We got engaged, bought a house and decided to try to have a kid (and we did).

At a certain point it became clear she was like "how is this multi session multi year monster back piece going to get done now". I said it could still be done (Shige has had other female clients who took breaks for similar reasons) but in the end she decided it would be wrong to start something that she was conflicted about.

Shige was like 'if you're harbouring doubts then it's best not to proceed'. He offered to tattoo her later and I think that might still happen - although she was embarrassed about cancelling on him.

Right now she has much more coverage and is starting a big rib panel with Calle (King Carlos) in the summer. So although she says she thinks it was the right choice THEN to cancel the whole thing I think now she's like "what if"...

[Iwar]

I love this thread! I hope the stories keep coming.

[a1steaks]

Mine is also an Ed Hardy story. Moved from Boston to S.F. in 2001. I hadn't been tattooed in a while but was starting to get back into it. Ed was still tattooing, but not as often, and he wasn't cheap. I managed to get on his list and got called a while later, just as I had been laid off. So, I politely declined because I thought rent and food was more important.

Ugh.

[cookietruck]

had this happen atleast 3 times i think

been in perfection usually just bullshitting when there will be a phone call...then dude looks over and says "hey you wanna get tattooed by chris today for about 6 hrs???"

everytime i've been low on funds or i'm already getting tattooed, so i say "damn that's tempting...but i gotta hold off this time."

then old dude usually goes "....well...FUCK!!, then he looks through the book and starts making calls."

pretty funny when it happens.

[GlaryMilberg]

Capilli Tupou.

Too painful to type out the whole story. Would share in person.

Cabs, you're going to hate me. I had an appointment with Capilli in 2013 that was switched a few times and in the confusion I went to Idle Hands instead of Spider Murphys, missing my chance completely. I was so bummed and he was incredibly nice about it.

[CABS]

Cabs, you're going to hate me. I had an appointment with Capilli in 2013 that was switched a few times and in the confusion I went to Idle Hands instead of Spider Murphys, missing my chance completely. I was so bummed and he was incredibly nice about it.

Oh man. That's rough! Such a bummer!

I am intrigued that the two names that keep coming up are Ed Hardy and Capili Tupou.

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Did you lose out on your deposit??

[GlaryMilberg]

Oh man. That's rough! Such a bummer!

I am intrigued that the two names that keep coming up are Ed Hardy and Capili Tupou.

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Did you lose out on your deposit??

We will have our chance again, haha.

He ended up giving my deposit back, as it was definitely confusing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[misterJ]

I should have got off my ass to do the ed hardy flash day at King's Ave Bowery. Money is just a bit tight at the moment. They had a few eagles that were too good. Oh well hopefully a next time with better $$ on my end

[suburbanxcore]

I should have got off my ass to do the ed hardy flash day at King's Ave Bowery. Money is just a bit tight at the moment. They had a few eagles that were too good. Oh well hopefully a next time with better $$ on my end

My friend got a perfect Hardy gorilla from Grez on Saturday.

[JakeStewart]

I got half my chest piece done by my favourite tattooist and then he decided to move city. He came back for a week to finish peoples tattoos. Mine was scheduled on his last day... he decided to leave a day early... I got another artist to finish it but always wonder what it could have been like....