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Paulywhore: You are correct, period. Not that it's a prerequisite for seeing simple insecure egomania for what it is, but I have a decent amount of experience from the collector's perspective. I've been lucky enough to have been tattooed by the following, among others: Lehi, Rassier, Malone, Sylvia, Grime, Don Nolan, Bert Krak, Stell, Adam Ciferri, Seth Ciferri, Whitehead, Brooks, Spanks, Roberts, Conn . . . and my best bud Kyle Franklin! You don't need a fancy bullshit worthless psychology degree from a "Little Ivy", which I happen to have, to deduce that most tattooers succomb to the temptations of warped adolescent egomania. There are exceptions, but those guys (and gals) tend to get so disillusioned with tattooing that they quit. Read Mike Malone's letters to Keith Underwood in recent issues of TAM. Spot-on. He rags on "cool guys" who are too self-absorbed to actually learn about the fucking artform. I've wondered if the absolute elite echelon isn't as likely to be possessed by this meek demon. Hell, if you spend all your time seeking empty accolades and proverbial fellatio, it might be hard to fully concentrate on something of substance. Then again, I don't know: Bullshit megalomania permeates tattooing from the bottom up, doesn't matter how well you paint or tattoo. Power corrupts, in every context. If you're used to having your ass kissed, you come to expect it. Fucking pathetic. I'm sorry these folks are really insecure and immature, but it'd be peachy if they wouldn't take it out on me while I put food in their mouths. To be fair, at the same time, I can totally see why tattooers get sick of clients. I couldn't do their job. Hell, I can be annoying as fuck, myself. Give me a painkiller and I never shut up. That being said, some of the behavior I've personally experienced and witnessed is absolutely inexcusable. Straight disrespect. Funny thing is, most tattooers are sedentary lumps of shit that couldn't fight their way out of a colostomy bag. Tattoos don't make you tough. Tattooing's an intimate and intense experience, and, too often, familiarity breeds contempt. Like I said, having spent a fair amount of time in tattoo shops, I can totally see why being a tattooer is the yellow brick road to misanthropy. I hate people, too, but I try to be humble, honest, and respectful. Ya know, all that "Golden Rule" bullshit. Speaking for myself, I'm glad my bodysuit's about done. I'm too old for this shit. It's too much work. God Bless!!

I've been watching this thread since it popped up and have enjoyed seeing the respectful post from multiple perspectives of LSTers, thanks. I think some valuable feedback and ideas have been put out there. This sounds like a frustrating experience though to go in to any business from an entitled perspective as a customer we are bound to hit friction, sometimes aversion in our interactions, and overall unhappy outcomes. I do think some good feedback has been given and don't think verbal retaliations need to exist on this site. If that is what any LSTers are looking for I strongly encourage you to go elsewhere as this is one of the reasons we started LST as the other tattoo forums have too much of this negativity. We designed this forum in hopes of positive interactions from tattoo conversations to tattoo pictures to what-have-yous for both tattooers and tattoo customers. This thread is heading in a manner that I don't think it needs to go and honestly hope it doesn't as we don't need that here. This topic is a good one so if it is going to continue lets continue to go for overall ways to support/facilitate better interactions with the tattooers and customers who respect tattooing humbly.

You guys, don't worry about Gia, she's just easily annoyed. I suspect it's the people, and not really their choice of words that's bothering her. Or that her squid slacks are itchy.

The answers to this thread are simple. There are assholes everywhere. No matter where you are. Nobody likes the I'm too cool for you Tattooer, Bartender, Sales Clerk, whatever. We also don't like the whiny customer, guy who waves his money in your face like he is buying you type, or stalkers, or the never satisfied customer. There is etiquette for any business out there. If you don't act accordingly you will either: Lose customers, Not get served, be asked to leave, or in extreme cases, Beat the Fuck up. You are not the only Tattooer in town, and You are not the only customer in the shop. It's really easy. And if somebody doesn't treat you right....don't come back. That's like the battered wife who stays with her husband. "He mistreats me but I keep going back, whimper, whimper." Ok I'm done. Get it? Got it? Good.

I'm also an atheist who is intrigued by religious imagery. Here's my tattoo by Matt Wes of St. Denis, who according to legend was beheaded by pagans for preaching the gospel and then carried his disembodied head through town while it continued to speak the good word and here's one much closer to my actual religious beliefs, Charles Darwin by Mario Desa

This thread could be interpreted a few different ways.

You're certainly right about the blue collar aspect so no argument there. I once waited 2 hrs for a tattoo from a pretty well-known guy up here because he hadn't drawn anything up and told me flat out he stopped drawing things beforehand b/c so many people had shot him the ghost lately. He apologized a lot but I still had to wait.. It was definitely worth it and the next two times I went back he was all set up and ready to go so I don't hold a grudge but it was definitely a bit of an eye-opener, since it made me feel like an idiot kid just setting foot in a shop for the first time. Don't let it get you down. I think it was just your phrasing that sort of "got" some folks on here. Kind of like if some random person on the street started going off about tattoos I'd feel the need to defend it you know. Next time you get tattooed, I'd say bring some snacks and clear the day. I always try to swing it where I can have the whole day to myself and let it just be about the tattoo.

Stewart from Frith street tattoo did this little (!) space filler spider and web a week ago so still a bit shiny. this means one last gap to fill and my arm will be complete-ish

Oh, I forgot to ostentatiously name-drop Fred Corbin among the pantheon of big-name tattooers that I'm cool enough to have tattoos from. I probably neglected him in this discussion as, in my experience, he was as far from disrespectful as you can get. Dude was fucking cool to me the first time I ever travelled out to the Bay to get tattooed in 2002. I greatly appreciated it. Oh, and one other note: With all due respect, I'd argue that the relationship of collector to tattooer, and vice-versa, is not analogous to that of bartender or sales clerk to customer. I don't spend three hours naked with the gas station attendant as they grope and permanently alter the appearance of my ass. I do with Tim Lehi. No wonder tattooers hate people. I would hate all that intimacy with people, and this is coming from a personable guy who can muster a semblance of social skills, at times. I can see how being "nice" to people all the time and babysitting them through what some perceive as some mystical rite of passage would get old, fast. So I sympathize with tattooers' plight. At the same time, I'm not exactly a fucking imbecile, and I've done my homework. It was cool of Dick Stell to say to me last month "You'd be a great shop owner or manager. You know more about tattooing than some tattooers." I'm the first to acknowledge that I don't know shit about tattooing, drawing, or painting, technically. However, if I haven't developed at least a mediocre eye for the aesthetic over 15 years of study, I'm retarded. Problem is, everything becomes a fucking insecure little boys' pissing contest. I really don't give a fuck, I just want to learn shit. If I have any insight to offer anyone who's sincerely interested in this bullshit (and not ascending the social hierarchy of "cool"), great. There are shit tons of tattooers who know more about this crap than I ever will, and if they're willing to part with some of their knowledge, I'm grateful. It seems pretty simple. I swore a lot in that paragraph. Tattooing is rock-star shit, ego-trip-wise. Difference is, you don't interact with rock stars. The reason why so many tattooers are so disrespectful is because they can get away with it. I had issues with a few of the tattooers I encountered right from the get-go, when I first started getting tattooed. Why? Well, I'm an adult, and I demand some modicum of respect . . . And I happen to get along with almost everyone I meet. If you have a problem with me, it's your problem. I'm far from perfect, but I treat others respectfully. I see right through these idiots' weak facade. It's boring and pathetic. Not everyone's as dumb as they think they are. If this particular breed of person who makes a living as a tattooer wants to see an imbecile, find a fucking mirror. Can I get a witness??

Hey Lochlan favorites got to be Horiyoshi 3 of course, horitomo, horiyasu, horitsune, filip leu, and mike roper. Black and grey Freddy negreti, Freddy corbin, Tim Hendricks, and El chino come to mind just love that Westcoast gangsta style.

i too have had one or two less than perfect tattoo experiences in my day, and there may be another one to come someday. but point being, bottom line, it's the tattoo i'm after, not the respect of someone i have never met or don't really know that well, i believe that respect has to be earned. a good example would be; there's a really talented, popular tattooer in my local area and i have always really wanted a piece from him, i even have the ideas ready to go. but for one reason or another i find this person to be rather arrogant and pompous and that always kind of rubs me the wrong way, but dammit! his tattoos are so sweet, that i'm just going to have to bite the bullet one day and sit there quietly and get tattooed, because it's the tattoo i'm after! tattoos hold a great deal of meaning to me and when i look at mine, the first thing i think of is the reason i got that tattoo, not about the person who gave it to me. even if that person is a dick, if they did an awesome fuckin' job on my tattoo and gave me my moneys worth, i can't really complain or feel entitled to a certain kind of treatment because i walked into the shop with cash in my pocket. you chose a professional to get the job done and that's what happened, he/she is not obligated to give out smiles too, although it does help, no argument there! i would love to have good vibes and a positive experience while i am getting tattooed. you know, shit talking and joke cracking, talking about music and all that. but fact is, some people don't want to do all that shit, and i don't always blame them. they're at work, and some days you just don't want to be at work and you may be moving slow or whatever the case may be, we're all human. i'm a bartender man, i don't always want to hang out and entertain with all of my customers, like they expect me to. but i treat them all equally and try my best to greet each person with a smile. what puzzles me is the fact that you said you really enjoyed the artist's attitude and the finished product and it sounds as if, even though you had to wait a bit longer than you initially thought, over all, you did have a positive experience, am i wrong? but, i also wonder, did the artists apologize for making you wait so long? as a professional i do believe someone who makes me wait that long for a scheduled service of any kind should at least compensate me with a sincere apology and recognize his or her fault in the matter, if that wasn't done then maybe this person doesn't understand the big picture of good customer service. but running late? c'mon, it happens to all of us. just be glad this isn't the 80's and you didn't get chased out of there by some coked up biker yielding a flat head screwdriver!

I always thought "Ink Slinger" sounded funny, ya know call up the ink slinger and get a 20sack of some grey wash or sumthing? lol

hahahaha I love this shit. It makes me giggle like a little kid every time

Great traditional tattoo and immediately i think - Valerie Vargas .She can bust out some of the best even on the tricky spots ,so many great ones from this lass it's hard to choose what pics to post .

Well said Lochlan.

i get and understand that side too Mario. and i definitely don't think i'm better than the next person who's coming in to get a tribal armband or a heart with the word mom in it. but at the same time, i recognize that i am actively seeking out individuals based on their artwork, just as i could do with any other form of art, and having work made. i have invested money and time into trying to get work done by certain individuals, and i am actively collecting this work that happens to cover my body. so i'm sorry if my word choice was seen as comment on status, as it wasn't intended to be so. however, i'm not sure that there's a better word to describe who i or many others are. and i, as a client of you Mario, sincerely appreciate that you value every customer that you have, because that's part of what makes you a great artist. and like any good business, the client should be valued and respected, because they are supporting you financially, regardless of how small or big the task they're asking you to do. i just wrote this whole long response, thinking i had gotten to the end of the thread, then realized i hadn't and that everyone had basically said what i wanted to haha. also Pat, i was in no way angry, just sort of annoyed haha.

Pauly, even your initial post on this thread makes me think you came here looking for a fight. I can sympathize with the frustration but if you've had more negative experiences than positive at tattoo shops, then take a look at these situations and try to understand the root causes. Maybe the guy was a dick and it sounds like the time management and professionalism could have been better on his end, but no one is obligated to get you drinks or be your best friend. Like others have said, as little as a generation ago, chances are you wouldn't have even gotten in the door. We've all had times where maybe we've had to wait around, or appointments run long, or maybe the tattooer is just having an off day. We all have shitty days. But it's no reason to think all tattooers (or waiters, etc.) are assholes across the board. You get the same cross section of people in any industry. There are a lot of dipshit people in general. I wasn't going to comment on this, but I can understand your frustration. Instead of trying to force people to like you and treat you with respect, you have to show some respect first. If you're serious about continuing to get tattooed, just relax and try to enter in future situations with a positive outlook and no expectations other than a great tattoo. How'd the end product turn out?

Eagles rock ! Heres another tuff chest piece this time from everyones favourite Bryan Burk .

honestly, "collector" bothers me (sorry robin)! generally speaking people who refer to themselves as collectors are a bit smug and see themselves as above other clients. no offense robin, or anyone else who use this term, it's just been my experience and bothered me for years. the guy getting his girlfriend's name is just as important as a "collector" getting a custom "cool" tattoo. sometimes these "collectors" scoff at having to wait while i do a regular walk-in on someone they deem "uncool", and it eats me up. but i guess this is a whole other discussion!

i agree with the previous sentiments -- i dont want to be touched, i shouldnt be expected to tolerate you nor should i have to explain my tattoos to you. in that past few years i have just started to reject the advances. however my "no, you cant see my arm." and "please dont touch me" always elicits surprised stares. they seem really caught off guard that I wouldnt want a stranger pulling my arm to his face or that i dont want to hear about what they want to get done in the future. one of the most frustrating things is having a total stranger get rude with me for telling him that i would rather he not touch me. the conversation typically goes as follows: Interrupting my conversation "oh sweet tats, can i see them?" "no. sorry, im having a conversation" "you dont have to be such a bitch." >: ( the other random approach i get disgusts me and that is a guy assuming im some sort of "naughty-girl-gone-wild". that conversation usually also ends with me being called a bitch and begins something like this: "well helllllloooo there, you look like a bad girl." smarmy smirk "...no. please go away" "i bet youre a real handful hunh?" "...no." "oh ho ho someones an evil evil thing hmmmm?" also, my friend who has a chest piece gets "can i see how far down that goes?" at least twice a week. a lot of my friends who do not have tattoos will ask me why i am not really into men who are tattoo free and its because of my experiences with the aforementioned jerks. they seem to think of me as some sort of dominatrix that would be a "good time" rather than an interesting person that they should get to know. it freaks me out a little and makes me question their motives for approaching me.

Another great collection by the look of things Avery ! Perfect sizing on that Eagle ,i've attached another along the same lines by Bert Krak ,think the solitary Eagle is super strong . So many good Eagles but my favourite piece of Eagle art is Scott Sylvias picture .This is just crying out for a back to adopt it . I love Chad Koeplingers birds too Lochlan especially his talons which often are supersized .

Here is my eagle. It was done by Matt Arriola.

Dave: So. What were you thinking about? Me: Dunno. Maybe a trailer trash pin up girl. Dave: I thought you wanted a Japanese demon? Me: That works too. Pick which one you want and draw it up, I'm going to watch a movie. Dave: Ok. Haha.

Yep even with the few tattoos I do have, I sometimes get the same reaction from people and I have the same feeling of would I really want to have a friendship with someone that can only see my tattoos?

Sometimes it's the thought that counts! And you definitely want to chase off the ladies that don't like beards, anyway. When I first got my nose pierced in 1988 on the East coast, there were actually people who judged me by it. I always felt like they were doing me a huge favor, letting me know that they were small minded and that I didn't need to pursue any type of friendship.

guy comes in a few years back, part of a construction crew. smelled like weed and beer first thing in the morning. the tattoos on his face let me know he was serious when he asked for a " hood spongebob". best ever.

did this one about a week ago. gal comes in and says "i want a garden gnome, snatching some panties"/ say no more. im fucking sold.

I don't have a decent picture of the tattoo, but here's the watercolor (By Rick Lohm of HALO in Syracuse, who also did the tattoo) that spawned it. Story- Once the big owl trend really started hitting hard, I decided it was time for the noble Turkey to be the next "It" tattoo bird. Eagles, Owls, Swallows.... they've all had their turn. So every time Rick would post a tattoo of an eagle on his facebook, I'd comment that it didn't really look like a turkey and that he should try harder. Habitually harassing him until he finally painted this to shut me up- A portrait of me as the devil Turkey. The milk was because Rick likes milk- we didn't even get the "cry over spilt milk" thing until after he tattooed it on me. The turkey has yet to get it's turn, but it's coming.

Is this one funny???? It's on me....done by Matt Rinks!