Shaun1105

Welcome! I know what you mean by having space planned but still always changing ideas. What is your new tattoo going to be?

Welcome to the forum! Looking forward to seeing your new tattoo.

Since this is only a 90 minute drive from me I would really like to get there and check it out. I've got a tattoo booked for two weeks after though so I probably wouldn't be getting anything done at the convention.

I already mentioned this in the "Relationships and Tattoos" thread, but now it's official. My plainskin wife has finally (somewhat suddenly) decided she would like to get a tattoo. Seeing the chance for relationship building, and also wanting to get a tattoo by Tim Pausinger for myself, I showed her The Pearl Harbor Gift Shop's website and artist portfolios. End result - on the 2nd of April I'm booked in with Tim (he had a cancellation) and my wife will be seeing Lissa Vino (Tuesdays are her walk-in days so we'll be driving up nice and early). The more heavily tattooed among us probably experience this often, but this is the first time I've had an appointment booked for a significant tattoo (see 6 posts ago) and then squeezed a smaller one in before it. Very exciting!

My wife was quite supportive of my decision to get a tattoo last year. The tattoo I got since then, and the ones I have planned for the future - not so much. I'm not entirely surprised; we'd been married for 13 years and I hadn't made more than a passing reference to wanting a tattoo; and now that I've started collecting it is a big change. At least she hadn't been. Major tattoo relationship news - she had been dead set against the idea of her ever getting one of her own. Then a couple weeks ago she started collecting ideas on pinterest. Fast forward to today and I find myself on the phone with the Pearl Harbor Gift Shop starting to plan out us both going in to get tattoos, mine by Tim and hers by Lissa. Very exciting times - and proof that anyone can change their mind about tattoos!

At least on some forums it can also be done by date of joining. On a forum I used to be a regular contributor to, there is both an "Alpha" group for those who've been around for a very long time and a "Beta" group for members with a high level of dedication shown by post count. From the sticky on each groups page: "The criteria for gaining access are not to be talked out. Mods should not tell anyone, but if you already know, just don't go make a big deal about. it. It'll just hurt feelings of those that haven't reached the thresholds. What's talked about in this forum and in any threads within it should be considered confidential unless specifically said otherwise."

Frith St. Tattoo you say? No need for anyone to chime in with a good artist then! :) Seriously, you are in good hands. You may not be able to exactly visualize what you want right now, but with the reference and ideas you've got there the artist you end up working with will give you an excellent tattoo. Who are you booked with, if you don't mind my asking? And of course - Welcome to the forum!

^Agreed. I think they're aiming to be Canada's version of Lonely Island.

Sounds like you'll fit in just fine. Welcome!

This brings to mind a question for tattooers: If an aspiring apprentice has said $15k, would they be better off A. Following the above advice and finding someone who will apprentice them for cash. Or, B. Using $3000 to get a bunch of tattoos from great artists and using the balance to get 'unbusy', then work on drawing and painting all day everyday? I'm interested just because we're on the topic, not at all for myself as I have no interest in being a tattooer. I would choose option C - use all $15,000 to get awesome tattoos! I also think it would be likely that the shops most willing to take cash for apprentices are the ones prospective apprentices should be most wary of (with exceptions I'm sure).

I have had my next appointment since before Christmas, but never felt it was "upcoming" enough to add to this thread...but I'm not waiting any longer :) In May I'll be headed over to Scotland and getting tattooed by Joe Ellis at Lab Monkey Tattoo. He's actually moved on to a shop in Leeds but will be making his first guest spot back in Stirling during the week of my appointment.

At this point all I'm wondering is which is more offensive on this site: someone saying they should be allowed to apprentice or someone saying they don't like panther tattoos? Good apprentices to good tattooers will always be a benefit to the industry, I would say.

I love carrying hundreds of dollars on me, but rarely have legitimate need to. The only exception is when I'm getting tattooed. Cash is indeed king. No offense to any previous posters, but if anyone from here ever sees me paying for a tattoo with anything but cash, feel free to punch me in the face.

He's coming in April? See this is what happens when I am away from my computer for 24hrs, I almost miss information like this. Now the question is do I try to get in to see him this time or wait... if I didn't have a tattoo booked for May already it would be a no-brainer. Hmmm.

Since there are obviously going to be far more tattoo collectors in the world than tattooers (especially good ones!) then as time goes on and the site grows the posts by tattooers will become (relatively) fewer and farther between. That's even if every one of them was as active as they were when the site first started out which for reasons already mentioned is unlikely. I for one am always excited to log in knowing that there is going to be good discussion of quality tattoos going on. That there's a chance one or more of the best artists in the world has shared or contributed is a bonus and is what makes this forum great.

While I agree with this, I think the stigma for a tattoo that is on the back of the neck would be less than on the front. If people can't see it in face-to-face interactions with you I wouldn't think there would be as much of a problem. Also @ShaneRealz, on the back of the neck you also have the option of wearing a collared shirt, and if that's not quite enough, wearing said shirt with the collar popped. Unless of course wearing your collar popped will subject you to more prejudice than the tattoo itself....

So in October I decided to grow a bit of a beard.

I don't remember it because I wasn't here yet, but thanks to "Advanced Search" I went and looked it up. I gotta say, I'm surprised you stuck around! Glad you did, too.

I carry a little notebook around with me to help me remember things I think of. A couple pages are dedicated to tattoos I want and where. I just was looking back through it for the first time in a few months and I realized that I've changed my mind about almost every single one of the prospective tattoos. I blame LST for this.

Excellent. What are you planning to get?

I can't afford to travel all over the place to go to all kinds of famous shops either. But I do believe it's important to visit your family. I mean, I want my kids to know their cousins/aunts/uncles and all. How can I help it if they happen to live in Texas, Arizona, Florida and California? As long as I'm driving/flying all the way there to visit them anyway, wouldn't it be borderline criminal not to visit some famous shops with a pocket full of cash and ample bare spots on my skin and, you know, just see what happens? Well, that's what I'm telling my wife, anyway.

Ontario has plenty,and good ones! My little city, not so much. Actually for my first tattoo I went over the river to Buffalo since that was the closest place I found someone who could do quality traditional work.

Well,the town I live in has one shop and one tattooer. You willing to bet that he can do a good tattoo? ;) For my two tattoos so far I've gone to very good tattooers that aren't at what I'd call famous shops. My next tattoo will also be at a non-famous shop,then my (likely) next after that WILL be.

It can jump whatever it wants along as it lands in my belly. Also, welcome vodu!

I'm just trying to get tattoos done by the best tattooers possible. Whether or not they are in a famous shop is incidental.