A.W.O.L. Custom Tattooing Pricing Questions...and here are some Myths as well.
Any serious medical questions should be referred to a licensed physician, all information herein is based upon the experience or research of persons from within the body modification industry.
Now there are many many questions that get asked about tattoos and piercings so we are going to break them down into categories.
TattooFAQs below and here's the Piercing FAQ
Age_ Cost_ Type_ Medical_ Misc_
How much does a tattoo cost? (back to top)
Well, every tattoo is different in our establishment. The artist takes many factors into consideration prior to giving a price. Things such as size, location, and complexity of the design are among those things. We generally do not charge by the hour, the number of colors, or by the inch. We do, however, also have session rates for larger pieces that are discussed at the time of planning the design that allows for breaking up the cost of the tattoo to make it more affordable over time, easier to take, or to avoid doing too large of a piece in one session.
Why do tattoos cost so much? (back to top)
In a professional establishment there are many costs. Modern establishments operate as complete businesses. They pay taxes and social security. In the old days many tattoo shops eluded doing such things. On top of those costs there is a laundry list of overhead. So, in short, a tattoo shop that is giving out "cheap tattoos" is more than likely cutting corners somewhere. Would you like to gamble on where?
Worse yet, the vast majority of underground/kitchen table tattooists are uneducated in health safety standards. They usually have a silver tongue and can dodge questions so you should always watch a tattooist work prior to getting any tattoos done. If they can't give you the right answers or you see them working in an unclean manner you should leave.
Beyond the costs of business you are also paying the artists for their skills and talents. There is so much more involved in tattooing than just drawing. Though artistic talent is important it is not the biggest factor. The majority of people don't realize this fact. We have not even touched on the mechanical, physiological, or ethical sides of tattooing. For a tattooist to deal with this multitude of factors efficiently and have a great outcome is a skill. To develop a tattoo properly, artistically, and place it on the body correctly is a talent.
No matter how easy they make it look they are thinking the whole time. The peace of mind and quality of going to a true professional tattooist is worth the extra money that is paid. We are reasonable though, and do not try to rob you of your hard earned money. We charge what is fair and proper for the work that we do. We believe that cheap tattoos aren't good and expensive tattoos are arrogant. We're not rock stars. We're more like goldi-locks, we're just right.
Do you have a shop minimum? (back to top)
The artists in this shop set their own prices so they have their own minimums. As of right now the tattooists have all agreed on a forty dollar minimum, which covers very small and low detail tattoos in easy to tattoo regions of the body.
