The Similarities of Car & Tattoo Shopping
Having spent a good portion of the new millennium photographing and writing magazine articles about different tattoo artists/shops and the artwork on their clients, plus attending and reporting on tattoo conventions all over the country as well, I have learned one undisputable truth. Investing in a piece of body art is a lot like buying a car. If you're not careful you'll end up owning a regrettable lemon that becomes a money-pit, and in the case of tattoos, the regret could end up lasting a lifetime!
Brining up my first, and most important point, which is safety. Remember, you heard it here, SAFETY FIRST! As I always told my son, "the very 1st thing you do when you walk into a Body Art establishment, or convention, is checkout their Autoclave Log!" Meaning, get an understanding of their health and safety standards before preceding any further. A tattoo can always be removed, but certain diseases cannot. Health and safety is a personal responsibility!!
After reviewing the health standards of a tattoo shop (much like making sure to go to a reputable car dealer) it's on to looking through the different artist's portfolios (car manufacturers) to determine who's got the "style" you're looking for. Of course, this is assuming that you've already taken the time to know what you want as a tattoo (car type/function) before even coming in. If you haven't, then plan on a long day at the dealership (tattoo studio). Next comes the wonderful part of pricing. Obviously everyone wants as much as possible, for as little as possible, but much like buying a car, few people choose think about the long-term ramifications of such a large investment and are typically blinded by the flash (low price gimmicks). The old adage of, "you get what you pay for", comes to mind right now.
Truly, how many people actually factor in the loan interest rates and maintenance costs of buying a particular vehicle, or even look to see what the long-term reliability rating of a particular manufacture (artist) is, and most importantly, think about what their future needs/wants may be, before making the purchase (getting the tattoo)? As few of us who are out there that do such a thing before buying a car, the number is surprisingly even drastically lower for those who put as much thought into permanently modifying their body.
Given the turbulent economic times, when every penny counts, for every single person, it amazes me how many people are still willing to save a few upfront dollars on a purchase that they either; know they won't be 100% happy with, or have no idea what the future reliability of the car (finished tattoo) will be, and are accepting to the fact that more money will probably have to be put into it at a later date to save on the cost now. To me, a very odd scenario to watch unfold, but to each their own. I'd just rather pay $100 once and be satisfied, rather than pay $20 ten times and still not be happy. Again though, that's just me….
- Jeff Kearney
Staff Writer
