rarehardtofind

I think the majority of responsibility lies with the artists, I'm not absolving clients who say I want exactly this tattoo, but I suspect most of them think what they are getting is more original than it is. Instagram needs a #shouldhavegonetoshige hashtag.

The third version posted in the OP just looks so muddled and boring, especially compared to the original.
As far as the Sailor Jerry argument goes, I've heard it said (forget where...) that the biggest reason Jerry's flash is so highly regarded is that it survived. Not to belittle his work at all, I do believe he was a real innovator, but there was similar stuff happening at the time (and earlier, see Cap Coleman) and his legacy is largely based on the fact that we still have a lot of his originals to credit.

"If it's on the internet, it's fair game," is such a bullshit cop out imho.
You do pose a tough question though. The art of tattoo has always had copying and repetition. All the classic designs have been done to death and occaissionally been reinvented by the more brilliant and forward thinking artists. But, we're talking standard flash here and not original works of art based on japanese tradition.
To me, the examples sited above equal "unforgivable plagerism". No matter how taken I was with a design of this nature, I could not in good conscience wear it as my own without making significant changes and an artist that would take credit for it is....well.....I'll leave it at that.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Exactly.
There's "is it worth it" and "is it worth it for me".
For me- nah. Not really. Conn's stuff is super clean and I love looking at it, but has never struck me as someone I'd get tattooed by. Even if his rate was $200 instead of $500.
Conversely, if Robert Ryan called me up and said he raised his rates to $500/hr.... I'd just save up and work with that as my budget because getting tattooed by Robert resonates with me and would qualify as 'worth it'.

I've been working in the Kremlin with a 2-headed dog? Sorry, Roky Erickson just teleported into my brain. Dan Higgs is next.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.

Got this one a couple of weeks ago from El Monga @ Aloha Tattoos, Barcelona.
Left shin, right below the knee, which the ears kinda wrap around a bit. The rest was pretty bearable, but those bits hurt like hell.