Dan S

We don't really concern ourselves with the opinions of plainskins here. Get however many tattoos you want to get.

My skin-flint cheap mofo brother in law is like that... how much did that cost you... He always seems to know someone that will work for $75 an hour. I asked him is that why all his tattoos look like shit.
Rob

@Dan S, man, you gotta write a book! I'd read it.

Going through all of this, I can certainly understand tattooers getting tired of having people ax the same lame questions every day. Maybe someting to think about would be an addition to the boards, something like "The Lotion Board", "The There's a Tattoo on my Pimple" board, the "Why is my Tattoo Healing/Not Healing/Turning Green" board, like that, to address the commonest questions and get them out of the way.

So, many, many moons ago, I got an all-expense paid vacation at an all-inclusive luxury resort at 26th & California in Chicago. Locals will know what I mean. While I was there, I hear from my boys on the street about a guy slingin out of a motel near a local truckstop. He's doing pretty much whatever you want for the price of a quarter-bag. Hey-it was the seventies. Anyhow.
New vacationer comes in, he's got this big, funky green dragon tattooed on his arm.
"Where'd'ja get it?"
"At a party at a motel onna Sout Side"
"How much"
"Twennyfi bux."
"BUT IT ITCHES!!!"
Man, that thing was still oozing from a hole in the center about six months later when I had to leave! Turns out I stayed friends with the guy, and that damn tattoo didn't heal for almost a year. Don't know what kind of infection it had, but it would skin-over, then break open and start oozing again. Nasty.
Oh, and someone stomped the scratcher and busted up his shit after he put some shabby work on a chick. Sout Side, baby.
R.I.P. Gip MPGL

So, many, many moons ago, I got an all-expense paid vacation at an all-inclusive luxury resort at 26th & California in Chicago. Locals will know what I mean. While I was there, I hear from my boys on the street about a guy slingin out of a motel near a local truckstop. He's doing pretty much whatever you want for the price of a quarter-bag. Hey-it was the seventies. Anyhow.
New vacationer comes in, he's got this big, funky green dragon tattooed on his arm.
"Where'd'ja get it?"
"At a party at a motel onna Sout Side"
"How much"
"Twennyfi bux."
"BUT IT ITCHES!!!"
Man, that thing was still oozing from a hole in the center about six months later when I had to leave! Turns out I stayed friends with the guy, and that damn tattoo didn't heal for almost a year. Don't know what kind of infection it had, but it would skin-over, then break open and start oozing again. Nasty.
Oh, and someone stomped the scratcher and busted up his shit after he put some shabby work on a chick. Sout Side, baby.
R.I.P. Gip MPGL

So, many, many moons ago, I got an all-expense paid vacation at an all-inclusive luxury resort at 26th & California in Chicago. Locals will know what I mean. While I was there, I hear from my boys on the street about a guy slingin out of a motel near a local truckstop. He's doing pretty much whatever you want for the price of a quarter-bag. Hey-it was the seventies. Anyhow.
New vacationer comes in, he's got this big, funky green dragon tattooed on his arm.
"Where'd'ja get it?"
"At a party at a motel onna Sout Side"
"How much"
"Twennyfi bux."
"BUT IT ITCHES!!!"
Man, that thing was still oozing from a hole in the center about six months later when I had to leave! Turns out I stayed friends with the guy, and that damn tattoo didn't heal for almost a year. Don't know what kind of infection it had, but it would skin-over, then break open and start oozing again. Nasty.
Oh, and someone stomped the scratcher and busted up his shit after he put some shabby work on a chick. Sout Side, baby.
R.I.P. Gip MPGL

So, many, many moons ago, I got an all-expense paid vacation at an all-inclusive luxury resort at 26th & California in Chicago. Locals will know what I mean. While I was there, I hear from my boys on the street about a guy slingin out of a motel near a local truckstop. He's doing pretty much whatever you want for the price of a quarter-bag. Hey-it was the seventies. Anyhow.
New vacationer comes in, he's got this big, funky green dragon tattooed on his arm.
"Where'd'ja get it?"
"At a party at a motel onna Sout Side"
"How much"
"Twennyfi bux."
"BUT IT ITCHES!!!"
Man, that thing was still oozing from a hole in the center about six months later when I had to leave! Turns out I stayed friends with the guy, and that damn tattoo didn't heal for almost a year. Don't know what kind of infection it had, but it would skin-over, then break open and start oozing again. Nasty.
Oh, and someone stomped the scratcher and busted up his shit after he put some shabby work on a chick. Sout Side, baby.
R.I.P. Gip MPGL

So, many, many moons ago, I got an all-expense paid vacation at an all-inclusive luxury resort at 26th & California in Chicago. Locals will know what I mean. While I was there, I hear from my boys on the street about a guy slingin out of a motel near a local truckstop. He's doing pretty much whatever you want for the price of a quarter-bag. Hey-it was the seventies. Anyhow.
New vacationer comes in, he's got this big, funky green dragon tattooed on his arm.
"Where'd'ja get it?"
"At a party at a motel onna Sout Side"
"How much"
"Twennyfi bux."
"BUT IT ITCHES!!!"
Man, that thing was still oozing from a hole in the center about six months later when I had to leave! Turns out I stayed friends with the guy, and that damn tattoo didn't heal for almost a year. Don't know what kind of infection it had, but it would skin-over, then break open and start oozing again. Nasty.
Oh, and someone stomped the scratcher and busted up his shit after he put some shabby work on a chick. Sout Side, baby.
R.I.P. Gip MPGL

So, many, many moons ago, I got an all-expense paid vacation at an all-inclusive luxury resort at 26th & California in Chicago. Locals will know what I mean. While I was there, I hear from my boys on the street about a guy slingin out of a motel near a local truckstop. He's doing pretty much whatever you want for the price of a quarter-bag. Hey-it was the seventies. Anyhow.
New vacationer comes in, he's got this big, funky green dragon tattooed on his arm.
"Where'd'ja get it?"
"At a party at a motel onna Sout Side"
"How much"
"Twennyfi bux."
"BUT IT ITCHES!!!"
Man, that thing was still oozing from a hole in the center about six months later when I had to leave! Turns out I stayed friends with the guy, and that damn tattoo didn't heal for almost a year. Don't know what kind of infection it had, but it would skin-over, then break open and start oozing again. Nasty.
Oh, and someone stomped the scratcher and busted up his shit after he put some shabby work on a chick. Sout Side, baby.
R.I.P. Gip MPGL

So, many, many moons ago, I got an all-expense paid vacation at an all-inclusive luxury resort at 26th & California in Chicago. Locals will know what I mean. While I was there, I hear from my boys on the street about a guy slingin out of a motel near a local truckstop. He's doing pretty much whatever you want for the price of a quarter-bag. Hey-it was the seventies. Anyhow.
New vacationer comes in, he's got this big, funky green dragon tattooed on his arm.
"Where'd'ja get it?"
"At a party at a motel onna Sout Side"
"How much"
"Twennyfi bux."
"BUT IT ITCHES!!!"
Man, that thing was still oozing from a hole in the center about six months later when I had to leave! Turns out I stayed friends with the guy, and that damn tattoo didn't heal for almost a year. Don't know what kind of infection it had, but it would skin-over, then break open and start oozing again. Nasty.
Oh, and someone stomped the scratcher and busted up his shit after he put some shabby work on a chick. Sout Side, baby.
R.I.P. Gip MPGL

Blogs would work, but you really have to look for them. Don't know how many people do.
You could always set a certain board, say the "Professonal Tattoers Advice to the Tattoo-Lorn", as a read-only board for all but members of a certain group, like "Professional Tattooer". Not a problem at all. Then anyone could read the board, submit questions via PM, and it wouldn't get clogged with all kinds of "what type of lotion should I use for my zit-on-a-stick?".

So, many, many moons ago, I got an all-expense paid vacation at an all-inclusive luxury resort at 26th & California in Chicago. Locals will know what I mean. While I was there, I hear from my boys on the street about a guy slingin out of a motel near a local truckstop. He's doing pretty much whatever you want for the price of a quarter-bag. Hey-it was the seventies. Anyhow.
New vacationer comes in, he's got this big, funky green dragon tattooed on his arm.
"Where'd'ja get it?"
"At a party at a motel onna Sout Side"
"How much"
"Twennyfi bux."
"BUT IT ITCHES!!!"
Man, that thing was still oozing from a hole in the center about six months later when I had to leave! Turns out I stayed friends with the guy, and that damn tattoo didn't heal for almost a year. Don't know what kind of infection it had, but it would skin-over, then break open and start oozing again. Nasty.
Oh, and someone stomped the scratcher and busted up his shit after he put some shabby work on a chick. Sout Side, baby.
R.I.P. Gip MPGL

So, many, many moons ago, I got an all-expense paid vacation at an all-inclusive luxury resort at 26th & California in Chicago. Locals will know what I mean. While I was there, I hear from my boys on the street about a guy slingin out of a motel near a local truckstop. He's doing pretty much whatever you want for the price of a quarter-bag. Hey-it was the seventies. Anyhow.
New vacationer comes in, he's got this big, funky green dragon tattooed on his arm.
"Where'd'ja get it?"
"At a party at a motel onna Sout Side"
"How much"
"Twennyfi bux."
"BUT IT ITCHES!!!"
Man, that thing was still oozing from a hole in the center about six months later when I had to leave! Turns out I stayed friends with the guy, and that damn tattoo didn't heal for almost a year. Don't know what kind of infection it had, but it would skin-over, then break open and start oozing again. Nasty.
Oh, and someone stomped the scratcher and busted up his shit after he put some shabby work on a chick. Sout Side, baby.
R.I.P. Gip MPGL

I don't fault anyone for taking cards either man, especially if it works better for them. There are so many different variables with tattooing. Some guys tattoo out of a shack and save every penny they can on overhead, while other people need a 2000 sq ft $3000 a month space in a high traffic neighborhood, spending money on advertising and most are somewhere in between, and the only right answer is the one who works for the shop.

Blogs would work, but you really have to look for them. Don't know how many people do.
You could always set a certain board, say the "Professonal Tattoers Advice to the Tattoo-Lorn", as a read-only board for all but members of a certain group, like "Professional Tattooer". Not a problem at all. Then anyone could read the board, submit questions via PM, and it wouldn't get clogged with all kinds of "what type of lotion should I use for my zit-on-a-stick?".

Pretty simple. Talk to your tattooer, ask them how long they figure each session to be, roughly, and about how much they figure on charging for it. TELL them what your budget per sitting is, and let them adjust accordingly.
No sense making it into a mystical transaction, and no reason why you and the tattooer shouldn't both be on the same page vis-a-vis the coinage.

Kinda like the smiley-face pain-scales in the doc's office...if it's been posted before, mods, please feel free to remove it!

I knew almost nothing about tattoos when I joined LST and now I know a little more. I'm sincerely grateful for the fascinating discussions and deeper insights -- not to mention the abundance of kick-ass tattoo pics the board has provided. But if ALL this forum did was help folks to find out "how to get a good tattoo" -- that's huge in and of itself. I see almost nothing but crappy tattoos out there among the general public. If LST can steer some people away from hacks and scratchers and show 'em that there's more to consider when choosing a tattooer than just the price... Well, that's a valuable community service right there. I figure many of the great artists on here don't have any problem finding new customers. But if regular folks were just a little more educated and knowledgeable about tattoos, it's got to be good for the community as a whole -- and spare the rest of us from looking at eyesores like no-outline blobs and upside-down script. Guy at the hardware store the other day was admiring my work, asked me where I got it (and how much I paid for it) and wanted a recommendation for a good shop in the L.A. area. I asked him what style he was into -- traditional, Japanese, black & gray -- and he looked at me like I was speaking French. I should've just told him to join the board and look around a bit, and now I'm kicking myself that I didn't.

Since I am not a professional tattooer, mods, please feel free to delete this post if inappropriate.
Just my little .02, but if the goal of the site is to educate the public about good tattooing, then I guess the artists are stuck with having the public post.
I can totally understand tattooers wanting to be able to talk to each other without the counter-crowd looking over their shoulder. I think that could be a valid part of the site, and wouldn't be hard to set-up. The software for most bulletin-board types sites provides for limiting access to various boards to members with differing levels of permissions, based on post-count or other criteria. As far as who gets to post there, I would say strictly established, known tattooers. If someone who did not fit that description wanted to post there, they could contact one of the tattooers who post in the restricted area and ask for a reference. Those allowed in this hypothetical area could be identified with a title, or another customization of their member name.
It's really a double-edged sword, eh?! If you want to educate the public, and in turn, get the opportunity to have clients who appreciate your work and are willing to pay for it, in time and treasure, then you are going to have to interact with them to some extent. And clients, if you want to have the opportunity to get work from someone who can do more than scar you for life, then it behooves you to read and learn here, and to avoid hassling the pros with endless bullshit.
And now you can flame away.
If this is a site for the general public, then don't complain when they show up. If it's a site for professional tattooers, then by all means, don't post if that restriction isn't honored.

Nick, looking forward to your new venture, I'd say "good luck", but lucj won't have anything to do with it! I'm sure your new shop will be a success and an inspiration.

I'm pretty happy with Nick's tattooing, so I will stick with him, as long as he doesn't move to frkn Paris or something! I would never rule-out having work done by the other tattooers at CTC, they are all first-rate.

@Kahlan ......find a good shop....go inside and tell them you want to help with the shop in your free time (scrubbing the toilets, taking out the trash....sweeping the floors....etc.) AND tell them you'll do it for free!
Don't even mention you want to tattoo....and definitely that you are doing it at home....even on practice skin!!!
Put away your machines doll....it really is disrespectful to those who have earned the right to tattoo the proper way.
For over 20+ years i had been getting tattooed and never ever thought about picking up a machine to tattoo someone because of the respect I had for my friends who tattooed and just out of respect for the craft. One day i went into a shop while i was on a "tattoo road trip" and a guy told me he'd "trade tattoos" with me! I explained that i did not tattoo and why i was against this! He told me he had learned to tattoo from bob shaw on the pike in california after the vietnam war and had 40 years in the biz and he wanted me to tattoo him. I was really worried what some of my friends would think about me tattooing him but I figured he had earned the right to tell me it was okay to tattoo him....so i did!
You may think it is silly of me to have been scared of what my peers would think....but it's because I respect them.....and they respect me!
I didn't want to loose their respect because that is a very hard thing to gain back!
You can learn the way you are learning.....BUT....to truly have the respect of your peers you should learn the proper way!
And to have the respect of your peers in this craft.....is one of the highest honors there is!
I'm not busting your balls doll......just trying to give you a different perspective on why you should learn the right way!
I personally think you should be offered an apprenticeship....not ask for one!
And why do I suggest you should offer your services to a shop for free and work like a dog for them for free???
Because you will never learn the proper way to tattoo until you earn the trust and respect first....then you learn to tattoo!
It took me 20+ years to be offered an apprenticeship that was the right fit for me!
My answer to the original question in this thread is....yes....there do still need to be apprentices!
But not because you need free help or because the shop is slow and you need the 5-10k you can get for teaching someone!
It's because the craft needs quality people in it that are willing to earn it and one day pass it on!
An apprenticeship is not about learning to tattoo....it is about learning the business as well....at least it used to be!
- - - Updated - - -
i had the pleasure of sitting down with Zeke at the Philly Convention and the world is definitely a much more wonderful place with him in it!!!

I'm pretty happy with Nick's tattooing, so I will stick with him, as long as he doesn't move to frkn Paris or something! I would never rule-out having work done by the other tattooers at CTC, they are all first-rate.

I think the girl been booted in the ass about enough. She said she gets it, so leave us all lighten up a tad.