I will only
discuss this in terms of US currency as, I don't know customs and exchange
rates overseas.
Most tattooists
charge on a piece-by-piece basis, usually ending up at about $100-$175 an
hour. Lesser pricing meaning your tattooist is broke, or unskilled, likes
you a lot, or is horny. Higher pricing because the artist is world class
or may think he/she is. Sometimes mediocre shops charge big money because
they are the only game in town. I worked for one. A kanji cost 100 bucks!
But still be wary of anyone giving away tattoos.
We would like it to be
a perfect world where artists charge based on their skill, but it is not,
so choose your artist wisely, be careful too look at lots of photos of
completed work. It is said that it does not matter how high the price was
if you got the perfect tattoo. If you get a great deal on a crummy tattoo,
you have still been ripped off.
Most shops have a
minimum charge, which in the urban areas of the US tends to be about $50.
In areas where the cost of living is lower, the minimum may be as low as
$35. You do not want a $15 dollar tattoo. This means the artist is either
unskilled, desperate for the money, or wants to get in your pants. The
minimum may be higher if you are placing the tattoo on the torso, or other
areas of the body that are harder to get to, or apply the tattoo on. A
fact of life is, that if you are having a tattoo put on stretch-marked
skin, or your butt, or your armpit, that $50 tattoo your friend got cost
you $60 because your skin will be harder to tattoo, and at an hourly rate,
may take longer.
The price of your
tattoo may also rise in accordance with your attitude. If you are rude,
drunk, or otherwise hard to deal with you may get treatment that we
artists call "priced out of the door" so be courteous, and do
not make unreasonable demands on your artist. If your artist is obnoxious,
don't bother arguing, find another one.
Many custom
tattooists charge hourly, on timed basis. The general pricing of custom
work is $125 an hour, if your tattooist is especially slow, he should be
charging less. If you are visiting a well-published, world class artist
that is very high in demand, you may pay as much as $275 an hour. But
check this out, as I have seen artists that were not world-class, claiming
they are, so check your artist out and see if they are as good as they say
they are.
In some shops, haggling
is acceptable, but most artists do quote the price they want for a tattoo,
and generally that is a fair price. Do not try to talk your artist down
too far or he/she may be offended. If he quotes $120 and you only have
$105 in your pocket, most tattooists, being people's people, will
accommodate you. But don't pull a wad of hundreds out of you pocket when
you pay them. If you plan to haggle leave your Rolex at home, and take the
bus, this is a sure sign of a bullshit artist.
If you think your
tattooist is charging an outrageous price, look at the quality of their
work, then shop around and judge strictly on a quality/price basis. If
he's the best around, he's worth whatever he's asking. I cover up tons of
tattoos that were done at a super low price, so remember that a really
cheap tattoo may be an expensive nightmare in disguise.
