tattoos

13

Replies

  • beckieboomoo
    beckieboomoo Posts: 590 Member
    My tattoist charges £40 an hour and his awesome! Nearly got half a sleeve just needs abit more detail in one i just had done and need some design in the inside of my arm, when its finished it will of cost me like £300 all together :-)
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    don't forget, not everyone on this site is american. tipping isn't expected in other countries and most tattoo artists i know set their own rates working more like contractors than employees.

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I was just going to ask if "why tip" guy was from outside the US.

    It's customary in the US. Other places, not so much. If you are unsure based on where you are.......ASK!
  • greenmonstergirl
    greenmonstergirl Posts: 619 Member
    For everything I have it cost me $1000 including tip (see pics) upper back and right arm.
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
    About $100 an hour.
  • AZ_Gato
    AZ_Gato Posts: 1,270 Member
    don't forget, not everyone on this site is american. tipping isn't expected in other countries and most tattoo artists i know set their own rates working more like contractors than employees.

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I was just going to ask if "why tip" guy was from outside the US.

    It's customary in the US. Other places, not so much. If you are unsure based on where you are.......ASK!

    Seriously, speaking as an American and having been overseas. My customs don't change according to what soil I happen to step foot on. If I am grateful for a level of service being given, I'm going to tip. (That being said, I'm not going to be the obnoxious loud inconsiderate American causing a raucous somewhere.)

    I understand the answers being given are directed towards this specific thread, but now I'm being very general.

    End of rant.

    : )
  • Show_Stopper
    Show_Stopper Posts: 656 Member
    If it's a small piece lots of times it will be a set price and most shops have min. However if it's a large piece it's per hour usually $75-$150 per hour and yes tip 15-20%
  • tnq1019
    tnq1019 Posts: 65
    you get what u pay for my backs 12 hrs so far and still not done needs about 4 more and i have put about 800$ into it thus far all of mine are custom and hourly pieces and depends where and who u go too my guys a little pricier but does give me deals and i have been going to him 8 yrs he is the only one i trust with my work and i dont mind paying more because i know what i am getting and you get what you pay for id rather spend the extra buck then not and be stuck with **** i have to redo anyways and tipping is important its all about courtesy
  • alexanderdgray
    alexanderdgray Posts: 8
    On tipping... why don't tattoo artists just ask for what they expect to be paid? Why all this song and dance about people being "cheap"?
  • Marcia661
    Marcia661 Posts: 183 Member
    Hi there :)

    Here in Ontario most tattoers charge $120 -$150 an hour and when I was in last week getting a new back piece I'm pretty sure I heard the minimum charge was $50.00. I would assume that was for something small.
    I t has also been my experience that with every piece that I've had done, the artist will normally knock a bit off at the end. (eg: I was there 6 hours and paid for 4)

    Hope that helps.
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
    About $100 an hour.

    Seems to be the standard for most places I've been to.
  • helloheatherbray
    helloheatherbray Posts: 12 Member
    You tip hairdressers don't you...tattoo artists are similar. The tattoo artist doesn't own the shop they're working out of...most of the time. They have to pay a percentage of their tattoo shop to the shop for their overhead/supplies...etc.
  • Celestialfairie
    Celestialfairie Posts: 134
    It really does depend on where you go.

    My tat artist doesn't go by hour. He's probably had days worth of work, time wise, in my big dragon on my side/thigh and it only came out to $420 before tip. And it's amazing. But if I were to get that anyplace local to where I am now? It'd be over a grand, easily.

    But I agree with other posters. Go for quality over price if you can. And if you're in the Ohio area I can suggest an excellent person. :)
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    virgin pure is cool.
  • KevinLamb77
    KevinLamb77 Posts: 87
    It depends on where you go. Price does not always reflect talent either. If you live somewhere where rent is lower, then the price is usually lower. There are plenty of very very talented tattoo artists who don't overcharge for their time. My guy charges $50.00 minimum, and I'm about to start my sleeve for $200 per session. We're in a smaller town, but he's very talented. I have a friend that goes to dallas and pays $150.00 an hour, and I don't think the quality is any better.
  • DanceFittDiva
    DanceFittDiva Posts: 83 Member
    I haven't read everyone's responses, but you definitely get what you pay for. I have 3 of them. My first one was only $80. It's not very small and I was a college student so at the time, cheap was good. Now, 10 yrs later, cheap ended up being not so good. The lines are blurry, the tattoo is faded, and some of the colors have not stayed. I will probably end up spending more money to get it touched up when I should have just spent more money in the beginning. My 2nd one was done 1 year ago. The person that did it was a wonderful artist who had won awards. The lines are all crisp, there is a ton of detail, and the color is amazing. It cost me about $180 and is a little bigger than my hand. My 3rd one is just a 3 line quote... no color (only B&W), nothing too fancy about it, and it cost me $80... funny that it cost the same thing as my first tattoo that was supposed to have so much detail. Hope this helps. I still don't know how to post pics, if I did, I would.
  • DeeVanderbles
    DeeVanderbles Posts: 589 Member
    I didn't read all of the posts so sorry of this is repetitive. It depends on where you go. Many tattoo shops have a $50 minimum. I paid that (each) for my two wrist tattoos. My ankles are a bit bigger, 2x2ish, and cost $75 each. It also depends on tattoo placement. I was charged a little more for getting one done on the top of my foot than it would have cost somewhere else, simply because it's a very sensitive area and a lot of people can't handle it.
  • kimberly728
    kimberly728 Posts: 124
    I've heard that tattooing is expensive - anyone know approximately how much for a fairly small calf tattoo? and how much did you pay for the large ones (out of curiosity)

    depends where you are, who you go to, etc...

    in my area prices range from $100-250 per hour!
    currently im working on my back (my complete back- shoulder to shoulder, down to my hips) luckily i have a friend who happens to be a pretty amazing tattoo artist, and i get the good friend discount. lol
  • DanceFittDiva
    DanceFittDiva Posts: 83 Member
    And I forgot to add, I live in NC and the city I'm in doesn't charge by the hour for the most part. They charge based upon what you're getting, where, how large, how much color, and how much detail.
  • Pixi_Rex
    Pixi_Rex Posts: 1,676 Member
    Most prices are shop specific - and you do get what you pay for.

    I think my smallest cost me $100 its like 2x3 or something like that nothing huge...

    my biggest cost $1880 I think.. I don't remember I never keep track of the price.

    My brothers back - one side from shoulder to tail bone cost $3500 - but that was quite a few years ago and the shop prices were a little less at that time..

    The shop I go to has a min charge of $100... its $150/hr up to 3 hours and anything over 3 hours is $130/hr. And totally worth those prices.
  • irishladyo
    irishladyo Posts: 46 Member
    Hey so tattoos aren't cheap, period. But are well worth the money if you ask me and other tatooed peeps. I would say no matter where you are (in the U.S.) $100/hr is about what you'd pay for most artists. Remeber its there forever and you don't want to go cheap. This is one time where the price really does match the quality. I have a lot of tats, probably have $4,000 worth of work on me. Sometimes I paid top prices and other times I got a great deal. The more you go to the same guy the more likely you are to get a better deal. MAKE SURE to TIP. I don't look at in percentages. My tip is usually a standard $20. I'm broke and getting tatted takes a lot of saving for me but then my guy knows this...

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