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Charge! 05/22/2010
7 Comments
 
Picture
Good point, Jerry.  But what do you think is reasonable to charge for a tattoo?
It's been a philosophy of mine (and Beth's) for a long time to make art accessible and affordable.  We don't think it's right to charge a huge amount just because you can, so we don't do it. 

Then again, when I tattoo someone, I put my all into it.  I've usually spent hours working on drawings, preparing things and setting up the studio.  I will often take hours to tattoo a piece onto somebody.  And when I'm done, they will walk away with something that they keep for the rest of their life. 

I was looking at Scott Campbell's website the other day.  No doubt he is a great artist.  But is he really worth the $300 an hour that he charges?  To be honest, I don't think he is.  What frustrates me, is that a lot of people go to him, and pay his huge fees, just because of his name.  Many of them are getting tattoos that most artists could accomplish just as well. 

The other end of the scale, and this is something that I was discussing with Jen the other day, is that you can price yourself too low, and put people off that way.  Many people expect to pay more than bargain basement prices, otherwise they suspect that the service or product you are offering is sub-standard.  Not only that, but in our experiences, it often leads to people assuming that they can take you for a ride.

I don't, by any means, want to price people out of the market, but at the same time, I want people to value the work that I'm doing for them.

Any thoughts on this?  Good/bad experiences?
 


Comments

Justin H
05/22/2010 16:12

I agree mark, this just proves my theory that people will buy anything that has a big price tag on it.

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Mike
05/22/2010 22:12

I agree! I found myself in a similar situation a few years ago when I was doing some Chemistry tutoring at McMaster. My plan initially was be to offer sessions at free or "near free" prices... since I really enjoyed the teaching and figured it would be a good way to get some experience.

I soon realized that by charging a reasonable fee ($20 per hour, whereas the going rate was about $30) people not only felt that they were getting more out of each session, they also tended to show up more prepared. After all, if a single session was going to cost a decent chunk of money, people were more inclined to make the most of their time. Students would come ready with a list of questions, or a specific topic they wanted to go over, rather than taking a passive approach (i.e., "I'm here. Teach me.")

I don't think you're a scrooge at all if you charge a fair rate for good work. As much as it's nice to do stuff pro bono... people seem to either take advantage of your good will... or not take you seriously at all.

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Jonathan Puddle link
05/23/2010 04:03

You gave me my tattoo for free, and I fully intent to take advantage of your goodwill in the future. And I've never taken you seriously.

So... there you have it. You've effectively lost one customer.

Reply
Wavy Davy
05/23/2010 04:39

Maybe it's the nature of the product? If I buy a thing, usually that thing can be sold/given/thrown away when i no longer need/want it. Not so with a tattoo - like a puppy, it's for life :)

Personally, if I was getting a tattoo (fantasy land - Esther has veto'd), I would want to pay a solid amount for it, for quality. JMO.

Reply
So-So
05/25/2010 12:08

Exactly Wavy! A tattoo is for life, no laser can help you after paying "dollar store price tag" to an unprofessional.

Reply
Mark link
05/25/2010 13:50

Let's be clear about something here though:
The price tag does not guarantee the work. I know people that have paid a lot for what turns out to be low quality work.

I'm not even necessarily saying that artists like Scott Campbell aren't worth the huge price tag, I'm just saying that a lot of people go to artists like him (and especially to Miami Ink etc) and pay through the nose for designs that they don't need an artist of that calibre to do. Make sense?

Reply
Bethany link
05/26/2010 19:24

Yeah, I have a couple friends with shabby work from when we were in our last year of high school, and I cannot believe how much they paid!!! And right here in Toronto! Granted, they were first-time tattoos, but it is as if they were taken advantage of (maybe too intimidated to say anything?).

I like the fact that tattoos usually cost a pretty penny, because it gives someone like me time to refine my idea/concept/image while saving the money to get it. Also, now that I have seen first-hand how LONG AND HARD you work on each custom design and piece, Mark, I know that the artist as well as the art is worth it (also, your tats heal exceptionally well).

I like your philosophy on great, accessible artwork, too. But there we go again, breaking the mold... ;)


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