# I want a tattoo.. but how much is it going to cost me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 26, 2002, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698 "2002-08-26T23:28:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/1 "2002-08-26T23:28:59Z")
I’m too damn lazy to call up some tattoo parlors here in town, and I’m too used to getting all of my info on the net. I’m going to be completely screwed if my computer ever dies. 🙂 Anyway, I want a tattoo. I want a celtic knot, nothing too complex, wrapped around my bicep. I may try to make my own design, if I can manage it. Can any o’ya’ll estimate the price for me? Ballpark’ll be fine. Also- um… how much pain am I looking forward to? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/2 "2002-08-26T23:36:33Z")
Depends on where you go. Maybe $100+. It hurts. But not so much that you cry. And you’ll be sore for a bit afterwards. But let me say this: Don’t skimp. Go to a good reputable place. This is not an area where you want to cut corners. ---
**Author:** ![Jessity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jessity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jessity)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/3 "2002-08-26T23:37:40Z")
It really depends on how big the design you’re wanting is, and everybody has a different price. When I got my tattoo, I looked at one in particular that I really liked, and wanted to go around my ankle – $140 for that one, and I’d guess that your bicep is bigger around than my ankle. As far as the pain goes, to me it feels like a minor scraping against my skin. My tattoo is on my lower right leg, though, which isn’t going to be as tender as your arm, especially the skin on the under side of your bicep. I’ve heard people say that the arm band was quite painful, and some say that it didn’t hurt at all. I suppose that will depend on your pain tolerance. Your best bet is to actually _go_ to some of your local parlors and have a look, ask the artists about how they charge, they’ll be happy to talk with you about it. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/4 "2002-08-27T00:13:22Z")
Celtic will generally cost you more: it is complicated linework and takes a lot of concentration. It will take a fair amount of time. You will need to get an appointment. It may even feel different (hurt more?) than a simple outline + fill-in. IMHO, if you want cheap Celtic, you may regret it. I had the King Crimson “Discipline” Celtic Knot done in the middle of my back. It’s a round design, about 3-1/2 to 4 inches diameter. Very complicated knot, all filled in/shaded. $250. About an hour’s time to do it. I love it. I understand that an arm band will be difficult because everything has to meet. The skin on your arm is thinner than on your back, so it will probably hurt more on your arm. When I asked for this tatoo the first time, the artist was unwilling to do Celtic that day: I’m really fried, just finished a big piece, I can’t do it today. Good Luck ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/5 "2002-08-27T00:45:15Z")
Why would the arm band be difficult because it has to meet? Don’t artists - at least when they’re doing something like that, that would look really bad if it was lopsided - draw guidelines on your skin with a pen first? Mine did, and asked me to OK the size and alignment of the design before he started tattooing. Also, I’m told that the pain is related to what is under the skin being tatooed - that skin that is over bone hurts a lot more than skin over a muscular or fatty area. I can’t say for sure because mine are only on muscular areas. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/6 "2002-08-27T02:11:39Z")
I got a very large and incredibly complex Celtic knotwork/animal design on my bicep for $500. Most likely, whatever you want will be less than that. When I got mine, the people at the tattoo parlor were rather impressed with someone willing to get a five hour job as a first tattoo. I had pics posted, but Geocities seems to have dumped them. Bastards. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/7 "2002-08-27T02:38:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalashnikov \* > **Why would the arm band be difficult because it has to meet? Don’t artists - at least when they’re doing something like that, that would look really bad if it was lopsided - draw guidelines on your skin with a pen first? Mine did, and asked me to OK the size and alignment of the design before he started tattooing.** WAG: The difficulty is adjusting a preexisting and _ **complicated** _ design to the size of whomever. The Celtic stuff would most likely be applied with a transfer, not drawn on with a pen. So you’re adjusting a preexisting transfer and getting potentially many lines to meet perfectly. It’s all about proportions. > [@](#): > > \*\*Also, I’m told that the pain is related to what is under the skin being tatooed - that skin that is over bone hurts a lot more than skin over a muscular or fatty area. I can’t say for sure because mine are only on muscular areas. \*\* True, but not the only criteria. Things like how richly supplied with nerve endings the skin is make a big difference. The thickness of the skin makes a huge difference. I have tatoos on my chest. They hurt. The ones on my back hurt less. Also, whether it’s single line line work vs fill-in feels different. The Celtic knot I got was a lot of drawing with I believe a single-point needle. The fill-in is generally done with three-, five-, or seven-point needle, and it seems to hurt less. ---
**Author:** ![NotWithoutRage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NotWithoutRage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotWithoutRage)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/8 "2002-08-27T02:51:34Z")
One of my tats was free (done by a friend) but the other one, a GREAT lookng crescent moon, cost me 50 bucks, in NYC this past April. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/9 "2002-08-27T03:00:49Z")
A friend of mine just got a rather large and detailed tattoo done. The artist is world famous (some dude from London, Ontario, this is just what my friend says and I really don’t know) and charges 100/hr. He went in for 3 sessions of 3 hours and a 4th session for 2 hours to outline it. Along with the 1100, apparently a tip is expected and my friend gave 200 bucks. I’ll do my best to explain the size to help you a little more with what 11 hours get’s you. The tattoo basically goes from his elbow to up and covering his shoulder and covers the entire shoulder along and the entire front of his arm (7 inches wide and about 12 inches long). The tattoo is very detailed and there was plenty of shading involved. I hope this helps, I don’t have a tattoo myself, so this was the best I could do. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/10 "2002-08-27T03:13:42Z")
Two words: **SHOP AROUND** Some artists favor fine work, some broad. Going Celtic, broad linework is a given (unless you want intricate spirals, etc). Look at their portfolios. Ask what they specialize in. Go to [Tattoos.com](http://www.tattoos.com). You can browse through the Yellow Pages / links to artists in your area. But again, I cannot stress SHOP AROUND enough. You will more than likely have this art for life. Don’t skimp and don’t go to the first place you walk into. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/11 "2002-08-27T03:15:13Z")
good evening friends, i just had my first tattoo done a couple of months ago. i have the chinese characters for peace on my right shoulder. two characters, one above the other, each about 1" square. $40.00 it was pretty painless. i expected more discomfort. i would expect that the underside of the arm would be more sensitive though. ---
**Author:** ![jonpluc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/fbc32d/32.png) [@jonpluc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonpluc)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/12 "2002-08-27T04:51:47Z")
“I want a tatoo… but how much is it going to cost me?” maybe a job or two…maybe a few decades of regret… IMHO ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/13 "2002-08-27T04:59:40Z")
Erm… he’s talking a chain around his bicep, not a face tat. Why would a tat cause a person his/her job? Miss(Tattooed and Professional)Take ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/14 "2002-08-27T05:46:02Z")
Heck, I’ve met a few people who have tattooes on their necks and/or fingers, and they have jobs. I can’t think of any job that would care about a tattoo that isn’t visible wearing appropriate clothing for that job. I guess there’s some anal retentive companies out there, but it would really surprise me if a bicep tattoo cost someone a job. ---
**Author:** ![angelicate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@angelicate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/angelicate)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/15 "2002-08-27T07:11:07Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Kalashnikov:_ > …that skin that is over bone hurts a lot more than skin over a muscular or fatty area. I have a tattoo on my upper arm that covers it about halfway around, the middle section didn’t hurt, but the closer it got to my inner arm, the more I was digging my fingernails into my palm to keep my mind off of the pain. I also have tattoos behind my ears, on a very bony part with no fat or muscle, and those didn’t hurt at all, except for a minor scraping/cutting sensation. I’d expect to pay $200 (at least) or more. [tattoos.com](http://tattoos.com) was mentioned, and [bmezine.com](http://bmezine.com) is also good. You can search through reviews of shops written by people that had work done there. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/16 "2002-08-27T11:33:39Z")
The cost of a tattoo will range, even in the same shop. I’ve got two, one on each upper arm, both from the same shop but different artists. My first is all black, mostly outline and some fill and about 3 inches and it’s a circle. I got it 5 years ago or so and it cost me $175. My second one is full color, very detailed, and is about 5.5"x3". I got this almost a year ago and it cost me $200. I don’t know why the price was pretty much the same but as you can see it can cost any amount of money they want to charge. As for the tip I don’t know. My ex got her tat from the guy who did my second tat and she tipped him. When I went to get mine a few months later I was ready to tip him and he said don’t. I couldn’t figure it out either. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/17 "2002-08-27T11:44:05Z")
The bicep shouldn’t hurt much, theres a good amount of meat there. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/18 "2002-08-27T12:56:50Z")
Thanks for the advice, all. I’m going to start calling around to see what prices I can find locally- it’s a good thing that was suggested, for some reason it hadn’t occurred to me. I’m not really worried about losing a potential job as a result of this; it’s on my bicep and therefore pretty easy to cover up, but also, I work in the computer game industry- compared to a lot of my coworkers, I’m downright BORING. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/19 "2002-08-27T14:00:06Z")
Not on the phone, **Lightenin’** –ya gotta go see their work. Bring your design, get an estimate. Also, don’t say “OK, I like the price, when can I get it done”, because if you then go into the parlor/shop and find out the artist is not what you are looking for, you end up pissing him/her off and you’ve wasted time. **GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND GO LOOK. DON’T JUST CALL.** ps: Once you get your first, you’ll want more. Trust me. Miss(Three done, four to go)Take ---
**Author:** ![MrO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@MrO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrO)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698/20 "2002-08-27T14:06:42Z")
[These](http://www.geocities.com/itomasello/dopetats/mro.html) tattoos haven’t cost me any jobs (I teach English in a university) or a moment of regret. One difference between tattooed people and non-tattooed people is that tattooed people don’t feel threatened by non-tattooed people. I agree with **MissTake** : go to the shops, meet the artists, see their work, find someone whose work you like and who makes you feel comfortable. Don’t let price make the decision for you–the difference in cost will soon be forgotten, but a crappy tattoo will not. Thanks, by the way, to **Hamadryad** for posting the pics! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-a-tattoo-but-how-much-is-it-going-to-cost-me/125698.md?page=2)