pricing differences

i went to two different tattoo places today to get pricing on tattoos for me and my wife. For the tattot that i wanted, i got a quote at the first place (ocean mystique) for $360. I took the same tattoo over to ancient art and got a quote for $240. WTF!!!!! can anybody give me a reason why there are quotes so far apart? I plan on getting many more tats, and don't like getting hosed. If anyone has any tattoo places in the 7 cities who are reasonable AND competent, please let me know. Thanks for any help.

Your question shows a wrong mindset. The correct order for getting a great tattoo is the following: 1) Look for a pro artist in your area whos work you love... 2)compare artists based upon work, cleanliness, not upon price. 3) Talk with the artist you choose about what you want and get a price quote. 4) save up your money, make your appointment, Get 'er done! 5) Tip big and walk out with a smile! The only variation on this might be with step#1. If you find no local artist who impresses you or know of a specific artist that you want work done by then by all means travel. The short answer to your question is different artists charge different prices for the "same" tattoo because they are not selling 25 cent gumballs, and, ultimately, because they can.

oh yeah, i also got a tattoo 11 years ago, and payed like 50 bucks. its the same size as what i want to get now, but is $300 cheaper. DAMN!

On second thought, go with the cheapest price...(slaps forehead with palm of hand).

JESUS!!!

Sounds to me that they both charge about $120 an hour and one guy might blaze through it in 2 hours and the other might take his time with it and do it in 3 hours, or they could just work at different rates of speed. Either way, don't price shop tattoos. Thats for Buicks and DVD players. You're paying for quality here, which isnt' identical from artist to artist, so put your miser pride aside for a second, replace it with good old fashioned common sense and go to the artist that can do the job best, not cheapest. :)

It comes down to what go s into the work.I can do a skull for instense, it will have an outline and maybe one tone of shadow in it probably like the one you have already.Say that is 150$ that same tattoo can be the same size and everything. But with a hole spectrum of shadows and a texure that shows this skull to no longer look like a tattoo but now a painting almost like a real picture there both the same size and basic design but now depending on the artist and what they are capible off is what they pictured in there head when they priced it,You sound to me like you dont no the difference so just get the cheap one.An artist with no talent will invission a weak image that lacks time so thats the cheap one.Another invissions a stronger more detailed version of what you have and then you have the higher end.Then you go back to what the other guy was saying your own personal oppinion of both of there work.But thats why prices are different .Good luck

O i forgot to tell you i purchased a home 10 years ago for 89 thousand dollars and i went to buy one the same size and its 300 thousand now. DAMN>>>>

Yea how come some whores charge $20 to service me and others charge $1000 ......... i hate getting hosed.

ouch...that was an unfortunate analogy...

Oh, did I forget to mention that 10 years ago I bought the same gasoline for 96 cents and today they wanted $2.67!

Damn_ $2.67 is cheap!!! Here, I'm paying $2.89 if I'm lucky!

Ha, what about 2.98-3.09+, bastards :P i never understood how it costs different in different areas of the country...same gas right? same oil? ah, but that's a different convo for a diff post

-whimper- We're at 3.19 up here in New York folks

dang, 4 hours makes a 10c jump! cuz i'm in Baltimore