Don’t Believe the Hype! That was the name of an old song, that still rings true today, in the tattoo and body piercing business. Often times, the public is driven by hype. It is an emotional button that some businesses push to make the consumer respond in the manner they want, i.e. give them your money!

When I started my apprenticeship in 1990, I was taught some “tricks of the trade” on how to con the public. I found them unethical and refused to use them. I seek to earn my living by providing an honest straightforward service. Here are a few examples of “hype."

The Body Chart.
This is where you have to pay more for your tattoo because of its location on the body. You’ll see a poster of a person with different colored body sections and the additional percentage or dollar amount you’ll have to pay to put it there. Example, legs-20% more, back, 16% more, etc. If you ask the reason for the additional charge, you will be told something like, “It’s harder to tattoo there” or “It takes longer." This is true in a small number of cases, but usually not; and even where true, the added difficulty seldom justifies the amount of the additional charge. However, if you don’t want to play the body chart game, come to American Art, where a body chart is never used, and the saving in placement of the tattoo is yours.

The Discount Game.
The oldest trick in the book! It goes something like this. “We offer a 20% discount to students, the military, police, firefighters, etc. You get the idea. The purpose is to get you to think you are getting a special deal. However, here’s the trick. Say, a tattoo normally costs $100 and the “discount” is 20%, they raise the price to $120 and then say it’s $100 for you! It makes you feel special, but you’ve just been taken by the oldest snow job in the business. So if you don’t want to feel like you’ve been cheated, come to American Art, where you will be quoted a true and fair price.

The Bait and Switch.
Say you call a shop for a price on a tattoo. They quote you $50. But when you get there, you find out it will cost much more. This is the old bait and switch trick. The whole idea is to get you in the shop, with the hope that you’ll pay the higher price, rather than look elsewhere and delay the procedure. As a rule, American Art doesn't give final tattoo prices over the phone. We need to first see the design. However, over the telephone, we will give you a ballpark estimate on a tattoo and the price ranges on piercing.

Fluff.
Also known as “smoke and mirrors." This is the “bigger is better” approach. That is, the bigger the shop, the better it must be. Trust in this hype and you will simply be putting your trust in appearances. The better approach is to ask a friend where they got their tattoo or piercing. They'll be happy to tell you the truth, and you'll know you can rely on it.

Straight up lies!
This is the worst way to do business. The law states that a shop operator must inform you if the procedure isn’t right for you. No one likes to lose a sale (I know I don’t) but it’s the right thing to do, if a body art procedure just isn’t right for the customer. This happens mainly with body piercing. Example, a person’s navel or tongue is too shallow or short. They aren’t the best candidates for the piercing. Yet, I know some shops that do the procedure just to get the money, and the customer has problems later on down the road. I don’t like to see money go out the door, but I feel better knowing I did the right thing for the customer and for American Art. Right for the customer to avoid the risk of a bad result; and right for American Art because a bad result is the worst kind of advertisement. The list could go on, but for the sake of this essay, I hope you get the idea. Some people in business can be unethical for greed’s sake. We’ve all been taken at some point or another. It is my hope that now you know some things to look for when considering a tattoo or piercing. Use your common sense, rely on the judgment of your friends and Don’t Believe the Hype!