Editor’s Note: We have another guest blog today from Shawn Hebrank (Tattoo Coupons – No Big Deal) to explore the other side of things. I encourage you to read both posts before firing off  in the comments.

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First, a bit of background: Last month Tattoo Snob reposted an ad for a tattoo shop/artist. He was advertising a coupon for a two hour tattoo session for $99 – a great bargain… according to him.

Now, I know that times have been a bit tight for everyone out there and tattooing seems to have screamed into the mainstream of life, but Hell, a freaking coupon?! What have we come to?!?! Are we going to start giving “point incentives” to clients?

Where I come from that’s an understanding between tattooer and client. It’s usually unspoken and understood – not something that needs to be advertised like a sale at Wal*mart.

Tattoo Snob asked me to write this while I was in Miami promoting Nichole East’s “Quick & Painful” art show. The same show that we were doing $40 flash tattoos. The idea of cheap promotional tattoos has always been around and seemed to have its place. You’ve got the Friday the 13th special, Halloween, grand openings, and such. It saddens me a bit that because there are so many shops today, and so many tattooists taking part in all of these speciality events, that clients only want to get tattooed at these events now. It also seems so many tattooists today are so desperate to get folks in the chair that they’re literally bringing the rest of us down. I have many friends the world over who suffer from some shit heel scratcher shop up the road doing cheap ass tattoos just to get the business, or worse- tattoos in trade.

Bring the douche a case of beer, and he’ll sleeve ya, or some such shit. We’ve all heard the stories.

But I digress. Where is all this cut throat BS getting us as a business? Nowhere, thats where. It’s my belief that the client is being taught that not only is it possible to get a cheap tattoo, but that it should be common practice for a client to price shop, and not artist shop. And like I’ve said many time in the past with the problems and issues in our trade, “It’s our own friggin fault”.

Too many young tattooers, too many bullshit tattoo shops, too many individuals brought into this trade with no one there to tell them, “NO, you don’t do that!” It’ll just hurt all of us in the future. I’m very passionate about this, and many other issues in our trade, mainly because while I may not get hurt by some of this BS I have many talented friends whose businesses are suffering greatly from the ignorance of all of us.

I know that everyone wants too work and make a buck. I realize that this is just one, of many issues amongst us as a trade. But F%#K there is really just so much information out there on the web to inform these knuckle heads of the rights and wrongs of how to do business. Even when common sense seems to falter, just turn on your freaking computer!

Hell this is just my opinion, I’m certain you all have your own…

–Guest blog by Joe Capobianco

**** We’re looking for quality guest blogs from tattooers & enthusiasts–shoot us an email.

Joe Capobianco just updated his website with new art and tattoo photos. To celebrate the new site, they’re offering 15% off anything in The Hope Shop, using discount code “DOTCOM.”

Tattoo by Joe Capobianco at Hope Gallery Tattoo in New Haven, CT

You may have missed the first three Quick and Painful dates, but you can stil make the last one (assuming you live near Miami, Florida.) The event takes at Art Basel on December 3rd.

In case you forgot, let me tell you a little bit about this unique exhibit:

Quick & Painful is a traveling exhibition produced by Hope Gallery, one of the most prestigious tattoo art galleries, that features the work of more than 15 important artists and designers with backgrounds in fine art, graffiti, and illustration in a unique exhibition for one night only. During the exhibition fans are able to pick their favorite designs right off the wall and get them tattooed right on the spot for only $40 by World renowned tattoo artists like Joe Capobianco, Eric Merrill, Julio Rodriguez, Jime Litwalk, Dan Smith, Jesse Smith, and more.

Quick & Painful features today’s most elite low brow artists doing original Tattoo Flash. Among the artists and designers that will be presenting Flash Prints for the exhibition are Alex Pardee, Amanda Visell, Brandt Peters, Camilla D’Errico, David Horvath, Devilrobots, Frank Kozik, Greg “Craola” Simkins, Huck Gee, Joe Ledbetter, Junko Mizuno, Kathie Olivas, Pete Fowler, Ron English, Sam Flores, Shawnimals, TADO, Tara McPherson, and Tokidoki co-founder and Creative Director Simone Legno.

Three of the four Quick and Painful exhibits might have come and gone, but the exhibit is still being talked about. Pictures from Chicago, Los Angeles, and New Haven are starting to appear online. Additionally, the show in Miami takes place in the beginning of December. Lastly, all of the flash sets created for for the show is currently available online at The Hope Shop.

To learn more about the Quick and Painful exhibit, check out our original post back in August.

“We are 138″ is the newest art show being presented by Hope Gallery Tattoo. As the name implies, the show pays tribute to The Misfits and will be opening this Friday, June 4th at 7pm.

Hope Gallery Tattoo has been posting mini interviews with a number of the artists that have submitted pieces. As of right now, you can read interviews from Dan Smith, John Dunbar, Joe Capobianco, Phat Joe, Steve Whittenberger, and David Carbonell. All of these interviews are available on the Hope Gallery Tattoo’s Facebook page.