General Your Opinion on Tattoos?

I have two tattoos as of right now: one on each forearm of the umbrella symbol (resident evil VG series) and blink-182 symbol. I love them both because they have a deeper meaning too me and soon I want to get another one soon for my love of Pokemon which will probably be Mewtwo.
 
Tattoos have many pros and cons, some of which are oddly enough the same thing. I liked them when I was young (like, 12 and under), and back then I figured I'd get at least one when I was old, but now? Well the more I learn the less appealing they become.

Throughout human history, tattoos have carried a meaning, whether cultural, religious, or both. This can include just having one, let alone having a specific tattoo. Already this feels like way too much homework for the "Tattoos are just a fun way to express yourself!" crowd. Now if you want your tats to have a deeper meaning, well duh you're already on board with deep thinking and research, so no prob! XD

The things that then matter are
  • cost
  • semi-permanent nature
I am sure it varies depending upon the area, but when I've talked with others about it, tattoos aren't cheap. Doing it on the cheap carries various risks, so for now I'm assuming a professional job from a reputable establishment. To me, this isn't worth the money; the kind of tattoo I might want on my arm or leg will cost me an arm and a leg! XP They are semi-permanent; besides the fact you can once again pay a lot to have them removed nowadays, neither your mind nor your body are going to remain the same. Your exact attitudes and ideas can grow and evolve, so even if a core principle remains the same a tattoo with meaning might cause issues. Of course the fluff stuff can be an issue as well. The thing is, your body will also age, probably gain or lose weight (maybe in a cycle), and it will distort the tats. Injury is also always a risk; one of the tattoo aficionados I know was in a serious accident and now it seems like she can't go long without needing surgery due to her lingering injuries. So far, she's been able to avoid marring her favorite tattoos, but that's a matter of luck or providence.

If none of this matters or seems that bad to you... can I help you pick? ;)
 
I don't mind a tattoo but I don't or love them. I think a tattoo says a lot about a person and you can learn something about them if you see them. I just say think hard on getting them. Before you get it done, make sure its something you wont regret later. They can be hard to remove. Also make sure you go to someone who knows what their are doing. You can block off sweat pores which can lead to kidney problems.
 
Tattoo?

Plan on getting tattoos sometime. I used to be too broke to afford anything good. and I didn't want anything cheap from "some guy who knows a guy who does tattoo from home" like my friend did. He got the Cheshire cat from alice in wonderland on his back for like $50 from a friends of ours brother who does amateur tats and regrets it cause it wasn't the best quality.

another friend of mine got a whole chest tattoo of a owl across his chest real big before going into the Navy. Spent $300 in shop and it lost some quality towards the end cause he needed another session which would have cost him more money, so he muscled through the whole thing in one session. The wings look great but head starts to droop haha!

So I have always steered away from them until now cause i am making good money now and can afford a quality art on my body.

Been planing on a few but most notably will be a Gyarados half sleeve/upper shoulder. Gyarados is my favorite pokemon and so I plan on getting it to look like those japan style Fugal paintings with it eating thos koy fish and a samurai looking dude with a belt of pokeballs and a sword about to take it down. Already got quotes for soemthing like that it it looks like it will cost around $1200 but it will be worth the artwork and time put into it. plus i want them to take their time with it and i went into a top tier tattoo place in AZ.

just gotta wait for that fat tax return to come out.

So if you plan on getting them i would say to spend your money well for it.
 
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Otaku said:
The things that then matter are
I am sure it varies depending upon the area, but when I've talked with others about it, tattoos aren't cheap. Doing it on the cheap carries various risks, so for now I'm assuming a professional job from a reputable establishment. To me, this isn't worth the money; the kind of tattoo I might want on my arm or leg will cost me an arm and a leg! XP
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It's not that expensive if you have an actual income and job, I payed $80 per hour and that's really not that bad, overall my tattoo coated $540 but it really didn't take long to save up for it. Prices also vary for what you're wanting, due to design and size, I have a big chest piece which is why I payed more. Getting a small tattoo is generally around $50-$250 but can get pricey depending on detail.

They are semi-permanent; besides the fact you can once again pay a lot to have them removed nowadays, neither your mind nor your body are going to remain the same. Your exact attitudes and ideas can grow and evolve, so even if a core principle remains the same a tattoo with meaning might cause issues. Of course the fluff stuff can be an issue as well. The thing is, your body will also age, probably gain or lose weight (maybe in a cycle), and it will distort the tats. Injury is also always a risk; one of the tattoo aficionados I know was in a serious accident and now it seems like she can't go long without needing surgery due to her lingering injuries. So far, she's been able to avoid marring her favorite tattoos, but that's a matter of luck or providence.

If none of this matters or seems that bad to you... can I help you pick? ;)
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That's like saying because you can get in a car wreck you shouldn't get in a car or go near a cliff because you could fall off it. Both are as unpredictable as injuries.
 
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Equinox said:
It's not that expensive if you have an actual income and job, I payed $80 per hour and that's really not that bad, overall my tattoo coated $540 but it really didn't take long to save up for it. Prices also vary for what you're wanting, due to design and size, I have a big chest piece which is why I payed more. Getting a small tattoo is generally around $50-$250 but can get pricey depending on detail.
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This thread asked for my opinion; the data you shared reinforces my opinion on the matter. We simply value tattoos differently.

Ignore the tattoo part for a moment; just insert anything that costs that much and cannot be resold. Now compare that with a tattoo that costs the same amount. For example, $50 on top of one's usual food budget easily pays for a high end dining experience for one, and a good dining experience for two. At a fast food restaurant, its feeding four full grown adults. Now bring in the stuff you can resell, so that if you change your mind or just stop enjoying it, you might get some of that investment back.

It doesn't mean one has to lack "an actual income and job" for the prices you cited to seem to expensive. Sure in my personal case it is true, but it would also be true of some well off people I know, because they too just don't value ink like you do.

Equinox said:
That's like saying because you can get in a car wreck you shouldn't get in a car or go near a cliff because you could fall off it. Both are as unpredictable as injuries.
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No, it isn't.

If you're not dead, then you're going to age eventually, and how aging will affect one's tattoos in the future is a valid concern. By the time you're middle aged, even sheltered people are going to have their scars. Some of us also develop other health issues down the road. It is all relevant, especially because the tattoo is... a tattoo: ornamentation of the skin. You can actually be involved in a car wreck without being inside one of the vehicles involved, and most of us don't have a car just to "look" cool.

Your cliff analogy actually isn't bad... it just doesn't end the discussion. Some folks do not enjoy going near cliffs because the risk of falling isn't worth the view. Some folks have no qualms about going right up to the edge for a breathtaking experience. Most folks are somewhere in between. So getting back to tattoos, it helps to realize where you're at. After all, some people do fall off cliffs, even when just on vacation. Edit: In the interest of balancing out what I said, and some folks miss out on great views.
 
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I have no problem with tattoos. Sometimes they might work for someone and sometimes they might not. And let's be honest at least a quarter of the population has tattoos that you never see because they aren't some place obvious like the arms or legs.

But speaking for myself I would never get a tattoo, it's not worth the trouble or the money in my mind.
 
Otaku said:
This thread asked for my opinion; the data you shared reinforces my opinion on the matter. We simply value tattoos differently.
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Indeed, but it is ridiculous to exaggerate the cost of a tattoo when it varies so. I'm not bashing you or anything, I'm just telling you from experience it's not as expensive as you're putting it out to be.


Ignore the tattoo part for a moment; just insert anything that costs that much and cannot be resold. Now compare that with a tattoo that costs the same amount. For example, $50 on top of one's usual food budget easily pays for a high end dining experience for one, and a good dining experience for two. At a fast food restaurant, its feeding four full grown adults. Now bring in the stuff you can resell, so that if you change your mind or just stop enjoying it, you might get some of that investment back.

It doesn't mean one has to lack "an actual income and job" for the prices you cited to seem to expensive. Sure in my personal case it is true, but it would also be true of some well off people I know, because they too just don't value ink like you do.
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Having a job isn't necessary either, one can budget, I have a friend with no jobs and a whole sleeve just because he knows how to budget the little income he gets. Am I condoning getting a tattoo? No, but I'm simply saying it's ridiculous to conclude that they are "worth an arm or a leg" when they aren't, misinformation is a powerful tool and I think it deserves clarification. Don't feel like I'm trying to insult you, but I find a few of your claims just, asinine.


No, it isn't.
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But it is!

If you're not dead, then you're going to age eventually, and how aging will affect one's tattoos in the future is a valid concern. By the time you're middle aged, even sheltered people are going to have their scars. Some of us also develop other health issues down the road. It is all relevant, especially because the tattoo is... a tattoo: ornamentation of the skin. You can actually be involved in a car wreck without being inside one of the vehicles involved, and most of us don't have a car just to "look" cool.
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You're literally saying don't get a tattoo because you might get unpredictable health issues and one of those could mess your tattoo up. It's literally like saying don't get in a car because you could get in a wreck and be permanently injured, messed up, or end up dead, or let's switch the car to a plane in the analogy.

Your cliff analogy actually isn't bad... it just doesn't end the discussion. Some folks do not enjoy going near cliffs because the risk of falling isn't worth the view. Some folks have no qualms about going right up to the edge for a breathtaking experience. Most folks are somewhere in between. So getting back to tattoos, it helps to realize where you're at. After all, some people do fall off cliffs, even when just on vacation. Edit: In the interest of balancing out what I said, and some folks miss out on great views.
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So, does this mean as well people shouldn't go near cliffs because some people fall off? Should no one walk on concrete because they can fall and get scars from it? You're trying to negate something by using an unpredictable outcome.
 
Equinox said:
Indeed, but it is ridiculous to exaggerate the cost of a tattoo when it varies so. I'm not bashing you or anything, I'm just telling you from experience it's not as expensive as you're putting it out to be.
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The only time I exaggerated a price was for comedic effect, using a common American English idiom for something being too pricey (costs an arm and a leg), and I included an emoticon ("XD") to make sure it was clear that I was making a joke.

I'd address the rest of your and my posts, but I want to get this cleared up first.
 
Otaku said:
The only time I exaggerated a price was for comedic effect, using a common American English idiom for something being too pricey (costs an arm and a leg), and I included an emoticon ("XD") to make sure it was clear that I was making a joke.

I'd address the rest of your and my posts, but I want to get this cleared up first.
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I'm aware, but satire is always used to put emphasis on one specific thing, which is why I addressed it, I'm well aware you were kidding, but realize your joke still exaggerates the price, again, sorry for the confusion though if I was alluding to taking your joke seriously, I'm already aware, but I still think your post deserved a little clarity for others so they are not misinformed :)
 
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