Tattoo prices unique to design location
Max Wohlgemuth
Issue date: 4/3/08 Section: News
Permanence does not come cheap.
After all, tattoos stick around for life. There is no leaving a tattoo behind on vacation or ruining a perfectly good one by washing it with a red sock.
One would not expect them to be cheap, especially when the goal is to find a unique and original tattoo. Throw piercings in the mix, and body modification can get pretty expensive.
The good part is that getting tattoos in the Midwest is cheaper than getting them elsewhere in the country.
"I get tattooed all over. Omaha is going to tattoo for way cheaper than on either coast," said Johnna McCreary, co-owner of Liquid Courage Custom Tattoos, 2936 S 84 St. and 809 S 75th St., in Omaha. She mentioned a guy in California who charges $250 an hour.
Cost varies from place to place, but customers should probably expect to pay a minimum of $30 to $60 on a tattoo. For the minimum price, nothing more than a basic tattoo should be expected. Larger, more intricate pieces can cost thousands of dollars. Understandably, prices vary depending on what is involved in the creation of each tattoo.
"It's like asking, 'How long is a piece of string?'" said Tyson Schaffert, owner of Iron Brush Tattoo, 1024 O St.
Getting tattoos on certain body locations can cost more money as well. The rib cage and the neck tend to run more expensive.
"It takes longer, so you have to charge more," said John Weber, body piercer at Big O Tattoo, 1640 O St.
Piercings, for the most part, cost $30 to $40.The price goes up for multiple piercings or genital piercings. The price for a genital piercing is around $80.
The average tattoo at Iron Brush will cost $50-$300. It doesn't cost extra for color because tattoos require as much ink as grey shading. Artists offer a price range and communicate with customers to best suit their needs. Prices vary on the amount of time it takes to finish a tattoo.
"Really smart clients look at the portfolio of the artist and not the price," Schaffert said.
A few blocks away, Big O Tattoo charges a minimum of $50 to $100 per hour. Pricing is done on an individual tattoo basis there as well.
Just a trip down I-80 to Omaha brings you to Liquid Courage, which gives customers one-of-a-kind tattoos.
"The tattoo designs vary so much from $60 to $2,000," McCreary said.
For multiple setting tattoos, customers can expect to pay $100 per hour with a possible deal at three hours for $250. Liquid Courage has seven artists who set their own prices.
Hungry Eye Tattoo Studio, 116 S. 9th St., charges a minimum of $35.
"I've kept the minimum down," said Curtis Sorge, owner of Hungry Eye. "The focus is more on the art than the money."
Hungry Eye charges an average between $60 and $80.
maxwolgemuth@dailynebraskan.com
After all, tattoos stick around for life. There is no leaving a tattoo behind on vacation or ruining a perfectly good one by washing it with a red sock.
One would not expect them to be cheap, especially when the goal is to find a unique and original tattoo. Throw piercings in the mix, and body modification can get pretty expensive.
The good part is that getting tattoos in the Midwest is cheaper than getting them elsewhere in the country.
"I get tattooed all over. Omaha is going to tattoo for way cheaper than on either coast," said Johnna McCreary, co-owner of Liquid Courage Custom Tattoos, 2936 S 84 St. and 809 S 75th St., in Omaha. She mentioned a guy in California who charges $250 an hour.
Cost varies from place to place, but customers should probably expect to pay a minimum of $30 to $60 on a tattoo. For the minimum price, nothing more than a basic tattoo should be expected. Larger, more intricate pieces can cost thousands of dollars. Understandably, prices vary depending on what is involved in the creation of each tattoo.
"It's like asking, 'How long is a piece of string?'" said Tyson Schaffert, owner of Iron Brush Tattoo, 1024 O St.
Getting tattoos on certain body locations can cost more money as well. The rib cage and the neck tend to run more expensive.
"It takes longer, so you have to charge more," said John Weber, body piercer at Big O Tattoo, 1640 O St.
Piercings, for the most part, cost $30 to $40.The price goes up for multiple piercings or genital piercings. The price for a genital piercing is around $80.
The average tattoo at Iron Brush will cost $50-$300. It doesn't cost extra for color because tattoos require as much ink as grey shading. Artists offer a price range and communicate with customers to best suit their needs. Prices vary on the amount of time it takes to finish a tattoo.
"Really smart clients look at the portfolio of the artist and not the price," Schaffert said.
A few blocks away, Big O Tattoo charges a minimum of $50 to $100 per hour. Pricing is done on an individual tattoo basis there as well.
Just a trip down I-80 to Omaha brings you to Liquid Courage, which gives customers one-of-a-kind tattoos.
"The tattoo designs vary so much from $60 to $2,000," McCreary said.
For multiple setting tattoos, customers can expect to pay $100 per hour with a possible deal at three hours for $250. Liquid Courage has seven artists who set their own prices.
Hungry Eye Tattoo Studio, 116 S. 9th St., charges a minimum of $35.
"I've kept the minimum down," said Curtis Sorge, owner of Hungry Eye. "The focus is more on the art than the money."
Hungry Eye charges an average between $60 and $80.
maxwolgemuth@dailynebraskan.com
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