Tattoo pricing

We get SOOOOO many calls about pricing, and we get it, you want to know how much something will cost so you can factor that into your lives/budget/etc. The thing is, pricing a tattoo is not a straightforward process. There are so many factors that go into it. So I wanted to take the time to make an informative post here so that you can at least have an understanding of how this works.

Why we don’t give quotes over the phone?

While we understand the desire to call and quickly ask what something would cost, it is impossible to give a quote over the phone. The main reason for this is that quotes need to come DIRECTLY from the artist doing the tattoo and the person answering the phone is NOT a tattoo artist. We have 2 lovely receptionists who are happy to help you in whatever way they can but giving a price quote is not one of the ways they can help. They are not tattoo artists so they can’t accurately determine how much your idea would cost and have been specifically asked not to speculate what it might cost to reduce any confusion.

So can I speak with an artist on the phone?

Well, no. A lot of artists aren’t phone people but more importantly a tattoo is a visual thing that cannot be translated well via just speaking. We need to SEE what you want and where it’s going so we can visualise what effort it will take to complete. That’s not possible over the phone. What you may think is a simple small tattoo, the artist would consider a larger and/or more difficult piece. Something will always get lost in translation and you could possibly waste a trip down to the shop only to be told a different price on arrival. 

Ok, so how do I get a quote then?

There are a couple of ways to get a quote depending on your situation. Firstly, are you looking for a walk-in tattoo or a bigger piece? And do you know the artist you want to work with or would you like a suggestion or don’t care? Don’t know if what you want is a walk-in or not? We generally say anything larger than palm sized is an appointment and smaller can be a walk-in.

If you want a walk-in and don’t have a specific artist in mind: Just swing by the shop any day of the week from 11am to chat with the artist on walk-ins. You can see who is on walk-is by checking our Instagram stories. Bring references with you and the artist can tell you how long it would take and the cost. If you want to save yourself a trip and want a quote via email on the day you’ll need to email the shop as early as possible (london@threekingstattoo.com) with ALL the details of what you want and be sure to specify the same day. The receptionist will forward the email to the artist on walk-ins and let them know you’re interested in getting tattooed on the day. That artist will then follow up with you via email if they need more details or to give you a quote. However, using this method will be slower and isn’t a guarantee you’ll get a response if the walk-in artist is busy tattooing other customers so it’s always best to swing by if you can.

If you want a walk-in and know what artist you want to work with: You can either check our stories for when that artist is doing walk-ins or you can call us to find out their schedule and just come in then. If you want to save a trip you can contact the artist directly via email or email the shop and we’ll put you in touch with the artist. As with the above method this would be slower and you may have to wait for a future walk-in shift. 

If you want a larger tattoo (appointment) and don’t have a specific artist in mind or would like a recommendation: You can email the shop (london@threekingstattoo.com) with your idea, placement, size, location and budget if any, and we can recommend the artist that would work best for the style you’re after. From there you can either consult via email or in-person with that artist where they will go over all the details with you and let you know the cost and their availability. 

If you want a larger tattoo and you know who you want to work with: You can either email the shop and we’ll put you in touch with the artist or you can reach out to that artist directly. Please make a note of how each artist wants to be contacted via the info on their instagram profile. Some are ok with DM’s and some are not. If you are having trouble getting in touch with a specific artist you can email the shop or give us a call and we’ll make sure to put you in touch. 

As with all of these methods you need to have an idea of what you’re looking for and what style. Each artist may price differently which is why you need to speak with the artist doing the tattoo. Be sure to let them know your budget upfront if you have one! From next week we’ll have some flash books available that can be done by any artist on walk-ins but to see them you’ll have to come by the shop!

To get in touch with us regarding your next piece click here to contact us!

Thanks for reading, xx