Mario Barth vs. Kat Von D

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MattCrunk
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Mon Mar 24, 2008 1:25 pm

If you ask me, Mario Barth's big plans to make Starlight Tattoo into the "Starbucks" of tattooing by opening a chain of them across the country would be far more detrimental to the body art industry than any TV show. If big business sees success with Barth's plans, they'll soon be in on it too.

With a large national chain of tattoo shops, you'd no doubt eventually see "artists" working for an hourly wage, and rock-bottom fixed retail prices for tattoos at all locations. This alone would bring the whole earning potential of the industry down a notch. Quality would suffer, but most won't notice or care. People would soon expect to pay less for any tattoo, regardless of quality. Slick advertising and national TV ads would have the sheep lining up at the door.

Don't believe this could happen to a small industry such as ours? Just look at what chains like Guitar Center and Sam Ash have done to the mom and pop music stores.
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Sphenoid
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Mon Mar 24, 2008 1:48 pm

This plan will not come to fruition
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Aivanne
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Mon Mar 24, 2008 1:53 pm

Sphenoid wrote:This plan will not come to fruition
wake up bro.
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BadWolf
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Mon Mar 24, 2008 2:16 pm

So, who the fuck supports Mario Barth?????
Do you use his JUNK?
I don't.
He never got a cent from me, and never will.
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ziffon
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Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:11 am

Why do people treat tattoos like they're no big deal?
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CxCx
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Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:20 am

I'm not a big fan of either, to be honest. I guess that both have their issues :

Barth : I know a pile of folks that use Intenze inks, though I'm not one of'em. Tried a few and had pretty bad results. Beyond that, he's trying to turn tattooing into a "hip" and "cool" factory, for lack of a better word, which sounds pretty terrible.

Kat : Well, miss Von D has become, to those outside of the tattoo community, the "Public Face of Tattooing". Sadly, instead of handling it with grace, she simply takes EVERY opportunity to show the world at large that all tattoo artists are under-educated, alcoholic, sex-obsessed assholes with poor grammar and a limited vocabulary. Way to go, Miss Von D, for helping to set back the over-all public perception of tattoo artists about 30 years. Job well done :roll:

All in all, I'm just waiting around patiently to watch both potential train wrecks in the near future. :wink:
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MattCrunk
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Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:44 am

ziffon wrote:Why do people treat tattoos like they're no big deal?
Because to some people they aren't. You, as an average customer might get tattooed once or twice in a lifetime. It's a big event in your life.

As the artist, it's just one of five or six I might do that day.
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MattCrunk
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Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:52 am

CxCx wrote:I know a pile of folks that use Intenze inks, though I'm not one of'em. Tried a few and had pretty bad results.
I use Intenze and love them. But I don't buy it directly from Barth.
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CxCx
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Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:06 am

Then I'll add you to the list, Matt. :lol:

Like I said, I know a puile of folks that swear by'em, they just aren't to my liking.

Ya know, of all the people I know that DO use Intenze, I actually don't think any of'em by directly from Barth. My boss is actually the only person i know that has, strangely enough. He bought a full rack years ago and they've basically collected dust in our storage room for most of that time.
Bawlin
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Tue Mar 25, 2008 1:13 pm

I know nothing about the aforementioned artist, but I know enough about big business and the tattoo industry to say that this will NOT happen simply because each artist is unique. McDonalds can succeed at being a chain because the process behind making a Big Mac is standardized and the raw materials that go into the Big Mac are the same, whether you are in China or France. Every tattooist is different and the inconsistancies that can arise in this industry are enough to make a plan like this fail very quickly. Who cares about the 'brand'.. it's all about the artist.
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BadWolf
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Tue Mar 25, 2008 1:58 pm

MattCrunk wrote:I use Intenze and love them. But I don't buy it directly from Barth.
Well, Matt...then you are helping Mario finance that tattoo strip mall that will take food off your own table. Time to start shopping in a bit more responsible manner, I suppose.
They call it Karma...and you are subject to it whether you like it or not...so ya might as well understand it.
Every time you pat one of those television drama queen rockstars on the back, or drop money on Mario's JUNK, you cut your own family's throat.
And the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round.
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MattCrunk
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Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:07 pm

Bawlin wrote:I know nothing about the aforementioned artist, but I know enough about big business and the tattoo industry to say that this will NOT happen simply because each artist is unique. McDonalds can succeed at being a chain because the process behind making a Big Mac is standardized and the raw materials that go into the Big Mac are the same, whether you are in China or France. Every tattooist is different and the inconsistancies that can arise in this industry are enough to make a plan like this fail very quickly. Who cares about the 'brand'.. it's all about the artist.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of people (those who'll get one or two tattoos in their lifetime) don't know good tattooing from bad. All they care about is that it looks like the picture they picked off the wall. They are the target and the reason such a plan could work.

It's not that hard to imagine: a chain of "Tattoo Depots" in every major city. The same simple flash and the same prices at every location. Nothing too complicated and no real custom work. They'd recruit wannabe tattooists and train them just well enough to do a reasonably professional job on the simplest of work. No real talent is involved. They might even have a computer to design and print the stencils for lettering and such.

Artists might make $10 to$15 an hour, but it'd be a steady paycheck with a few benefits thrown in to make it more appealing, maybe even a retirement plan if you stick around.

Tattoo prices would start at about $15 bucks for a 10 minute porkchop and go up to about $200. The place would look all clean and safe for the soccer moms and pretend biker dads, with no offensive images in sight.

Yeah, I can see it happening. Just a matter of time.
Bawlin
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Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:15 pm

When you lay it out like that, the idea has potential, but it's only a matter of time before someone gets a shitty tattoo from one of the locations and word spreads like wildfire. I also would imagine insanely high turnover as these artists realize that REAL artists are earning 10x as much money as they are and this is a huge cost that the shop/chain would have to eat as training a tattooist takes time and money.

The idea of having simple flash peices that are taken off the wall makes sense, but since I have no intimate knowledge of the tattoo industry I have no idea what percentage of clients get these kinds of peices.

Anyways, I really hope this DOESN'T happen. Miami/LA/London Ink is bad enough as it is.
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niteshadepromise
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Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:37 pm

I can't really say one way or the other about it. While, yeah, something like this could make the tattoo scene more cookie-cutter and open up opportunities to scratchers with NO talent what-so-ever...but at the same time, it could open up opportunities for people with real talent who can go their own separate ways once they realize selling out isn't what it's about.

I think in the end, the people who love, eat, breathe, sleep, and live tattoos will forever go to "The Greats" because we know the worth of a good, clean, lasting tattoo. At that point, would it matter if every dumb frat jock or valley girl goes to some flash store to get their tribal and butterflies?

The upside is that you wouldn't have to deal with them and their dumb questions.


Unfortunately, this is the way America is going. Retail chains are becoming the only way people in a trade can get their goods. I try my best to visit my local bead store when it comes to making my jewelry, but there are times where I can't help but HAVE to go into a Hobby Lobby or Michaels for something.
This is why people petition Walmarts being opened...because it's killing the American dream.
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Feesh
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Tue Mar 25, 2008 5:32 pm

I just hope I never see the day that this becomes a reality:

Image

But it wouldn't surprise me - much.
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