GOOD LUCK TO GABE!!!!!!!!

BEST OF LUCK ON YOUR NEW SHOP.

thanks man, its fun so far! Now everyone gets to hate another non-tattoo artist shop owner... heh. Bash away fellahs!

I can sort of understand what they are saying in most cases .But you are a different situation being that you understand the tattoo artist life and what it is about.That is different then somebody that has to much money or nothing better to do .And wake up one day and say let me open a shop.In that situation they are takeing work away from dedicated artist that spend every hour of there life working at what they do.You are bringing artist together and that can only better things.

Of course I know the difference between me and most non-tattoo artist owners (obviously) and how I differ. I also know a few other non-tattoo artist owners who run respectable studios. And, of course, I know the dicks who have no respect or knowledge about tattoos who bring us all down. I think at some point people really need to change the party line from "You MUST be a tattoo artist to own a studio the right way" to "you MUST fully understand tattooing and the responsibilities it brings to own a studio". Of course that happens most often with artists, though, Ive seen some great tattoo artists ruin perfectly good studios too... Or maybe the line doesnt have to change who am I to say, but personally, if I can count how many times Ive had that conversation ("only tattoo artists", "what about me", "your an exception", "what about these non artist guys", "they are exceptions too", "what about these drug addict artists who cant treat their artists right and shouldnt own studios", etc, etc) then Id have to have a much better memory. The fact is etting into tattooing for the $$$ is the WRONG reason to do it wether you tattoo for a living or not. The only true ethical reason to open a tattoo studio (or to start tattooing people for that matter) is because you truely have something to offer the industry, something that will kick things up a notch. thanks again for the support, its pretty overwhelming!