should a person pay for an apprenticeship

i have found 5 shops that will take me as an apprentice, but three want to charge me for the apprenticeship. the problem is the good one of the five - wants to charge. should a person pay for an apprenticeship? i just dont want to look like an ass. thanks for the help guys.

Should collleges charge admission?....why should it be free? Personally I do not....I make my apprentices THINK they have to pay (shhhh!) but I never make them pay over a very modest fee that doesn't even cover what I spend on them. But I see no problem paying a REASONBLE fee for training that will provide you with the means to make a very good living for the rest of your life....why would anyone have a problem with that as long as you are being trianed well... You say that the best shop wants to be paid....in my mind money or not...go with the best shop!

I paid not money but with, but alot of hard work. i was friends with a shop owner and he treated me like a slave at times but it was all for knowlage. he tought me old skool things that alot of mentors neglect to teach the new skool crowd. i can take a box of parts and put a machine together and tune it. i can make needles, fix a thermo fax machine. scrub a floor with a tooth brush. and i can break a customers camera phone with the best of them. but all in all just cus it seems like the best shop, dosen't mean it's the best to learn in. it all depends on the artist training you, and on you. if you have a great mentor and just don't pay attention you won't learn shit. i paid alot of attention to my mentor when he'd tattoo and the other artist in the shop. i learnt alot from the other artist as well as my mentor. try to find a mentor that will teach you to put a machine together and tune it, make needles, and all the important things that come with tattooing. when i started at my current shop, i had to teach the owner how to tune machines. she'd just buy a new one if a spring broke.

Who are the idiots that keep saying tattoo artists never help when asked for info????? It all depends on the question! (and the phase of the moon... :-)

GREAT post JUNKK!!!! I am so glad to see ya back on here buddy!!

Its gonna cost something, either $$$ or sweat equity.

i would ask what the money is covering. i walked into both my apprenticeships with high end gear. in the first shop i had nicer stuff than the owner. He was a slave driver though. I disagree with slave labor in shops. I think everyone should do their part equally. If the floor needs to be cleaned get off your ass and clean the floor. People should be set at statures in any business. You are there to learn what do you learn from cleaning a floor with a toothbrush. Both my apprenticeships were free. Which is great considering im fucking poor. and since im an apprentice i cant even work. Im not saying its bad to charge for one. My mentor said I will be his last free apprentice. You learn alot. And your mentor needs to be compensated for his devotion towards you. In an apprenticeship you get out as much as you put in. And i dont think its the cash you put in. But if you know which shop you want to go to. Go to it even if it charges. But how much does it charge. I know this fucker "tattoo veteran" (hes awful) He literally charges $60,000 for a 3 year apprenticship. And i garuntee you will be treated like dog shit. If you pay for your apprenticeship you shouldnt be treated like shit. and $60,000 is fucking ridiculous. I think $7k-$10 is average.

Well, a couple uninformed Jamaican cents: in theory, your apprenticeship is worth more than money, so paying for it is okay. But for what? The ink you'll waste, the lawsuits you'll cause, or just as a way of seeing if you're serious? And, how much? Is it worth it to you? Can you afford? These are the things to figure out. Talk it over. And, best of luck.