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Tattoo FAQ 17: What is the price of a cover-up?
Original question from our visitor:
I am looking in Pearl Harbor area for a tattooist to ink my thigh with a koi and background to cover up a 15 year old faded tattoo. Problem is I have been to a few places that want like $750 to $1000 to do this, I have also been to a couple that have said $250 to $300. What would be the norm? The size is 8" x 6" mostly black and grey with splashes of color in the background. What would be the best way to know how to choose which artist to go to besides price and their portfolio?
I even researched online and Tattoo[XXXXXXXX] in downtown [CITY] is supposed to be a really good shop, turns out the place is dirty and smells like really old mold, I even went back a week later giving them the benefit of doubt...
Answer:
The good news first: You did exactly the right thing in researching a lot before you sit down in that chair and by even walking out of a shop that did not look / smell / feel right. Congratulations! This is a very good beginning for a tattoo that you will be happy with in the long run, and I wish more people would do this.
The less-good news is: As you might have guessed there is no "norm" for the price of a 8" x 6" tattoo.
My 1st impression: $1000 is a bit stiff, $250 a bit low, especially for a cover up.
Typically cover-ups are a bit more expensive than a tattoo on "fresh" skin, simply because of the extra time that the tattooist will have to take in design and application of the tattoo, and the fact that you will have to get a more senior artist to do it correctly. Giving you an estimate on the price is impossible, but I will lean out of the window pretty far here and tell you what I would expect as a customer for a cover-up that size, and that is around $500 (+$200 or -$100) - so the range would be between $400 and $700.
Having said that: it is all about what it is worth to YOU. And you only.
I'm the first one to tell you: If you don't have the money right now to do it, wait!
As I said: It seems like you are taking your time and that is good. You know when you will find the right artist.
Consider tattooists outside your area, consider travelling there (or meeting that artist at a convention). If you are ready to do this, a good first step would be to take a picture of your existing tattoo and to have a picture of the design you want it covered with in digital form. Then go and search on the web, make contact and email these pictures to the artists that you think could do the job based on what you find or hear.
I know whom I would go to for a cover-up and these people are thousands of miles from where I am, but I would pay for a flight from Amsterdam, The Netherlands to Green Bay, WI or to Hopkins, MN to get it done right. "Funny" enough: that cover-up would probably end up costing me $1000 or more, but it would be worth it for ME!
What I am saying is: Even IF you find THE ONE in your town, but he is asking $1000 to do it, go ahead and do it, if you think it's worth it.
The beauty of the art is you can't put a price tag on it.
The curse of the art is you can't put a price tag on it.
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