What's the Deal With "Shop Minimums" For Tattoos?

If you want a tattoo - even a very small one - and you go to have it priced in a tattoo shop, you might be surprised that even something the size of a nickel will run you $50-$75. When you ask why it's so much, you'll be told that the price is the "shop minimum." But what does that mean and what is its purpose? Are they just trying to scam you out of extra money?

No, it's not a scam. The shop minimum covers the very basic expenses that have to be covered for every tattoo, no matter how big or small. Clean and sterile equipment, clean and sterile workstations, and licensed, health-board certified, insured studios is what you're getting for that shop minimum. The minimum for tattoos is more than that for piercings because more equipment is used and exposure is riskier so the steps that have to be taken to ensure your safety are more extensive than for a body piercing.

So, it's true. A tattoo the size of a nickel could cost the same as a tattoo the size of a half-dollar because of the shop minimum. But do you really put a price tag on your own safety?

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