The Tattoo Industry: Affected by the economy? 2/3

Thom Reinsmith, a professional tattoo artist and piercer, had to deal with the drop in the economy by constantly building his clientele and portfolios.
"I am still a relatively new artist and find that I am building a larger clientele and portfolio each day," Reinsmith said. "However, longtime artists that I know have stated that they have seen a drop off in customers."
With an unknown number of tattoos on his body, Reinsmith, like many artists, has not had to pay for most of the art on his body. Not all people have the privilege of having received free or discounted work, each piece starts around $100.
"Most accurately I could say i have about 75 hours of work on my body...If I were not a tattoo artist, the average price of a good tattoo would vary from $100-$200 an hour," Reinsmith said.
He recalled the tattoo industry has taken a hit from the economy, but a small one compared to other industries. He experienced dropped or postponed appointments due to the economy.
"I have had a few customers who, because of low income or job loss, have had to postpone appointments," Reinsmith said.
Reinsmith said he wouldn't spend excess money on tattoos but rather would put it towards his house or retirement funds, but he will be getting tattooed in the future. His goal is to be completely covered besides his head.

"I get tattooed most of the time for fun or just to collect work from artists I appreciate," Reinsmith said. "I don't believe tattoos have to mean anything at all to anyone else but the collector."