Many of you know that I am retired from the service. Yet after all those years, I never got a tattoo. When I was in the service only folks in prison, members of Hell's Angels or old timers in the military only had tatts. Now everyone in America has ink - that is except me.

So I was approached by a budding artist looking to set up a studio in a small store front that I have open and available. My question is - am I asking for trouble and how successful are these places. Please also indicate if you have any ink.

IMHO I would pass on Tatt studios, Vape shops, and massage parlors. I also had a difficult commercial space in a property with 3 apartment units.

The vacant space was a former dentist office. I finally rented it and now have a successful BARBER SHOP tenant. I have a 3 year lease and a commercial space that is now up to codes! Hang in there and you will find a good tenant. Can you market the space to a professional like and insurance agent, lawyer, etc ?

Screen as normal. Then take a hard look at the guy.

The good tattoo and piercing shops are as clean as surgery suites. Super clean!

The lousy ones struggle to stay clean enough.

I have no ink, and no one in my immediate family does, so you are not the only one. I don't think it is pretty, sexy or attractive. I can maybe ignore the little tats, but the big ones, and full arm ones just gross me out.

Lots of people have them, even hollywood stars, school administrators, successful business men. Most of the can be hidden with clothing though.

Is this a licensed and regulated "art" in your state? I know of a very successful high end tattoo artist, but overall, I just think of it as low class.

My tattoo says, "Dan." It was supposed to say, "Danger," but I ran out of money. But I have no Regerts.

No, I do not have tattoos, not even on my face. I know a lot of people get them, but I still equate them with trailer trash, even if they are movie stars.

Our town, being full of trailer trash has a bunch of tattoo shops. Apparently if you are good it is pretty good money.

Ray,

I talked with a local tatoo artist. He clears $100K. His shop is like the old barbershop - a place where folks hang out. They are not druggies.

Not too many years back on this site LLs proclaimed they would never rent to someone with a tatoo.

Here's a pastor who does more counselling thru his tat shop than he did as a pastor. youtube.com/watch?v=AEARXBoxJOA

You say it's a store front. Are there private living units above? Will the residents be offended by seeing the type of people who may get tattoos come in there as well as heavily tattooed people hanging around? How will this affect the other neighboring properties?

I have no ink.

I have ink, don't like it, regretted it within a month of getting it-at 18. I feel I should cover it. That said, I try not to judge others by their tattoos either. It's just a way of saying something when you feel unheard.

I have some ink. Husband does as well. I know plenty of highly successful business people who have been inked. I don't think it's at all an indication of the person's smarts, reliability or character.

That being said, I agree with the comment above that some tattoo shops are great in terms of being clean, respectable and a well established business. Then there are the fly by nights. (Same as any other business, when you think about it). If this is a "budding" artist who has yet to establish his clientele and reputation, that might give me pause.

Ray,

Todays news. The more you know...

pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2017/06/14/explosion-in-tattooing-piercing-tests-state-regulators

My only concern would be the "image" of the shopping area.

Sorry, no ink.

I'm a veteran too but no ink. You can make a lot of generalizations about tattoo artists but it doesn't really matter. You are renting to this guy in particular, and not a general tattoo artist. Screen as normal.

screen as usual and ALSO consider the other tenants. tat's are now legit but the element that hangs out at the shops is 'downmarket' shall we say?

BTW, no ink for me. and all my piercings were industrial accidents...

I agree with Emily [TX]

Not all tattoo parlors are low class. Most of the ones in my area are very clean, reputable shops. I'm sure they have some people who hang out, but they don't appear to have crowds of low lifes hanging about at all hours on a constant basis. Most have fairly respectable hours of operation although, they are often often until 9-10pm, because their clients work during the day, so they have to be available in the evenings. By the same token, they don't usually open until noon or later.

NOT ALL PEOPLE WITH TATTOOS OR TATTOO PARLORS WORKERS/OWNERS ARE SCUMBAGS.

I would be careful of the “type” of store he intends to run, as well as the hours he will keep, since you have rental homes above the storefront. I would think that would give you a the ability to be a little stricter on your qualifying criteria.

Also, I own & manage several investment properties across Southern California & I have several tattoos. I had wanted one since I was a kid, but I got my first one at 40 yr old, 2nd @ 41, next 4 @ 51, and then the following year, I had the new one on my forearm doubled in size. I am not a fad follower; I am a leader (in general, not in tattoos). I got all of them because I wanted them & I don’t go for the cheap $40 tattoos. I am fairly intelligent (my mom used to always tell me that I should get my IQ checked, but I think she was overestimating my smarts), I have plenty of money, I have plenty in savings, I don't have any problems paying my house & insurance payments, utilities etc., my kids never wanted for anything important, although they were taught by example, that if they wanted something (other than basic care) they needed to figure out how to pay for it, sometimes with our help, sometimes by themselves. My husband is not a fan of tattoos, so I never pay for them with "our" money. I like art, but lack the talent to create it, so I choose to wear it. Permanent jewelry!

"If the body is a temple, why not decorate the walls?" Yes, I stole this saying from some anonymous person on the internet....