I guess there's scams for everything. i'm not sure how this scam is supposed to work but I'm just gonna put these emails out here as a heads up for anyone else who runs accross something similar. The last one we got was for a fake Bulgarian band. You know it's fishy when they're asking you to tattoo 10+ people and they all want the same weird thing. Why do they keep suggesting we tattoo "a house or any beautiful image" Who thinks people get houses tattooed on them??? Here's the latest scam emails we've gotten.

 I want to book for tattoo drawings in your studio for group of 10, we are spending our vacation in your country for three weeks in the month of Sept 2010 and in line with our plans we need to draw tattoo in your studio.
 
We need two tattoos each on the chest and back for images like scorpion, flower, house or any beautiful image that can be good in tattoos as your suggestions will be appreciated.
 
Kindly confirm the best dates for you in the month of Sept 2010 and how many days it will take you to finish the tattooing for the group of 10 persons booking and also confirm if your firm will be able to handle this.

Another good one.....

 i wish to book a two weeks class on tattoo lessons in your facility, for some students that will be coming from Sweden.They would like to book for 2 weeks lesson for 1.5 hours each day, Monday to Saturday (morning or evening hours) for a group of 10.

Arrival Date- 24th of August
To start classes by 25th of August till 8th of Sept 2010.

Please if you will be disposed to offer these lessons as a competent and reliable instructor give me total cost for the period specified including all applicable taxes).
No of persons: 10 People (adults) No of Males;5
No of Females;5

Now that we've all caught our breath from last Friday here's a couple shots from the day . We were very close to 200 tattoos it was definitely 180+.  We don't have an exact tally for the day, a couple friends and associates got to sneak past the sign in system up front so our release form stack is not an exact count. Our apprentice Mina did an amazing 41 tattoos!!!!! Orrin had the most customers with 48 falling slightly behind Big Steve's record 51. In my book Kevin got the best Friday the 13th tattoo of the day (pictured left) combining the dolphin from the current sheet with the shark he got the last Friday the 13th and some small embelishments thrown in with her blush and little heart. Love it. Maury Englander Stopped by and got some excellent pictures for the Tattoo Road Trip Blog by Bob Baxter (click on "More Tattoo Goddies).

This was a really fun FT13. it was spaced far enough away from other Friday the 13ths that we were looking forward to it. We had some new faces jumping in, Mina, Orrin, Diego and the design were small enough we were able to get through people pretty quick without getting so tired. Thanks to everyone for showing up and making the day fun for us. We even got a nice thank you email!

"I love my tattoo!  It's my 4th tattoo, first 13th and my favorite experience being tattooed (including being tattooed by my cousin--who is a very talented artist!).  I'm not usually one to gush, but hey!  It was a great Friday!"

Well put! We hope everyone had a great time. Next one is in May.  We'll be ready.

Has it really been 10 years since the first Rumblers car show ? It is a beautiful day today so if you are anywhere near Brooklyn get your ass under the BQE to see the best collection of hot rods you're ever going to see so close to Manhattan. Open to any pre 1964 hot rods show starts at 10am. These guys do a great job get out there and show your support!

Friday the 13th is upon us yet again. Thankfully we've had a nice long break since the last one so we're all pretty well rested and actually looking forward to the fun this time around. Here's the usual low down on the day with all the same rules and suggestions to make everything run smoothly and to get as many of you through the door as possible so everyone gets something fun to take home and show the folks.

• One tattoo per customer!  We want to tattoo as many people as we can for the day.
• Bring valid state ID (drivers license, passport) You MUST be at least 18 years old. No ID, no tattoo. NO exceptions.
• Do not block any of our neighbors doors or store fronts. Don't sit in the doorways and try not to get in anyones way. We don't want to ever have to stop this tradition so don't give anyone reason to complain about all the nice tattooed people hanging around.
• We start around 12 noon. If the doors open a little late don't freak out, we're just trying to get everything together before we let you in.
• Bring your cell phone. To keep the crowds at a minimum we will take names and phone numbers so there does not have to be a huge line down the street. Keep your cell phone in hand and don't wander too far. Feel free to check in to see where you are on the list. If you miss the call we will move on to the next person. If you want to mill about close by there are a few empty constrution sites on the block (across the street and 3 doors up on Ludlow) You won't bother anyone by hanging out in front of them on the side walk. The one next to Max Fish has a scafolding up so you can stay out of the sun.
• Bring cash and a few extra bucks. We're hoping our celebrity chef friend Aaron Sanchez will be able to park his taco truck in front with delicious snacks and refreshing beverages (vegan tacos too!) Tattoos are $13 + a lucky $7 tip.
• We (Mina) are drawing up a sheet for the day. What you see on the sheet is what you get. No changes, no art directing and NO YOU CANNOT SEE THE SHEET BEFORE FRIDAY. It's not even done yet, relax.
• On Friday the 13th NO HANDS, NECKS, BELLIES, LOWER BACKS, CHEST, SIDES, or FEET. These places take longer to tattoo or are difficult to heal. It's a long day of tattooing for us this is to keep it as easy on the artists as possible. Don't whine and complain about this rule! We have our reasons, trust me.

• Sometimes we decide we hate a design or are sick of doing the same one all day that people keep picking. That design might not be an option later in the day at some point. So yes we can "sell out" of certain designs. Don't be a cry baby, deal with it. There's lots of other cool tattoos to pick from.

This is a very long day for us, when we say we're done, we're done.  We want to have fun and we want everyone getting tattooed to have fun. But at the same time this is the worst possible day to come in to the shop and get tattooed! Especially if you don't like crowds, don't like chaos and are picky.  It's a crazy day, enter and get tattooed at your own risk. We have a big crew working on Firday so we're really going to try and tattoo everyone who shows up.