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THE SMALL STANDS WE TAKE

...are often not appreciated by others. That's not why we take them. No one may get why you don't want to hang out with a friend who cheats on his significant other. Or why you just can't steal cable. Or eat beef. Or buy an SUV.

Not that I have any say in whether others do. A friend who may do some of the above will not recieve lectures nor disdain from me. I don't expect everyone around me to keep the same kind of ethical scorecard I do. Let your dog shit on my lawn... Hurt someone else(that doesn't deserve it)... different story.

One such silly simple stand I've taken has put a little cramp in my style professionally. I don't like to support businesses that cheapen and endanger my profession. "Starter kits", marketed in tattoo magazines supply everything the aspiring artist needs to seek fame and fortune as a professional tattooist... leaving disease and broken hearts behind him as he goes.

Example: STARTER KIT NO3: 1X...............................LINER MACHINE 2X...............................SHADER MACHINES 1X...............................POWER PACK 1X...............................CLIP-CORD 1X...............................TREADLITE FOOT-PEDAL 2X...............................SINGLE LINER GROUPS ON BARS (WITH GROMMETS) 2X...............................7 SHADER GROUPS ON BARS (WITH GROMMETS) 5X...............................50ML COLOURS (YOUR CHOICE) 1X...............................50ML BLACK 30X...............................DESIGNS AND STENCILS 15X...............................STENCIL CARBON 20X...............................NEEDLE BARS & GROMMETS 100X.............................COLOUR CUPS 10X...............................PAIRS OF GLOVES (SIZE PLEASE) FREE TAT-2-TIPS**STATE SKIN PENETRATIONS ACT**ALLEN KEY SET**COLOUR CUP HOLDER**

I find it unforgiveable that companies would ply such wares to the ignorant masses. No sterilizer. No training. No scruples.

Because of this, I don't do business with companies that bottom-feed in such a fashion, and this causes a few issues. First, I can't order ANYTHING from companies that sell starter kits, even if it's the best choice cost-wise.

I'd like to take this opportunity to ask all who read this to take the same simple stand. Don't support that which does not deserve your support. Boycott companies that sell this garbage. DON'T let them use your art to sell you short. I won't pester you about it, but if enough of us vote with our wallets, then this dispicable practice will lose its allure. I realize that magazines have to pay the bills. Otherwise they can't continue to promote us. But I hate that they have to run these horrible ads. How about a page for Fuji film? Neosporin? Curel? It's a good market for them... if we can bridge to image gap. If we could bring them in, we'd remove the need for magazines to sell their souls to these scumbags. However, as long as these magazines show so little class and pose such an obvious health hazard, these advertisers won't buy the space. I for one would rather appeal to a higher standard, rather than sell out early in such a way as to cheapen what we do.