We need help to help stop /regulate the sale of tattoo equipment to non professionals

Frostbitetattoo · #1 02-16-2010, 04:43 PM

Hi Guys and Gals,

I`m part of a group on facebook trying to get together enough information and support from people in our industry to help stop the sale of tattoo equipment on " Trademe " ( New Zealand equivalent to ebay ) And we will be getting a petitition started soon to get people to sign their name to so we have something to take to our pollititions to make the government take action to help regulate the sale and use of tattoo equipment in my country.

There are many provences where you don`t need any licencing and many citys DON`T have any bylaws in place for tattooing and body piercing. This is also another issue we are trying to target.

If you can join this link and support our cause i`d be forever grateful.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=...d=188947904962

Sorry if it looks like i`m trying to spam the forum guys. I hope many of you can help join the fight, and maybe if one country and regulate the industry prehaps other countrys will follow.

Thanks everybody

Craig
Frostbite Tattoo
Invercargill
New Zealand

Cactus Jack · #2 02-17-2010, 07:02 PM

its kicking off with a bang over there!!

Frostbitetattoo · #3 02-18-2010, 05:55 AM

Yeah we`ve got the attention of 1 politition and we`re going to see what he can do to help. However, in an ironic twist we have even had scratchers join too.

After one got banned from the group, that person then emailed 300 people saying this

"To all my friends who join the group STOP TRADEME SELLING s&!t TATTOO GEAR TO SCRATCHERS!!!! please leave the group as a guy called craig harris who is a admin kicked me out just because he has a problem with me... "

This is false, however.......after this person posted work i had done 5 years ago and trying to hang me out as a scratcher or whatever i have soon learned that even some adults can act like children.

SJRabbit · #4 02-20-2010, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frostbitetattoo

Yeah we`ve got the attention of 1 politition and we`re going to see what he can do to help. However, in an ironic twist we have even had scratchers join too.

After one got banned from the group, that person then emailed 300 people saying this

"To all my friends who join the group STOP TRADEME SELLING s&!t TATTOO GEAR TO SCRATCHERS!!!! please leave the group as a guy called craig harris who is a admin kicked me out just because he has a problem with me... "

This is false, however.......after this person posted work i had done 5 years ago and trying to hang me out as a scratcher or whatever i have soon learned that even some adults can act like children.

So thats what started that one Thread..........
Very Childish............how ever good luck dude.......I don't see any of these online petitions ever working, there was 1 on ebay a few years ago and there still selling stuff to whoever...........Capitalism my friend....there's down falls and ups of course without it we would have Tattoo's or Scratchers........and with the economy in this Downward Spiral even "pro olny online stores" are just selling s&!t to who ever Im not going to out those sites.....but the supply companies are hustling harder then most of us.....they gotta eat too.....pick your battles my friend............and if you really break it down if the world was scratherless supply prices would go up and just here in the denver Area we have Pro-Shops and do good work and Have Awards that sell supplies to ANYONE..........Im done with the war on the Scratchers just cause it's a War that takes more talking to the Wall then i want to deal with......Fight the Good Fight waste all the time and Energy.......But untill someone dies from a tattoo Nothings gonna happen.........I don't think in recent history anyone has....Infections and s&!tty work yeah...hep sure but death by Ink........Im with ya Craig.....but I got other s&!t to worry about bills, taxes and death and Pitbull Bans.....Coming from a guy that used to be pretty Vocal Against Scratcherism and the Scratchers

Just my 2 cents

JohnnyChaos · #5 02-21-2010, 05:06 AM

Daft thing is I can't sell my paintball gun on eBay but I can sell a machine which will mark someone for life. Doesn't make sense to me

Frostbitetattoo · #6 02-21-2010, 02:52 PM

Exactly, they ( trademe ) eg, they won`t allow the sale of any nazi coins or anything along those lines, or body parts etc.

We managed to get ALL the Cathider piercing needles pulled off the site, as it is illegal to sell those to the gerneral public here.........as for those that don`t know they can also fit most syringe`s.
We have also found some of the "KITS" have power supplys that don`t comply with our code of compliance of electrical items, they need to be checked by an electrican and have a code of compliance certificate.
And those kits that have a burnt disc containing images of flash and other items, we raised the question. Do they have the distribution rights to those images and do they have a copy of the certificate to prove it? otherwise that is a major breach in copyright laws.

So after many of us researching the in`s and out`s of what is legal in terms of sale, we are making a difference already. So f@#king time consuming but with everyone involed it does make a huge difference, One voice may not be heard but many voices will.

Beamish417 · #7 02-22-2010, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frostbitetattoo

to help stop the sale of tattoo equipment on " Trademe " ( New Zealand equivalent to ebay )

This seems a bit drastic to me. eBay is a great place to find old and rare machines and several quality builders sell their products in an appropriate manner there as well.

Aaron Cain for example..

http://myworld.ebay.com/**aaroncain**/

"I SELL TO PROFESSIONAL TATTOOERS WITH PROOF OF ESTABLISHMENT IN THE BUSINESS ONLY. I WILL NOT SELL TO ANYONE WHO PROVIDES TATTOO EQUIPMENT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC."

Even if they did restrict eBay/trademe from selling tattoo equipment there's still places such as Unimax, craigslist, not to mention all the Chinese wholesale storefronts that sell to the general public.

Which is the main problem in my opinion. The majority of stuff being sold to the general public is chinese wholesale junk whether they buy it from unimax or ebay it comes from the same place.

Scratcher? · #8 02-22-2010, 08:04 PM

Not to sound like a complete d**k there isnt any formal training or recognized qualification in New Zealand for a tattooist, only council bylaws. So technically anyone adhering to these bylaws is a professional.

I have personally purchased tattoo equipment from trademe from the guidance of my instructor who has been tattooing for 18years in his own studio and in other recognized studios. Now he chooses to work from home only tattooing a very small group of people.

Now my question is with no recognized qualification in NZ for tattooists who is going to decide who is professional enough to purchase tattoo equipment?

Surely this wont be left up to just existing artists potentially creating a monopoly?

Joe · #9 02-22-2010, 08:18 PM

It's not about monopolizing the tattoo industry, It's a matter of public safety.
When someone walks into the hospital with a staph infection from a tattoo, they never blame the person that actually did the tattoo in their basement. They blame the licensed shop within closest proximity to the hospital.
People that get the scratcher work know when they are getting the tattoo done by an unlicensed studio, that they are making a bad decision. So, when the tattoo becomes infected and they are in the hospital, they don't want to look like a complete idiot in the presence of a health professional, they "claim" they made the best decision and it's no fault of their own because they went to the locally licensed studio.
Don't get work by people that do tattoo's for a six pack of beer of a few dollars. If they don't make enough money to buy their own beer, how are they going to buy new needles, sterilization equipment, and other supplies to provide a safe tattoo.

Scratcher? · #10 02-22-2010, 08:38 PM

It seems you may have taken one part of my comment and ran with it. I am all for the safety of the public relating to tattooing and piercing.

But here in New Zealand there is NO formal qualifications to be a tattooist other than the really basic health regulations set out by local councils.

What I was saying is that there is NO way of determining who is a professional here in NZ. I think trying to ban sales of equipment would be pissing in the wind. It would make much more sense to approach the government to help form an industry training organization similar to other trades such as builders, plumbers and hairdressers. Then have a license or trade for people that have finished an apprenticeship.

Under the current situation really the only people that could be considered professional here in NZ are actual studio owners registered with there local authority. NOT people tattooing from their houses etc.

Do any other countries have a formal apprenticeship for the industry or is it the same as here were if you are lucky enough to have someone experienced show you then thats your "apprenticeship"?

Like I said on my first post not to sound like a complete d**k but without formal qualifications in NZ we are all "scratchers".