Tattoo consultation

drawn on sketch during a consultation


Curious about how a typical tattoo consultation at Good Old Times Tattoo Berlin works? Read on to find out more.

UNIQUE TATTOOS


In a world where everything is just a copy of copies, we stand for tattoos that are unique – just like you. How would you feel if while strolling around you would see another person with your exact same tattoo on exactly the same spot?? Rather anonymous and part of a tattoo mass production.

This is exactly what we want to avoid. Every single custom tattoo that leaves our shop is designed specifically for you and tailored to your body.


How does it feel to be special? Pretty great, right? That’s exactly how we want each of you to feel when you leave Good Old Times Tattoo Berlin – SPECIAL.

WHY A TATTOO CONSULTATION

As you can imagine, creating a custom design requires a significant amount of time and energy. Depending on the design, especially for Japanese tattoos, just the research alone can take hours or even days. That’s why we offer consultation appointments for tattoos above a certain size, allowing us to do our work with the necessary professionalism and care. Listening and giving focused attention to your wishes is part of that. With this input, we can tailor your tattoo design specifically to you and prepare it carefully. 

Whether it’s your first or tenth tattoo, we’ll make sure you get the best possible advice.

What Happens During a Tattoo Consultation

A consultation appointment is a chance for the tattoo artist and the client to get to know each other and exchange expectations. The goal in developing custom tattoo concepts is to combine the artist’s expertise with the client’s wishes to create a design that perfectly fits their personality and body – for life.

During the consultation, you’ll mainly discuss the design of the tattoo, including style, size, placement, the estimated number of sessions, and costs. This ensures that we’re on the same page. Please note, however, that large projects can take months or even years to complete. As such, the price may change over time due to market conditions.

It’s important to know: we tattoo out of passion, not for financial reasons. Our studio’s reputation is based on the quality of our work, which means we sometimes have to turn down tattoo requests. If we’re not convinced that the final result or long-term effect will be optimal, we prefer to decline. Similarly, if our styles don’t align or if the personal fit isn’t right.

HOW LONG DOES A TATTOO CONSULTATION LAST

Our consultations usually last about 30 minutes. If we think it’s necessary, a second consultation (only in combination with booking a tattoo appointment) may follow, especially for large projects like a Japanese back piece or sleeve. 

During the first consultation, you’ll brainstorm with the tattoo artist and discuss the rough concept of the tattoo. In the second consultation, the artist will show you the sketch of the tattoo concept they’ve prepared for you. Don’t be disappointed if the final design isn’t shown yet. The success of the tattoo depends on the consistency of the concept. Once you approve the concept, the final design will be presented on the day of your tattoo appointment.

If you have uncertainties or questions during the consultation, please bring them up. Changes to the design cannot be made on the day of the appointment.

IS THE TATTOO CONSULTATION FREE OF CHARGE

Yes, the consultation itself is free of charge. However, we require a deposit of €50 to reserve your consultation appointment.

After the consultation, you have one week time to decide whether you want to book a tattoo appointment or not. If you decide to start your project, the €50 deposit will be credited towards the deposit you need to reserve your tattoo slot. The deposit will be deducted from the final price at your last tattoo session. If you decide not to book a tattoo appointment, the deposit will be considered a service fee. 

If you inform us of your desire to book your tattoo slot after the one week has passed, you’ll need to book a new consultation with a new deposit. Please understand that we handle a high volume of clients and consultations each week. To stay organized, if a consultation doesn’t lead to a tattoo appointment, all related materials – such as sketches and photos – are deleted after one week. This ensures we aren’t overwhelmed by storing hundreds of unused designs and concepts and allows us to focus fully on the projects that move forward, maintaining the quality and attention to detail our clients expect.

Remember: if you don’t show up, arrive late, or reschedule the appointment outside the allowed time frame, the deposit will be forfeited.

DO I ALWAYS NEED A TATTOO CONSULTATION

Not necessarily. Whether a consultation appointment is required is decided on an individual basis for each client. 

A consultation may not be necessary if your design is simple, such as small text, a date, or a symbol. However, we won’t book a tattoo appointment without a short in-person conversation first.

For larger and more complex designs, especially extensive Japanese projects, a consultation is definitely required. The quality of the tattoo greatly depends on the proper consultation, and the time we invest in preparation will pay off in the long run.


I’m Unsure About Getting a Tattoo, So I Don’t Want to Pay the Deposit


From our perspective, planning a tattoo is a mutual commitment. 

Since we focus exclusively on custom tattoos, we will never simply print a picture from Pinterest and transfer it to your body. Every design is tailored specifically to you and your body, requiring a lot of energy, work, time, and knowledge. We brainstorm to give you the best experience and the best possible tattoo option.

If you’re unsure whether you want to invest your time and money in it, we can’t invest our time, experience, and knowledge in your consultation as well.

It’s perfectly normal to feel anxious or uncertain about a tattoo, and we understand that. Take the time to think about it, and feel free to come back later. We’ll always be happy to assist when you return.

what if i don’t like the design on the day of the tattoo appointment

It’s possible that on the day of your appointment, you might want to change small details of your design – that’s not a problem. However, if you don’t like the entire tattoo concept, we’ll have to reschedule the appointment. In this case, your deposit will be used to compensate for the missed session. To book a new consultation and tattoo appointment, a new deposit is required.

Exactly to avoid situations like this, we offer detailed 30-minute consultations. It’s your responsibility to clearly communicate during both consultations what you want and what you don’t. After the consultation, we create a design based on your specifications, so think carefully about what you want and don’t want.

tattoo-consultation-of Japanese waves at-good-old-times-tattoo-berlin

Health concerns

You may already have pre-existing health issues. Please inform us of anything that concerns your physical health. 

Diabetes, postpartum issues, HIV (AIDS) status, Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV), chemotherapy, skin problems, bleeding disorders, and allergies are just some of the health aspects that should be discussed before getting a tattoo. In some cases, we may unfortunately have to reject your tattoo request to protect both your health and the tattoo artist’s.

Don’t forget to mention if you’re taking any medications. Blood thinners, for example, can cause excessive bleeding, which can be dangerous and uncomfortable. Also, a skin condition can significantly affect the quality of your tattoo.

Despite what you may think, your tattoo artist won’t judge you. Everything we discuss during the consultation is, of course, confidential.

WHAT IF I CHANGE MY MIND ABOUT THE DESIGN

Your tattoo artist has already invested a lot of time and effort into creating your design. If you suddenly want a completely different motif, the original deposit will be considered a service fee. A new deposit of €50 is required to book a new consultation.

Please also understand that we can’t offer endless consultations. If you’re still unsure about what you want after the second consultation, we recommend taking some time to think about your wishes to avoid wasting your money and our time. Once you’re certain about what you want, we’ll be happy to discuss the possibility of offering a new consultation.

We generally only schedule consultation appointments after an in-person conversation and when we’re sure your desired tattoo is feasible. If you show up for the consultation with a completely different idea, we reserve the right to cancel your appointment and charge the deposit if we believe your new request is unworkable for any reason.

Additionally, if after a consultation you book a tattoo appointment for a specific design and change your mind about the design shortly before the tattoo appointment, the deposit for the tattoo reservation will be cleared. A new deposit is required to book a new consultation and tattoo appointment.

CAN I BRING SOMEONE TO THE TATTOO CONSULTATION

Look, we’re happy if you want to share this moment with someone important to you. However, keep in mind that this isn’t a bar or club visit. Other tattoo artists may be working and need absolute peace to concentrate. Would you like it if a group of 5 people loudly debated a tattoo design while you’re getting tattooed? Surely not.

It’s also always better to discuss your future tattoo with the artist alone. Friends’ and family’s ideas often differ from your own wishes. The saying “too many cooks spoil the broth” applies here as well.

Please always come to your appointments alone.


Can I Have a Copy of the Design

When our artists create a custom tattoo design, they put all their experience, secrets, knowledge, and energy into it. What may seem like a simple sketch has likely taken up a lot of the tattoo artist’s personal time. 

Therefore: No, you absolutely cannot photograph the designs or receive them via email.

Your mom will need to wait till you get the tattoo 😉

Be on time

It might not seem important to you if you’re 10 minutes late, but our schedule is very tight. Your lateness can throw off the tattoo artist’s entire day and cause other clients to wait. So please respect our time and that of others.

Moreover, arriving late means you’ll have less time to plan your tattoo – after all, it will stay on your skin forever. If you’re late, we can’t offer you a high-quality consultation in less than 30 minutes. If your lateness makes it impossible for the consultation to be meaningful, we’ll need to reschedule, and you’ll have to pay the deposit again.

CONCLUSION

THE DEPOSIT IS NON-REFUNDABLE.  .
It covers the loss of an open slot if there’s a last-minute cancellation or rescheduling.

  • You cancel the consultation: The deposit is forfeited.
  • You don’t show up for your consultation: The deposit is forfeited.
  • You reschedule 3 working days prior the appointment: We’ll transfer the deposit to the new appointment. If you ask to reschedule less than 3 working days in advance, the deposit is forfeited. A new deposit is required for a new appointment.
  • You reschedule more than 3 times: We can’t guarantee that we’ll offer you another appointment. If you’ve already paid a deposit, it will be considered a service fee.
  • We have to reschedule your appointment for any reason: We’ll transfer the deposit to your next appointment. We’ll also offer various options for this appointment. If you decide to cancel the consultation, the deposit is forfeited.
  • The deposit is nominative and non-transferable: You can’t pass your spot or deposit to someone else.


We look forward to creating exciting Old School and Japanese tattoo projects with you! 🙂 For all inquiries, please use our contact form to book your consultation appointment.

Your Good Old Times Tattoo Team