Tattoos-Supplies.com

Penny Lane is located on S. MacArthur in Springfield, IL

This article is to bring to your attention the local shops in your area as a way to acquire your tattoo equipment.

We found one such local shop that carries tattoo supplies in the Springfield, Illinois area. We stopped by Penny Lane, located on South MacArthur, to chat about their tattoo supply selection and take a few pictures.

Penny Lane opened its doors in 1971 and carries a wide selection of T-shirts, posters, stickers, patches, incense, beaded door curtains, darts, statues, figurines, blacklight posters, light accessories, adult novelties, oil burners, body oils, and candles, in addition to body jewelry and tattoos supplies.

Since Penny Lane is an alternative gifts store, you might not expect them to carry a wide variety of tattoo gear, considering that it is not their main focus. But in reality, they carry everything you need to assemble a complete tattoo kit, without having to search online for a reputable source.

Local shops carry tattoo inks, needles, guns, power supplies, and more

Tattoo needles start at $5 each, but as you go up in quantity, they lower the price for you significantly, as you can purchase 20 needles at a time for only $35, instead of $100. Tattoo guns range anywhere from $99 and to $140, but if you get in there during a sale, you can find an even better deal.

Harvey will hook you up with whatever tattoo supplies you need

The guys at Penny Lane are also very accommodating; if they do not carry something that you are looking for, they will go out of their way to special order it for you. We spoke with Harvey, who told us that in the beginning, they had people coming in and asking for India ink, and other tattoo gear, and they built their inventory by ordering exactly what people were asking for.

Although there is no legal requirement to do so, they will only sell tattoo supplies and body piercing equipment to customers who are over the age of 21.

Harvey says that although they must include a slight markup for all of their products to retail prices, the convenience is well worth the price for those tattoo artists that do not want to wait for delivery or pay for products to be shipped from out of state. Plus, it gives you the option to physically see up close anything that you are considering purchasing.

You can contact them at 1(217) 787 2996 for a direct line to the store and store hours.

If you are just getting started, you may think that it will be difficult to find people who will be willing to let you practice tattooing on them. Fortunately, there are several ideas you can try, without resorting to giving people free tattoos in exchange for being your guinea pig!

The most popular practice surface for tattooing is the grapefruit. Although it is round, it has a surface area that is larger than an orange, and the texture is very similar to that of real human skin.

Some tattoo artists use pig skin to practice doing tattoos. If you can find a butcher that sells whole pigs, try to buy one with the skin still on it. the pig body can be used for about 2 days, which is long enough to get in several practice pieces. Unfortunately, this can be quite expensive.

Another option is fake skin. You can find polypropylene rubber swatches or leather squares that are specifically made for practicing your tattoo skills. The surface is flat, so it beats a grapefruit, but you should expect to pay about $10 for each 6′ by 6′ square. Look for the brand called Second Skin–it works well, and if you can afford it, it is nicer than grapefruits, and won’t freak people out when they come to visit, and find an entire pig in your refrigerator!

Finally, a fourth idea is to go to a sport flooring supply house and ask if they carry the rubber underlayment that is used to cushion the tiles of a basketball court or gymnasium floor. Actually, I will do you one better: THIS SITE will send you a free sample if you want to try it out before buying a larger quantity.

Have you used any of the above ideas? What method or practice material is YOUR favorite?