Shop Talk : Snapdragon Inc.

Shop Talk

Discussion

COMMENTING ON STORIES:

Welcome to our story comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including the unpopular ones. We only ask that you keep your conversations clean, civil and on the topic of the story you are commenting on.

Coinciding with our websites redesign, we launched our new story comments feature through Disqus.

Disqus gives users the ability to log into our story comments feature so that they may be able to track their conversations, receive emails when their comments get a reply or to even have your comments update onto your Facebook or Twitter accounts.

For the time being, our story comments feature will continue to have the ability to post comments anonymously. We reserve the right to require registration in the future using your name and verified email address.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified at the newspaper’s discretion for a number of different reasons. Please follow our Online Rules of Conduct at all times.

RULES OF CONDUCT:

We reserve the right to remove comments that are unacceptable, to wit:

1. False and inacurate statements.
2. Personal attacks. Explicit name-calling.
3. Harassing, harmful, vulgar, obscene and defamatory language.
4. Threatening statements or statements that suggest violence.
5. Hate speech of any kind.
6. Intolerant comments on religion, race, age, gender, sexual preference or disabilities.
7. Accusations of criminal activity.
8. Content that is harmful to children and minors in any way.
9. References to any type of sexual activity and other private matters.
10. Random and inflammatory statements that are off topic.
11. Advertising of any kind.
12. Typing in all caps.

WE ENCOURAGE REASONABLE AND COURTEOUS COMMENTS THAT:

1. Create conversation on issues of interest and concern to fellow readers and local community members.
2. Express opinions and contrarian views.
3. Stimulate debate with respectful language.
4. Stay within the boundaries of these rules.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SUSPEND OR TERMINATE ACCESS FOR:

1. Violating any of these Online Rules of Conduct.
2. Deliberately disrupting discussions with repetitive messages, meaningless messages or spam.
3. Misrepresentation of identity or impersonating another user.

WE WELCOME:

1. Flagging violations of these rules that you observe to our attention.

MONITORING:

We monitor comments regularly Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Approval of comments outside of this time (including weekends) will be sporadic.

comments powered by Disqus

February 12, 2011

Shop Talk : Snapdragon Inc.

Snapdragon Inc. 116½ Main St., Delhi Owner: Marguerite Established: 2001 Employees: One part-time

Anonymous Daily Star The Daily Star Sun Mar 20, 2011, 09:39 AM EDT

Shop Talk is a weekly column featuring locally owned and operated businesses. This week, we talk to Marguerite, who doesn't use a last name, who operates Snapdragon Inc., a tattoo shop in Delhi.

How long have you lived in the area?

I moved up here from Long Island in 2000, but I have owned property up here for more than 20 years.

Tell me about your business:

Well, it's a tattoo shop, so I do tattoos mainly. I do a lot of custom designing and do mostly freehand, fine-line work. At Snapdragon, I do what I call "resurrecting" tattoos that need some rework, cover-ups or simply need to be fixed. There is some cosmetic tattoo work that I do, but not a large amount.

Describe a typical day in your business:

I typically open the shop at noon and work till around 7 p.m. Since most of my customers come in by appointment, I keep a busy schedule, but sometimes I can fit in walk-ins. Setting up for customers doesn't take a lot of time, usually about 5 to 10 minutes _ I have my work area clean and set up after I am finished with every customer, so ink cups and the machine I use are ready. I open all sterile tubes and needles in front of customers so that they can feel comfortable that these instruments have never been used before. Some customers will come in just to talk for a while and look through my portfolio of work.

How did you get started in this line of work?

It's a funny story that begins with me wearing shorts on a ladder. I was painting a large sign and the person holding the ladder I was up on owned a tattoo shop nearby. He kept looking up and finally asked if I would be interested in painting the sign on the glass front door of his business. I ended up painting a design on that door and he suggested I try my hand at making tattoo designs. I believe that for most of us it is good to have a few bad jobs before you settle in to one that you love.

Where do you see this business in five years?

In five years I hope to still be able to do this work, that my hands and eyes are still working.

Describe a memorable moment in your workplace:

There may be lots of stories and memorable moments, but I don't think about them at all. When I am finished with one design and one customer I completely move on; I don't linger with past experiences very much. I do enjoy the sort of experience that I call "tattoo therapy," where I am talking with clients who are getting a tattoo or friends who stop in to look over designs.

What have you learned from your work?

I have learned a lot _ a lot about people, and that this type of work is fun. I have learned about the depth that pigments need to be to stay put. I have learned that some people need advice about where a tattoo is placed, especially if they are college students. While they are in college, a large tattoo on their neck might look great, but when they want to get a job, it might be an idea they regret. I've learned to offer other recommendations.

What is the most challenging part of what you do?

Since most of my clients have made an appointment, I don't often have to advise someone against a tattoo because they are hung over, really sunburned or have low blood sugar _ most people have planned the day and know what they are having done. So the most challenging part of my work is that I am typically the only one working here. If I am working on a tattoo and there are other people who have questions and the phone is ringing, it can get a little hectic.

The most enjoyable?

It's the people _ I meet some really nice, cool people in this line of work. What I sell is 100% made in America and I really like that. I enjoy the fact that the tattoo people choose to have is something that no one can take away from you, it is all yours.

How do you define success for your business?

Success for me is doing a good job, enjoying what I do.

What are some advantages as well as drawbacks of doing business in this area?

The drawback of a depressed economy keeps me from making the same amount of money that I could be making in Long Island, but for this same reason it is an advantage because there is more consistency here, more of a steady business.

What sets you apart from your competitors?

I think I set myself apart from other tattoo artists because I really have fun with my work. Some tattoo artists will make promises about making a custom design for a client and weeks can pass by before they do anything; I am very timely with drawing up designs.

What advice would you give to someone trying to enter your field of work?

I have taken on apprentice tattoo artists, and they need to learn to draw and be able to draw well, not computer graphic material. It takes many hours to learn and that involves working with a good tattoo artist who is willing to spend the time teaching you and letting you watch. I think that some people start out wanting to be a tattoo artist when they are too young; it seems like it helps to have a few jobs that you don't like first before you start into something you really enjoy.

There's the business part of it, too; that just takes time to learn.

Shop Talk interviews are conducted by Terry Hannum. For information, call The Daily Star at 432-1000, ext. 217, or e-mail news@thedailystar.com.