Restrictions on purchases pertain to those items that are used exclusively for the commercial application of tattooing or piercing, mostly thought of as needles, inks, machines, forcep and such. Everyone is free to purchase other items.

This prohibition does not prevent responsible sales to experienced tattooists or requests for legitimate use, such as academia.

Our request for a license or sponsorship relates only to tattoo-specific and piercing-specific tools and equipment used only for tattoo and piercing application and is not the result of any perceived health threat.

Neither Tattoo nor Piercing pose a health threat
more than any other occupation according to the CDC.   WE OPENLY DECLARE IT.

Those who exaggerate the health threats are
UN-informed, MIS-informed or not using logic. Their arguments are a pack of lies because they hate tattoo and piercing.

If you don't read a lot you can't know a lot.
We read a lot, We know a lot.

The compelling most often voiced reason to oppose tattooing and piercing in homes and apartments is: cut rate prices threaten the livelihoods of those who pay the taxes and the costs associated with full partnership in society. Our policy is in response to tattooists asking for a level playing field.

Secondly, this threat to tattooists' livelihoods is exacerbated by the challenge of the appearance of many more tattooists and piercers competing for the same customers.

The third commonly heard reason to limit sales is to keep amateur work from masquerading as professional work, confusing buyers. Buyer beware may be good advice but not sufficient to protect us from "sales-targeted" techniques. Tattoo consumers need help to assure they will get what is advertised; so do tattooists, who look to licensing.

Tattooists now look to Unimax to limit sales, as well as discourage  purchases on marketplace sites such as e-commerce marketplace sites. While we limit sales it is not fair that we bear the whole burden while the same purchase from others who openly advertise on market place sites because they may be a nickel cheaper on some items.

Twenty years ago we started asking, insisting for the recognition of our rights to become part of the system instead of an underground economy. We won the battle but now are loosing the war to rule-making bodies that are not requesting input from those who will be affected by new questionable rules. 

We ask that rule-makers provide outreach to the tattoo and piercing industries when legislation or proposed rule changes are introduced. This would include organizations looking to participate, tattoo artists, shop owners, the general public and suppliers. It would go a long way to foster a return to citizen democracy.  Anything less is tyranny as if tattoo/piercing voices were irrelevant.

Respectfully submitted by Westley Wood

You are free to use these original arguments and expositions provide properly sourced to the origin: Unimax or Wes Wood.
Contents copyright.

A meeting with NY State Senator David Carlucci,
Sponsor of A1334-2015 on Wed. Sept 3, 2015
held in Pearl River NY organized by Mick Metal, Revolution Tattoo Shop.