If you’ve always wanted to try your hand (quite literally!) at doing tattoo work, one of the best places to start is to get what’s known as a tattoo kit.

What is a tattoo kit?

Simply put, it’s a kit containing all the various essentials needed to do tattoo work. This means you get an all in one package of tattoo supplies to get you started or even to keep you going.

Lots of different tattoo supply companies these days offer different types of tattoo kits. Let’s take a look at the different kits out there on the market and see what’s right for you.

First up we have what’s generally called starter tattoo kits. This is actually what most people mean when they use the term tattoo kit. This is a package designed for people just starting – for those who want to get their feet wet, and see what it’s like to start inking out some real live  tattoos, most likely on some adventurous and trusting friends who have faith in your aspiring tattoo artistry ambitions!

Starter tattoos kits offer the basics of tattoo supplies. Priced to sell, the starter tattoo kit is the cheap tattoo kit everyone is looking for when they start out. These tattoo kits cost under $100, even as cheap as $79.

Next we have what’s called a Professional Tattoo Kits. These kits offer more of everything that a starter tattoo kits offers, along with a bit more of a quality product behind the products contained within, such as the inks, the tattoo machine, and the individuals needles used in the tattoo machine, along with the power supply and other accessories.

The Professional Kits (or Premium Kits) accordingly run a little bit more than the Starter Kits since you get more stuff and it’s of a higher quality. These tattoo kits cost between $100-150.

Last, many companies offer what’s called a Mini Kit. These Tattoo Mini Kits are like the Starter Starter Kit, allowing for someone who really wants to start but doesn’t have the money to spend for a full kit, to get their hands on some useful tattoo equipment and give it a go. These types of kits contains just the basics – the machine and some needles – and cost under $100, which makes for a really cheap tattoo kit!

For what it’s worth, the Professional or Premium Tattoo Kits cost only $20-40 more thant he starter and mini kits, yet offer quite a bit more return on your dollar. For those interested in buying a tattoo kit, comparing all the options available usually leads to buying the well priced Professional Tattoo Kit.

Tattoo supply companies offer everything from mini kits, to starter kits, to complete, professional tattoo kits. You could also buy tattoo ink kits if you need ink more than anything else (but still want everything you need!) or if you want additional tattooing guns, simply look no further than the variety of tattoo gun kits out there, also known as tattoo machine kits too depending on where you live.

What’s the difference between all these kits? Usually, it’s obvious. It doesn’t take too much to figure out that a ink kit contains ink and tattoo machines kits contains tattoo machines. But what about the so called starter kit versus the complete tattoo kit? What do you need if you are starting out?

I think the answer to that question depends on two things. First, it depends on how much money you have to spend! This is not a fun fact to weigh into the equation but obviously it’s going to determine what can or cannot be purchased. Secondly, what are you intentions? What do you plan on doing with the tattoo kit? How ambitious are you plans? Or are you simply curious to get started and to see what it would take to do so?

If you’re currently working or practicing as a tattoo artist, either in a shop or in the privacy of your own home on some practice skin, then you’ll likely be far more interested in the Complete Tattoo Kit. The Start Tattoo Kits are aimed at the curious beginner, someone who wants to jump in and see what’s going on but doesn’t have the need (or the money) for a complete kit.

One thing to note though – if you think you will be in it for the long haul, and if you have no qualms over buying a high quality and expansive complete tattoo kit, then consider what your money will get you. Typically these complete kits come as a sort of ‘discount tattoo kit’ because while you spend more money, you get more than a one on one return for you dollar. In other words, it’s not the same as buying two starter or beginner tattoo kits for the same price, as the complete tattoo kits give you more of everything, AND usually at a higher quality!

However, this is probably not the case. And even if there IS a tattoo supply shop in your area, many people might feel a little intimidating going into such a niche industry shop and trying to figure out what to buy between all the different supplies and tattooing kits.

The companies making tattoo kits know this, and that’s why there appeal is so good: we’ll take everything you need and want, put it altogether at an affordable price, and sell it as a kit. And thus, the tattoo kit was born.

While you can buy them via mail order (see the ads in any tattoo magazine), I’d venture to say that nearly all tattoo kit sales are generated online. Thus, the online market is great with so much competition, and so many options for the consumer to compare prices and products.

If you’d like to get a tattoo kit, I’d recommend buying one online from a reputable vendor. This includes companies whose bread and butter is selling tattoo supplies directly to shops. You can often get great deals from them for tattoo kits, such as the highly coveted  cheap tattoo kit for less than $100 bucks. Another place anyone wanting to purchase a tattoo kit online should look at is Ebay. Here you can find vendors selling tattoo kits at a steep discount. You may even be able to find wholesale tattoo kits sometimes being sold here!  And might I add, you are pretty lucky if you get to buy tattoo kits this way for such a good price!

And on that subject – re: prices for tattoo kits:

The best way to compare prices and size up the value is to then look for those same kits on vendors websites and compare what you find price-wise. You might be able to find a tattoo kit in the way from ebay for an awesome price. And while some people have reservations about using Ebay, note that you should take into account some basic precautions; such as looking at the sellers feedback profile (obviously, you don’t want to see lots (or any, really) negative feedback). Also take note of the shipping charges, as these can kill a deal in a hurry if you’re not paying attention!

Beyond directly working with tattoo supply vendors and looking on Ebay, one of the only other merchant sites I’d suggest looking for a tattoo kit online for is the mammoth known as Amazon, where you can really get anything under the same, and for a good price. One perk of Amazon is that you can usually get free shipping if the product is more than $25. Since the cheapest tattoo kit still cost three times that much, this means you will probably get the tattoo kit at cost and not have to pay with shipping. In another words, you can get a good deal on your dollars!

Additionally, you can find kits that angle their focus a bit more on one aspect of tattoo supplies versus others. For instance, this includes tattoo ink kits and tattoo gun kits, giving you everything you need but also many more bottles of ink or tattoo guns, respectively.

Anyone in the tattoo industry knows that the tattoo gun itself is surely one of the most important parts of the puzzle when it comes to being a tattoo artist. Accordingly, you can find tattoo kits that capitilize on this, offering multiple tattoo guns together as a kit, sold at a discount or bargain price.

For instance, **Light In The Box** – a large retailer of tattoo supplies, kits, ink and tons of other stuff – sells a professional tattoo kit with SIX tattoo guns for under $200. You can see it for yourself ***by clicking here.***

(Note: At the time of writing, this professional tattoo kit costs $186. To make the deal even sweeter, it looks like they’ve even got free shipping at the moment.)

This kit comes with 7 bottles of tattoo ink, 50 (yes, fifty!) pre-sterilized tattoo needles, a quality power supply, and many, many practical smaller items used in tattoo shops (ink cups, rubber bands, steel grips and tips and so on.) All of this plus SIX tattoo guns makes this kit live up to its name of not just a tattoo kit but a Tattoo Guns Kit!

For those with a little less cash to spend, it’s easy enough to compromise and buy a cheaper gun kit. The same site also offer ***this kit here*** for under $150 that comes with 3 tattoo guns and a whole buffet of other tattooing supplies, such as tattooing needles, ink, the power supply, and basically everything you need to get started or keep going with your tattoo work.

At the same time, many “traditional” tattoo kits come with not just one but two tattoo guns anyway, so, if you’d just like a second, back-up tattoo machine gun, then simply for these types of kits. They often cost just slightly more than a normal kit with one tattoo gun, so, it’s quite a deal to spend say $10-15 more yet get an extra tattoo gun!

Note: Depending on where you live in the world, you may see the terms tattoo gun and tattoo machine used interchangably. They mean the same thing! A tattoo machine simply refers to the tattoo gun. Therefore, if you see a tattoo machine kit, know it’s the same thing as a tattoo gun kit!

But breaking into the industry isn’t as simple as applying for a job and you’re in the door. Most of the times, an aspiring artist must do apprenticeship work. Before this wish is granted though, they often end up doing much of the boring work around the tattoo shop – cleaning the floors, the bathrooms, running the front desk, and so on. But the trade off is a one on one teacher and mentor, something that still lives in the tattoo artist trade, but is virtually gone from all other industries.

So what does this have to do with tattoo kits? Well, tattoo kits offer someone the ability who is interested in this career path to get started without the help of a sponsor or mentor. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the proud new owner of a few tattoo starter kits, who is hungry to get started, should start putting actual ink into actual human flesh. The solution to that is simple and worthy of your attention: practice skin! Tattoo kits should come with practice skin to get you started, because unless you have some trusting and perhaps brave friends, you’re going to be off to a rough start trying to convince someone to become your tattoo canvas without any professional training.

These tattoo kits then help you get started, helping a beginner take the initiative on their own to understand what tattoo supplies go into making a tattoo, how they work, how to clean them, how to keep up with them, what inks are used, how to handle the ink, and so on. Additionally, because of the practice skins, these tattoo kits for beginners give you the ability to start inking from day one like you’re a real artist, but thankfully just not on a real person!

So who should buy a tattoo kit?

Anyone who wants to learn how to do tattoos. It’s as simple as that! If you want to get started, buying a tattoo kit is the virtual foot in the door, allowing someone to get hands on experience without a mentor, but also to prove to future mentors and apprenticeship owners that they are indeed, serious about becoming a tattoo artist. And it starts with the tattoo kit!

Of course, one of the first reasonable questions anyone has about it is the price. How much do these tattoo kits cost? Can I get one for a couple hundred dollars? What about less than that – is it even possible for someone to buy a tattoo kit under $100?

If these are the types of questions you’ve got on your mind, then I’ve got good news for you. The verdict is in: cheap tattoo kits abound. In fact, that entire point of a tattoo kit is that it’s inexpensive and yet offers a buffet of tattoo supplies for an aspiring or beginner tattoo artist.

Yes, there are tattoo kits available for under $100. These are often even the best selling kits offered and many companies offer their version of the tattoo kit for less than $100 in an effort to get your business. For more information on these, check out our article about what’s inside a cheap tattoo kit under $100.

That being said, there are many other tattoo kits, with different combination’s of supplies. For instance, other kits are coupled with multiple tattoo machines, many additional needles, and an entire array of tattoo inking supplies instead of just a few bottles of black ink. Certainly these kits are going to run a bit more than the cheap tattoo kits.

Once you move beyond the cheapest starter kits, you’ll see tattoo kits in the price range of about $135-$250. As in everything, you get what you pay for, and for those who think they may be in this for the long haul, it makes sense to purchase something of higher quality, improved durability, and that’s just going to last you longer i.e. more needles, more ink, etc.

Tattoo kits rarely cost more than a couple hundred dollars. If they do, they cease to become less of a kit and more of a professional supply bundle for someone already knee deep in the tattoo business.

For someone wanted to start out, spending anywhere $85-150 is most common, and you get everything you could want for that price to get your started with a basic tattoo kit.

Many tattoo and tattoo related supply vendors carry these types of products now, usually calling them tattoo kits (or sometimes even tattooing kits), and usually offering them for around and even under $100.

It seems that most people looking for a tattoo kit aren’t trying to spend a lot of money. They are looking for a decent quality product that’s not too pricey. In other words, they want to find a good cheap tattoo kit! And the good news it, you can get tattoo kits for cheap.

This means buying one of the discount tattoo kits that go for under $100. What does that $100 get you then?

Of course, it depends on the type of tattoo kit you get and where you buy it, but let’s make some generalities on what a $100 tattoo kit includes. Generally speaking, these kits include:

The Power Supply. Never underestimate the ability to forget something simple like a power supply! Thankfully, tattoo kit companies have your back on this one, and of course include it in the kit.

Tattoo Machine. The tattoo machine refers to the “tattoo gun” used to delivery the tattoo. You also get the accompanying foot switch. It’s possible to get not just one but even two of these tattoo machines for under $100 as part of the start tattoo kits, when they go on special!

Tattoo Needles. These are the needles that fit into the tattoo machine. Most kits are going to give you more than one needle, and also include the needed needle accessories such as the liner tubes.

Tattoo Ink. Expect to get a 2-3 bottles of tattoo ink in these kits; a bottle of black ink and then a few different colors.

Tattoo Flash Sheets. These simple sheets of flash artwork will give an aspiring tattoo artist ideas and something to work with, something in hand to practice on.

Other Helpful Supplies. This includes cleaning solution, spray bottles, gloves, and also – a very helpful bonus – practice skin, which sounds quite creepy but it’s simply a manufactured bit of material that functions as practice skin to get you going!

As you can see, these tattoo kits offer everything you need to get going. In addition to the tattoo machines, needles, ink, flash sheets, and other helpful supplies listed above, kits usually include some kind of instructional CD/DVD/booklet or refer to an online instruction manual, to help you started in the craft of tattooing.

Good luck!