Patch Tries: Getting $13 Tattoo on Friday the 13th

I've been in the area for a couple years now; I've heard many times of the $13 tattoo and piercing days out at Fairfax's (held always on the superstitiously unlucky Friday the 13^th) but I’ve never had a chance to partake before. So I volunteered to document my first infamous $13 tattoo for Patch Tries. I ended up with way more than I bargained for, getting a day of fun in which I got to help out a great charity as well as a cheap tattoo.

This year, Marlowe moved their tattoo operation out to in Manassas where they partnered with several other tattoo shops for the Friday the 13^th event. (Marlowe still did piercings at their shop in Fairfax). The event was organized by Handmade Tattoos and also involved Body Gallery and .

It was a very popular event. I arrived right at 10 a.m., the advertised event beginning time, and was the fifty-sixth person in line. Some people had arrived hours earlier to claim their spot. Everyone received a numbered ticket to determine the order.

I ended up waiting over four hours before I got my tattoo, down in the main restaurant with the other attendees. I had somewhat expected this might happen so I brought a book with me to read. I never picked it up downstairs though, as too much was going on. The folks from Off Topic Radio Network, an online radio station run out of Manassas, broadcast live from the event to entertain attendees. The hosts ran silly contests to hand out “cut-in-line” passes, including coaxing one attendee into performing the Safety Dance.  When they heard I was letting readers on Burke Patch’s Facebook Page vote for which tattoo I was going to get, they brought me up and had me chat with them on the microphone as well. (Nearly everyone voted for a flower design with petals falling off it)

There was also a game going on in which attendees were given a beaded necklace and attempted to collect as many as possible, which they were able to get from others if they could get them to say the word “No.” Plenty of nefarious schemes resulted. My favorite was a guy who'd ask people questions in Spanish, and then claim their beads when they said No, they didn't speak Spanish. Mackey’s was also getting a good deal of business from selling lunch to those hanging out downstairs waiting for their tattoos.

I was excited to find out that the proceeds from the event were actually going to Wounded Warriors. Donated t-shirts and items were sold downstairs and artwork by various tattoo artists was raffled off for the charity. The artists also decided to donate their proceeds to the cause.

The tattoos were done upstairs in a room filled with artists working away, carefully observing safe protocol. Gloves were constantly changed, needles were carefully thrown away, and biohazard rules were followed. I was lucky enough to get Philip Watkins, a very talented tattoo artist from The Body Gallery in Sterling. I thought we were just going to get little black and white outline tattoos, but every artist was doing full color in your choice- which was totally awesome. I told Phil I wanted the flower to be purple and he determined everything else.

This was my fifth tattoo so I was no stranger to the process , though I have to admit it always startles me how much it hurts. This was the first time I was filming and photographing the process mid-tattoo though. The tattoo needle has a very hot scratching feel to it that gets worse the longer it lasts as your tolerance decreases. I always end up counting random things in the room by the end of the session, just to keep myself calm and distract myself from the pain. This time I was counting lines in the words on a poster upstairs. It was over before I knew it though, as it usually goes.

The cost was $13 of course, with a required $7 tip. I threw on a good deal more for Watkins, as I was just flabbergasted by how beautiful the tattoo came out. The contours of the petals were just gorgeous and the shading added something special to it. I came in expecting just a normal tattoo and I walked out with art on my leg.

Now I have a great story to tell my grandkids in 50 years when they ask where my purple flower tattoo came from (which will by then, be totally outdated by the 6D holographic tattoos they'll be sporting...on their eyeballs). "Well kids, once upon a time, I worked for this company called Patch..."

Patch Tries is a video series where Patch local editors try something our readers are curious about, but may not want to do themselves. Have a suggestion for Patch Tries? E-mail Erin at erin.gibson@patch.com