A mobile tattoo studio is up for sale on Facebook Marketplace for $13,800, and is currently being stored in Port Alberni.
The man selling it, Mark Rodgers, came by tattooing in a truly unique way, then built the shop in the years to come.
Back in 1975, Rodgers was a 17-year-old kid who had acquired two tattoos from a local artist, but had no experience tattooing, himself.
However, tragically, the local tattoo artist went missing, and it turns out that the shop was owned by Garnet “Mother” McEwan, president of the Satan’s Choice Motorcycle Club.
“I told him that I heard he needed a tattoo artist and I could do tattoos,” Rodgers told Victoria Buzz.
To this, Rodgers said Mother replied “But you’re just a kid.”
Rodgers says he claimed to have an older brother who had tattoo gear, which was a lie, and Mother gave him a trial to become a tattoo artist.
When the day of his trial came about, Rodgers had to tattoo a 300 pound biker with a banner tattoo that had the serial number of his Harley Davidson in it.
Nervous, Rodgers got through the tattoo and claims the biker liked his work, paid up and left.
“Mother was pissed,” Rodgers explained. “He looked at me and said, ‘you’ve never done a tattoo in your life before have you,’ and I admitted I hadn’t.”
To this, Mother told Rodgers he had “big balls” and that he could have the job.
Since that time, Rodgers has tattooed in shops based out of Sooke and Vancouver, among others.
The mobile tattoo studio came about around 10 years ago, Rodgers says he bit the bullet and bought a “toy hauling trailer” to build out the studio, which he had wanted for some time.
The idea was that he would be able to go to events and tattoo remotely, while also being able to bring his motorbike along with him.
“Building the studio took me over two years in my spare time,” Rodgers continued.
“I wanted to build a rich environment, visually to enhance the experience and also to distract the mind from moments of pain.”
When he was building the mobile studio, he had been working in Alberta, moving oil drilling rigs.
Though he loved tattooing, he was unable to keep up his skills with the schedule he was keeping for work, eventually tattooing less and less over time.
“My hope is to sell the shop to someone with the same dream as I had,” said Rodgers.
“There is no reason to pay a landlord incredible amounts of money when you have a mobile. You don’t have to wait for events, you travel to smaller communities and become the event.”
Rodgers says that the mobile studio comes fully equipped and is health board approved in both Alberta and BC.
The studio comes with a stencil machine, photo copiers, a TV, a sound system, a rotary machine, power pack and boxes of disposable needles.
“All it takes is a few dollars and a dream,” Rodgers concluded.
Since listing the studio, Rodgers has had a couple people messaging him, but not offering a good enough price.
See some photos of the studio below:
