Tattoo parlors busy despite recession

SEATTLE - It's hard to believe someone would pay hundreds of dollars for an experience Dawn Yackel says is like "broken glass being drug across your skin," but she happily hands over her hard earned money for a new tattoo.

"A good tattoo is priceless," she said.

Workers at Seattle's Hidden Hand Tattoo Parlour say business is actually better now than it was at this time last year.

"This is Seattle. There's a lot of people who really like tattooing," said owner Jeff Cornell.

Cornell says business is actually better than it was at this time last year.  His clientele tends to be younger, more blue collar, and less likely to have been hit by falling home and stock prices. To them a 'tat' is a quality investment.

"You can't lose it. Nobody can steal it.  And it can't be repossessed," says Cornell.

And there's a whole psychological element at work here too, something about pain and perseverance, and the belief that you can get through it whether it's a recession or something more personal.

Jenny Bowker says she's had a rough year and misses her mom. She had no second thoughts about paying hundreds of dollars for a likeness of her mother.

"I don't think there could be anything better to pay for," she said.

And then there's the job security in all those unwanted tattoos.

Other tattoo shops we spoke with said they are seeing more people stretch more expensive body art projects over longer spans of time.  But for the most part, their business remains steady.