For decades, tattoo culture thrived on walk-ins. You’d wander into a shop, flip through flash designs on the wall, and walk out an hour later with a fresh piece of ink. It was spontaneous, fun, and part of the rebellious spirit of tattooing. But times have changed—and so has the industry.

So, you slid into your fave tattoo artist’s DMs with a paragraph, a Pinterest board, and a “How much for this?” — and got… crickets. Or maybe a polite “Please email the shop.” Or a booking link that felt way too formal for just a “quick quote.”