Iconic Tattoo Shop, “Good Time Charlie’s End of the Trail” Comes to a Close in 2020
A Retrospective of Good Time Charlie’s
The world-renowned, iconic tattoo shop “Good Time Charlie’s End of the Trail” will soon be closing it’s doors, after a run of 32 years in Modesto, CA. If you include the beginning of the Good Time Charlie’s namesake shops, it’s a tattoo flagship that’s been sailing for 45 years.
Quite a bit has changed since Charlie started honing his craft. Equipment was harder to find, in many states, tattooing was illegal. The competition was less and defiance of the tattoo artist ethics code could easily mean your new tattoo shop would go up in flames if deemed too close to an already established one.
Being tattooed was a sacred commitment, understood by only a few, usually by those who American society found incomprehensible. But those who sought tattoos out were ones who were deeply committed to their life message and values, which is interesting when you think about it. A tattoo holds a moment of a person’s own complete acknowledgment in all honesty. The outcasts were the first to make these statements. There was a discernment when it came to picking an artist, reputations hailed, and the relationship of understanding and knowing their clients deeply was everything. Once there was a time when people put tattoos on discreet parts of the body, so no one would know.
Charlie, now 79 and his wife of 58 years, Olivia, have been enjoying road trips around the country on the tattoo convention circuit, to support his book “Tattoo Man.”
Changes in personal direction and egged on by an industry’s metamorphosis, have helped Good Time Charlie in the making of this decision. But a career that has spanned over 64 years owns a legacy onto its own, a story that will not cease to be told despite the shop’s departure.
An auction of shop’s items, including original artwork with creations dating to 1972, is scheduled to begin early Jan 2020. Items are not limited to original and reproduced flash artwork (although there is an abundance of it), but will also include original shop signs, art, and reference books, and shop decorative items. The coveted refrigerator is up for grabs, as well as wall panels that contain artwork from visiting tattoo artists.
The Black Wall, which is a collection of reproduced flash designs, hand-picked, hand-assembled in the ’80s (in Wichita), colorized flash sheets, by Charlie and his son Nick, will be available for a flat price, per panel via www.goodtimecharlie.net website. Every panel from the wall is blessed with an original signed GTC logo. Charlie’s original drawings from the Black Wall will also be available on the website.
Vintage tattoo t-shirts, misc artwork, neon signs, etc., will also be available for sale at the shop or online.
Final bids on auction items will be tallied end of Feb, to coincide with the shop’s closure. Bidders from all over the world are expected to participate online and the demand for owning a piece of tattoo history will be a high priority for today’s most dedicated tattoo artist.
This article was provided by Kimiko Tokita – if you would like more information contact him at: (805) 217-0556 or kimiko@whitecrowe.net
The post Good Time Charlie’s End of the Trail appeared first on The Tattoo Tourist.
from The Tattoo Tourist https://ift.tt/3bayYj4
No comments:
Post a Comment