Abstract
America has become a society in which almost anything can be bought or sold. This study, through both the ethnological comparison of contemporary tattoo acquisition research and ethnographic fieldwork in Graylin, Michigan, analyzes the increase in the acquisition of tattoos within the past two decades. Specifically, this study focuses on tattoo acquisition in the Midwest and tests whether the expectations gained from the literature are significantly relevant to this region of the United States. Through interview, survey, and participant observation, the goal of research ultimately is to analyze cultural transmission and trends. In past studies, the focus has been on class, identity, consumerism, and subculture distinction, but this study examines these four “themes” together to gain some understanding of tattoo acquisition as a whole.