I just got my first tat, which I love.

I agree with the others, talk to lots of people, ask where they got theirs and who the artist was. People are happy to talk about their tats. Go to a few shops, check out the feel of the shop, the cleanliness, etc. The artists will have books of their work, go through those. Take your time. If they push you about it, leave. I took a friend who has a tat with me when I went. It made me less nervous.

When you finally pick someone out, spend some time talking with her/him about your vision for the tat. You'll probably have to put down a deposit to get a preliminary drawing done. It's worth it. My drawing was great, but a little too large. The artist was able to shrink it down to the perfect size for me. Don't be shy and "accept" it if you don't like it. It's your body and your money. You want it to be perfect.

I'm extremely happy with mine. I'm glad I took my time and researched it.

(There's a pic posted on the thread I posted "I'm gonna get me some ink" last month.)