Elk River is a fairly small town, and if you're looking for a body mod, the closest accredited studio is in Anoka. This brings a large amount of business to this small shop. I did not come to this shop to get a piercing or a tattoo, however. My mission was simple: \r
I went to Cloud Nine to buy a pair of plugs for my ears. I walked into the lobby and went up to the jewelry case. The guy behind the counter reaked of cigarettes and asked if he could help me. ""Yes, I'd like to buy a pair of 7/16 inch buffalo horn plugs.""\r
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I noticed a guy behind the counter pull a cell phone out of his pocket with his rubber gloves on and then continuing a tattoo. Uh- ew!\r
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Back to my guy: He complimented me on the earrings I was wearing and even grabbed them to look at them. I was startled. Usually clean and respectable piercing shops tell you not to touch your jewelry in store and they don't touch you unless they're wearing clean gloves that will be removed immediatley.\r
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He went through the case and pointed to a few pairs of earrings (which were obviously not buffalo horn.) When I inquired about one pair in paticular, he picked them up (without gloves or tweezers) and popped them in my hand. I noticed two things: First of all, this earring had ""ear goo"" on it- which means that someone tried it on and it was put in the case without being cleaned. Second- he doesn't know where my hands have been! I should not be holding this! He told me it was buffalo horn even though I could clearly see a line formed by plastic molding. I asked him if this was the right size (they seemed a little too small) and he shrugged and said ""I think so."" \r
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Avoid this place. I cannot attest to their artwork, but I do know that what I saw was not sanitary. Many people in that area do not know better because of the lack of professional and clean studios. Please look into your options and make sure that the place you go to is clean.
Pros: I couldn't see any
Cons: Not Sanitary, Over Priced, Crowded, Lack of Jewelry Selection
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