Instead of browsing through all the flash at your local tattoo shop, why not search tattoo designs online and try printing out one of the designs and taking it with you to the tattooists.  For me this way is much more practical and straight forward.   There are many sites out there offering free printable tattoo designs.  But many sites only offer the free stuff as examples, the real best and quality stuff you have to pay for.  

If say you were to do it the traditional way and choose a design off a tattoo shop wall, you would have to wait for the tattooist to take that design down and also wait for him to draw up the line drawing for it that they use for a stencil.  So why not find a tattoo online download it along with the line drawing and then take them both in when you want to get inked.  Saves alot of time and bother and your whole tattoo experience would be a swift and pleasant one.   Also you will find that many tattooist will give you a discount seeing as you brought in your own design.  But just make sure to bring the line drawing.  Having a ready made stencil saves the tattooist a job so of course they wouldn't charge you for it.  So in reality the tattoo designs you buy with the line drawings online are free.  Because say you spend 15 or 20 dollars on a design, that is more or less what they would have charged you to make up the line drawing.