# Do you plan to keep a souvenir mask? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 12, 2021, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855 "2021-04-12T17:13:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/1 "2021-04-12T17:13:45Z")
We probably all have dozens of masks cluttering up our homes and cars…disposable paper, hand-crafted works of art, everything in between. Do any of you plan to keep one when this is all over? Something to show your grandchildren, as a memento of that year we all had to wear these things? Or is there a particularly good one you want to keep? I’m planning to toss them all…except: for Christmas my daughter got my wife and I 2 matching masks (a nice green plaid) and a matching bandana for the puppy. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/2 "2021-04-12T17:16:23Z")
no\_\_\_ ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/3 "2021-04-12T17:17:20Z")
I keep the better cloth masks. But I’m a woodworker, so they’ll come in handy. ---
**Author:** ![Ranch\_Dip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranch_dip/32/5238_2.png) [@Ranch\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranch_Dip)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/4 "2021-04-12T17:22:29Z")
😆 like we are coming out of them any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/5 "2021-04-12T17:23:17Z")
Nope. But I’ve been using disposable masks so I assume it’ll look like every other blue disposable mask for years to come. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/6 "2021-04-12T17:33:58Z")
I’ll keep some of the better cloth masks, and any unused disposable masks. They will still come in handy from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/7 "2021-04-12T17:37:14Z")
I wear disposable masks when I do yard work to keep my allergies in check, so I’ll have a box of masks around for a long time to come. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/8 "2021-04-12T17:46:54Z")
I’ve got full box and a half-used box of the disposable ones, so I will probably toss them in the closet. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/9 "2021-04-12T18:12:07Z")
When the Arizona Museum of Natural History reopened in November – with limits – the city was too cheap to supply masks so one of the volunteers had some custom ones printed up with the name and a dino footprint to distribute between the volunteers and staff. I’m keeping mine. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/10 "2021-04-12T18:16:56Z")
I’m keeping mine - many were (usually handmade) gifts, I have two “Biden Harris” masks, a couple that support our local NPR station, etc. They are souvenirs of a sort. I’ll keep my box of unused disposable masks too. Unfortunately, you never know when the next pandemic will hit. Might as well be prepared. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/11 "2021-04-12T18:18:22Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Do any of you plan to keep one when this is all over? I question wether this will ever be over. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/12 "2021-04-12T18:21:36Z")
I have a whole bunch of the stretchy things I wear over paper masks that I’ll keep. I think we’ll all be needing masks for a very long time. Even after vaccines and if the infection rate ever drops I’ll still be wearing a mask. Maybe only in crowds if it seems safe enough, but for some time I don’t want to be in close contact with people without one. COVID is not going to simply disappear any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/13 "2021-04-12T18:30:58Z")
Having been over-enthusiastic in my mask purchases, and conservative in my usage of them, I expect my “souvenirs” will consist of a whole bunch of unopened 100-packs and a bunch of never-opened cloth masks, too. Also, several dozen bottles of hand sanitizer. 😁 Everything else I’ve overstocked – TP, liquid hand soap, etc. is at least usable in non-pandemic life. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/14 "2021-04-12T19:28:58Z")
Not only no, but hell no! I’ll do my best to wipe this past year from my memory ---
**Author:** ![Stego](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stego/32/7118_2.png) [@Stego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stego)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/15 "2021-04-12T19:59:20Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > COVID is not going to simply disappear any time soon. Regardless of that, I think that this pandemic has taught us a thing or two about being more careful not to shred viruses around more than necessary. I am planning to start wearing a mask in public as soon as I suspect that I may be getting sick. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/16 "2021-04-12T20:01:17Z")
Since we have smoke and particulates from forest fires, as well as heavy-duty allergens, I’ll be keeping them. I actually bought my first N95-equivalent mask for waling in Spain during wildfire season, not for COVID. In addition, after watching a neck-mask woman _in a medical waiting room_ this morning, I very much doubt the need for masks will disappear anytime soon. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/17 "2021-04-12T20:03:29Z")
All of them, since I’m using homemade 3 layer cloth masks. For a couple of reasons - 1. I was one of the few people I knew who had masks at home in the first place (they didn’t last long) because every few years Colorado seems to want to burn down, and the air quality drops like a brick. Climate issues indicate this is unlikely to change, so why not? They aren’t perfect, but I feel better than going through boxes of disposables. 2. For all the issues with the pandemic, I have had zero respiratory colds these past 12 months. Admittedly, social distancing and my wife doing online learning when teaching has helped as well, but I see nothing wrong with going with a pattern closer to what we see in Asia - if you have a cold, wear a damn mask to avoid spreading it to others whenever possible. 3. As others have pointed out, this is unlikely the last time that we’ll see a pandemic in our lifetime. Global travel is a thing, and we’re crowding into new habitats every day across the world. Hopefully next time we’ll be better at stopping the spread, and people will be willing to proactively consider using masks and distancing as precautions. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/18 "2021-04-12T20:05:12Z")
I happened to have a box of 95 masks that I used when I spay painted the inside of my house. I’ll keep what’s left. Now that I am fully vaccinated, I wear a lightweight gaiter type mask that, well, is comfortable and works well as a neck gaiter. I’ll keep it. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/19 "2021-04-12T20:18:55Z")
I have one particular mask saved that I thought I could disinfect in the microwave (with a cup of water). It caught on fire, so I guess it kinda worked. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/20 "2021-04-12T23:51:19Z")
I’m going to keep the Bloggess’s [Furiously Happy mask](https://www.zazzle.com/store/thebloggess?qs=mask). Once your face is in it, it looks more like [this](https://www.zazzle.com/furiously_happy_card-137832117496080643). As a close-up, it’s ambiguous whether the raccoon is smiling or going for your throat. And the [book](https://thebloggess.com/furiously-happy/) is cool. On the book it’s more obvious that the raccoon is smiling. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855.md?page=2)