# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/21 "2021-04-13T02:52:05Z")
I’ll keep my cat face mask, since I look like my cat when I wear it. Maybe my dog bone mask as well. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/22 "2021-04-13T02:55:10Z")
My wife has made well over 100 cloth masks over the past year (and she does a good job - they’re breathable but tripled layered). She made me a variety of designs, one of which I wear for a day and then wash the batch once a week. I’ll definitely keep a few of them. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/23 "2021-04-13T03:12:35Z")
I’m pretty sure we’ll all be masked up again in a year due to a variant that gets around the vaccine. I’ll put mine in storage so they are handy then. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/24 "2021-04-13T03:29:37Z")
Before COVID happened, I had a box of disposable surgical masks. I wore them on airplanes, mostly. I originally bought them when SARS was first in the news, thinking at the time that if SARS spread it might become hard to buy masks. Then i had a box of masks in my cupboard, and one day i had a minor cold and had to fly somewhere, and thought it would be polite to wear a mask. And that was the most comfortable plane ride I’d had in years – turns out i get dehydrated on airplanes. I liked them enough (and flew often enough) that i ran out and bought more. Now i have all these cloth masks, too. I’ve tried using them when gardening in thick pollen or dust. They work GREAT! So yes, i plan to keep my masks. I have a pair of reusable n90 masks with a silicon seal that fit tightly but aren’t very comfortable. I don’t plan to wear them much after I’m fully vaccinated. But they seem like a handy thing to have around the house. Yes, I’ll keep those, too. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/25 "2021-04-13T03:42:11Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Unfortunately, you never know when the next pandemic will hit. Might as well be prepared. This. Why throw them out if they’re still functional? Might need them again. (If, that is, we ever stop occasionally needing them in the first place.) ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/26 "2021-04-13T10:16:29Z")
Yes. I had an aliyah at a bar mitzvah service a couple of months ago, so I attended the actual service (it was very safe-- limited to a certain number of people, sitting very far apart, and temperatures taken when you got there, plus, everyone masked). In addition to the traditional kippot with the date and the bar mitzvah’s name, they had personalized masks. I’ll definitely keep that one. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/27 "2021-04-13T10:32:32Z")
I’m keeping mine. For the next pandemic. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/28 "2021-04-13T11:07:34Z")
My company, which has been extremely diligent about Covid precautions, gave each of us a package of two cloth masks which look like a fairly high quality, and I’ve got two Alice in Chains and one Black Sabbath mask. I’ll be keeping them and I’ll probably buy a few other metal band masks as well; I don’t see this going away anytime soon, unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/29 "2021-04-13T11:37:05Z")
I plan on keeping them all because of the variants. I’ve come to believe that there will be a “COVID season” every year much like the flu season, and we just can’t be sure what is going to happen as we move forward. Illinois’ test positivity rate is up to 4.9%, and they are already talking about a possible Pfizer 3rd booster shot for the South African variant. It’s rather premature to talk about “souvenirs” as far as I’m concerned. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/30 "2021-04-13T11:52:55Z")
Sure, I’ll keep my cloth masks, and whatever disposable ones I have left. I’ve found them handy for yard work, helping to keep my hay fever at bay. Next time I fly, I’ll probably wear one regardless of the state of pandemic, just to keep any possible flight ailments at bay. I rarely get sick after flights, but it doesn’t hurt. 'sides, it might protect me from the people who pour on the perfume/cologne mid-flight. And the next time I _do_ have a cold or similar, wearing a mask if I have to go out is just considerate for others. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/31 "2021-04-13T11:54:09Z")
This. Hopefully not a pandemic, but definitely will use them if I feel sick or those around me seem to be sick. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/32 "2021-04-13T11:58:45Z")
I forgot to add: several of them (including the Pokemon character mask) were made by my best friend. No way I’m tossing those. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/33 "2021-04-13T13:24:39Z")
I’m keeping mine, but I hope they never need to come out of the drawer I put them in. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/34 "2021-04-13T13:25:05Z")
I have a Judas Priest one in my car. It doesn’t fit very well, but I’ll probably keep that one. I lost my favorite one though, one with Bender from Futurama on it dressed as Indiana Jones taking the golden idol. ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/35 "2021-04-13T13:31:57Z")
I’ll keep my cloth masks - useful for future colds if I have to go out or whatever. But certainly not for souvenir purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/36 "2021-04-13T13:36:46Z")
Mine are not souvenir-worthy - basic cloth masks from Decent Exposures. I plan to keep them indefinitely - if we ever get away from the habit of wearing masks in public routinely, they’ll still be useful during cold/flu season or if I’m trying to reduce allergies. Ditto the partially-used box of disposables. My husband has purchased a few much heavier cloth masks which I actively dislike; the one I took for my own use will get washed and returned to him to do with as he likes. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/37 "2021-04-13T14:35:50Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > I have a Judas Priest one in my car. Indeed that’s one of my intended purchases - awesome band. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/38 "2021-04-13T14:48:47Z")
I always keep N95 masks around. 1. I do woodworking, which can get very dusty, so I keep some in the garage. 2. I take some with me when we are on a camping trip because forest fires have become a real problem out west and can spring up at any time. 3. At times we have also gotten a lot of smoke here in the city blown in from fires elsewhere. 4. We’ll also keep the cheaper masks for flu season. ---
**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 13, 2021, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/39 "2021-04-13T15:00:41Z")
> [@Didi44](#): > > Hopefully not a pandemic, but definitely will use them if I feel sick or those around me seem to be sick. The Japanese habit of wearing masks when you’re out in public while sick got its start during the 1918 pandemic. Perhaps the west will follow suit. ---
**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 13, 2021, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855/40 "2021-04-13T15:51:39Z")
My N95 masks got used up early in the pandemic. We’ve been on cloth ones ever since. I’ll have to restock my N95 masks post pandemic when the price drops back to normal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-plan-to-keep-a-souvenir-mask/939855.md?page=3)