Post your mask collection

[Rev. Rye]

So it’s been over a year since shit got real. Of course, the one year anniversary of the CDC coming out and recommending the use of face masks hasn’t come yet (and won’t come until April 3rd), but for those of us who’ve started to collect masks in the interim, why not show us what you’ve accumulated?

My collection can be split into three main themes: pop cultural, flags, and what I’ll call basic patterns. 

I figure I’ll start with patterns:


The simple black mask and the big brown one were the first two I bought, and I got them from Etsy the day after the CDC released their guidelines and it became clear that they might be the easiest places to get them. Unfortunately, it took them about two weeks to get to Skokie, and the brown one needed to be replaced because not only were the elastic bands just rubber bands, they were too tiny to fit around my ears. At least I had the surgical masks I got after a health scare a while back. They also helped me to adjust to the way they felt against my face. For the record, the black mask was a bit small and the brown one too big. 

The blue one was from Jewel, and I bought it after I found that Jewel started stocking masks.  It just felt awkward.

The two plaid masks are Royal Stewart Tartan. The first one wound up being a bust. Despite being marked as “large,” it wound up being too small for me. This is probably what I get for buying from an Etsy store with “Regency” in its name: it’s almost certainly not built for dudes. It’s not even an actual Royal Stewart Tartan pattern. The second one? Well, not only is it a perfect fit, but once temperatures started to fall, it became my main mask. It’s honestly the only one of these patterned masks that I’ve kept on circulation. Except for maybe the next one: 

Dad just gave me the guitar mask, and it looks like this was also an Etsy purchase. It looks nice. Not sure if I’ll get much of a chance to use it, but at least it’s probably going to stay in circulation for the next few months. 

Flags:


So, the Union Jack flag was being sold by Anglotopia, where I contribute columns, and after putting it on, I realized I liked it more than the first two masks I got, and I made it my #1 mask for about two months. The Scottish flag is also from the same people, but it’s a more recent purchase. I wanted to wait for the right time, and when they halved the price and announced they were clearing them out a few weeks ago, I figured it finally was the right time.

The two German flags were bought in June: the simple tricolor was made of what I think are raincoat fabrics and somehow, they just didn’t feel right. So, I decided to buy the spandex one with the Bundesadler and use it regularly for a while. Both from Etsy.

The one that looks like a red, white, and green Union Jack is actually the Basque flag. This version was bought off Redbubble. And it was thin (one layer as opposed to the recommended two+), a bit small, and it had already started to fade as soon as I opened the package. Not going to repeat that. Especially with a site that doesn’t even let you see the prices without clicking on the page. That should have been a red flag.

And finally, we have the pop cultural ones:

I ordered the Hannibal and Joker masks around the same time (from different stores, mind you). It took a while before I found the cheapest ones that looked right, and, of course, they were from Etsy. Every single one of the masks in this section was an Etsy purchase. Of the two, the Joker one fit better, but I wound up wearing it less because it muffled my voice when I went to the library for a pickup and the Hannibal mask didn’t. Plus, the Hannibal mask gave me a ready-made line: “An anti-masker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”

The M*A*S*H mask was bought in honor of my second-favorite medical show. First if you consider that the actual #1 A) had zero mask-related merch, B) was set at a time when doctors didn’t even bother with masks during surgery, and C) is so obscure that I have never met a single other person online or off who didn’t hear about the show from me. 

The two Kubrick masks, well, I found them online late last year, and I actually asked Dad to put the ACO mask on my Christmas/birthday list. I figured it would be nice to have a mask related to my favorite film of all time. Sadly, I have yet to find any related to Taxi Driver or Night of the Hunter. And the ones that do exist are probably just on Redbubble and I ain’t repeating that. The Shining mask was one I found and I wore it once or twice before consigning it to the Doorknob of Misfit Maskies. 

The Cobra Kai mask just came a few days ago, and I have yet to go out and wear it. It feels nice, though.

[Foxaèr]

I just have a plain surgical mask and then a black clothed mask.

[arewethereyet]

I have made dozens and dozens of masks out of various patterns and colors of fabric.  All of them are reversible.  I've sent them to people all over the country and kept family well-stocked.  My older daughter figures that she, her husband, and daughter have over fifty.  I still have a few dozen cut out and may be back to sewing them again.  I switched to making quilts several months ago with a batch of masks now and then in between.


Above are a few of them and below is my granddaughter modeling one of her favorites.

[Rev. Rye]

Because I noticed that there’s a strange asymmetry in the flag collection, I found one more Basque flag mask and ordered it.



And while it’s coming from France and will therefore take a while, At least it’s not on fucking back order.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

We have dozens of printed masks, Boss Lady likes variety. I like wolves.

[GUBU]

Most of my mask collection:

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The white and blue ones, along with a black one in the wash currently, are a pack of three I bought in Aldi, the best fitting ones I've found.  The flaming skulls mask is one given to me by my mother (a little old lady) because it was too big for her.  It doesn't work when I let my beard grow out (like Rev Rye's original mask it's only got one layer, albeit a fairly thick one, but whiskers keep poking out).  And the disposable is part of a box of fifty I got from work over the summer.  I have stashes of them in my car (which needs replenishing) and my backpack for in case I forget to pack one on me.

The Limerick one in my avatar, I unfortunately lost.  I came home late from work one Friday night on the train (I think about 8:30, overtime) and thinking I was wearing a disposable from the tiredness, threw it in the bin after getting off the train. Still kind of bummed.

Just for completeness sake, the grey thing on the right is me teeshirt clad Irish belly, the card with the brownish purple stripe is me original photo ID from college (I may post that some day, I look so young in it), the card with the blue ribbon around it is my work ID and door tag (I finally got an official Garda lanyard, I think it looks cool) and the box with the lights is my new computer which I've had for about a month. The rest is just normal everyday junk.

[Rev. Rye]

You think this would be a good replacement?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/890593303/l...-face-mask

[Brian37]

I guess I am one of the boring ones. I buy mine from the grocery store.

[arewethereyet]

I guess I am one of the boring ones. I buy mine from the grocery store.

Wanna learn how to sew your own?  That's what I did.

[Brian37]

I guess I am one of the boring ones. I buy mine from the grocery store.

Wanna learn how to sew your own?  That's what I did.

It would end up looking like socks or cats eye. Just like sports, I suck at sewing.

I could burn water to charcoal.