Are you still selling masks?

[Barbara]

I'm considering deleting my masks. None have sold since mask mandates have lifted, and I'm not so sure such mandates will return. What do you think?

Colorwash's Home

[Windy]

I have not sold any lately, but it promises to be an early flu season. I can say from experience, that large numbers of people in Korea and Japan continued to use masks after the threats of flu they had a number of years ago had passed. Those were all white, medical grade masks.

[KeegansCreation]

I last sold one in Spring. But like Windy says, we may get international sales for flu season. I did delete the ones that never sold and am only keeping around the ones that sold. 

[CrazyMermaid]

I have sold one or two this past year. I am not taking the time to delete them. They can just sit there. I would rather make more products. 

[Barbara]

@Windy  @KeegansCreation  You've both made me realize I'm being U.S.-centric. Like you've done, Keegans, I think I'll delete the ones that have never sold.

Colorwash's Home

[Windy]

I was lucky enough to travel to Korea in 2018 and to Japan twice after that, before the pandemic. I remember thinking it was so humorous that nearly a third of people were wearing masks despite there being no immediate threat of flu whatsoever. Now I have chnaged my opinion and think maybe it s a good idea during certain times of year and in certain situations (concerts, festivals, public transport). 

Right now there is a very big outbreak of RSV where I live, so were I not so tired of masks, I would probably be wearing one in public.

What did not strike me until the pandemic came was that there was no individuality at all with regard to those masks I saw in Asia. Expressing oneself with a mask may be more of an American thing.. 

[WHS_Designs]

I've sold a total of three face mask covers this year, all within the first quarter of 2022.

I'll be keeping mine as I still see people wearing them when shopping here, and flu season is inevitable.

[Barbara]

It's kind of rare to see people in masks where I live except in medical facilities where it's mandated by the state.

I've noticed all the masking in Japan. Didn't it start with something having been deliberately released in the subway? Sarin gas?

Colorwash's Home

[WHS_Designs]

interesting! I was at a couple of supermarkets this afternoon, and at least 40%-45% of the shoppers were masked. maybe it's just us Canadians who are more into it.

that's a fascinating (and tragic) story. I have heard of the sarin gas attacks in Japan, but had no idea that they started the decision to mask up in Japan. I will have to read up on that.

[Barbara]

Curious about the heavy-duty wearing of masks in Japan, I looked it up and found this site had the simplest of explanations: https://japantruly.com/why-japanese-people-wear-masks/

In upstate NY where I live, masks are definitely a rarity. When in a supermarket, I might see one or two people at most with a mask.

Also being curious about "the science" behind masks, I discovered it depends on when an article was written and also on which institution was putting out the information. Science, it appears, has come to no definitive conclusions other than that the masks common citizens normally wear probably do little, the cloth mask being the one least recommended, though I didn't delve deeply into this conclusion.

Colorwash's Home

[WHS_Designs]

I read the link. Interesting. Mask wearing is a sign of several societal and cultural things there, including a desire to not infect anyone with one's sickness; shyness; and general cleanliness.

We have an even more good reason to wear masks here in Metro Vancouver, because the smoke and haze (it's like fog here) emanating from the forest fires in the BC Interior over the past 2-3 days has gotten even worse on the coastline here! We also have the red sun of Tatooine (well, one of them, anyway), and I could smell the smoke through my two-layer mask while shopping today. That's REALLY bad.

[Connie]

I'm not deleting mine, you never know when the government's going to come up with some new outbreak of something and go back to mask mandates. The ones that have never sold will eventually get hidden, and perhaps years down the road I might take the time to delete them.

[Barbara]

My final decision is to make no decision. Like you, Connie, I'll just let the non-sellers go hidden, though when they show up there, I'll get rid of them.

Colorwash's Home