Getting hold of masks hasn’t been a problem in most countries because no bugger is wearing them, but in the U.S. people are being a lot more careful when it comes to going outside (apart from the ones screaming about haircuts) and are opting for Bane face masks to do the job.
Fancy dress shop Costume.com told THR that the Batman villian’s mask has been sold out since early May. The slight hiccup here is that these particular Bane masks are plastic and aren’t going to protect anyone. The US military has even said the same thing, detailing a number of other masks that are just as useless, including a Santa beard, Hannibal Lecter, and Darth Vader masks. But that’s not going to deter Americans who wake up in a free country every day. David DeJac, spokesman for the costume store said:
“Looking at sales figures, the adult mask had quite a sales spike in April and early May, which is unusual for this time of year. [There are still full Bane costumes in stock] which indicates customers were more interested in the mask only.”
He added that the officially licensed masks the shop stocks come from China, which is the reason for supply issues. It’s not just Bane masks that have seen sales surge. DeJac says:
“We have had an unusual increase in sales and searches for masks, especially for this time of year.
“The extra activity seems to be across the board of mask categories, rather than overwhelming consistency in any one area, probably since any searches using the word ‘mask’ are showing up much more frequently than normal.”
There are a number of cloth Bane masks on Etsy, which would usually be okay as you can make your own basic mask from an old t-shirt for example, but the site displays the following message to cover its bases:
“Items sold on Etsy, such as masks and hand sanitisers, aren’t medical-grade. Etsy sellers can’t make medical or health claims.”
So ditch plastic masks and get a scarf, make your own, or order one that you’re confident you can sanitise appropriately upon arrival. [THR]
This post originally appeared on Gizmodo UK, which is gobbling up the news in a different timezone.