So many new shops opening up selling face masks! As well as the existing ones. The place is flooded with them. 
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I am shocked by this. I find it rather sick and as far as I am concerned this is profiteering on a bad situation …and then there is also the question… what happens if the mask does not protect and someone catches the virus and dies. Will the seller be liable to be sued … I doubt any insurance will cover them.
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I think whether it’s profiteering or not really depends on the sorts of prices they’re asking for. If there’s demand and people have the skills to make them, I think it’s fine to give people the option to buy something they want here rather than having to resort to places like amazon. There shouldn’t be any sort of medical claim that they protect from Covid on the listings though. Masks are not to protect, they’re to help minimise the spread, so people shouldn’t expect wearing one will magically mean there’s no chance they’ll catch it and die.
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I think I heard it somewhere that these face masks are to protect others from you, if you cough or sneeze, but I think if you are coughing or sneezing maybe you should be at home.
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At first I was shocked, but now I am with Kim @konyskiw on this. Afterall, any successful Folksy shops are responding to changes that Covid has meant for business.Look at the nos of kits being sold in the early days, or the sheer nos of rainbow coloured items right now. Many shops have reported their best ever sales in the last 6 weeks. The masks are just more obvious examples of this. And yes, they wont stop infection. They are the simple cotton face coverings that are mandatory in many places and may even be here soon! I have been making NHS scrubs, and we are about to make samples of these masks, so they are deffo needed by the medical profession. If we get a good design, I am well tempted to make some up myself!
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I don’t really see a problem with it - I suppose it’s just like wearing a hankie up to your face without having to hold it there! They aren’t designed to protect the wearer from catching anything but to help stop the spread of disease if the wearer should cough or sneeze. (If they have symptoms in general then Yes, they should stay at home anyway but how often do we have a little cough or sneeze that just sneaks up on us! At best, it could stop a projectile particle from reaching another person and at worst, I guess it may stop the wearer from touching their own mouth and nose when out.
I don’t see it as profiteering either as like Petra said - there is demand (and probably really high demand soon if the government make it compulsory to wear a mask when out and about) and we don’t want people trying to buy the surgical grade masks that the NHS rely upon.
As long as people aren’t charging really over the top prices, then I think it’s fine.
Obviously there will be many debates about the efficacy of wearing a mask and we will all have different thoughts on that…
Edited to add: Although we assume that most people would know that these masks will not protect them from Coronvirus, if I was selling face masks myself, I would put a very large disclaimer in my description. I know from experience, that no matter what the guidelines have been for even the social distancing measures, that some people will either through ignorance or purposefully twist it to suit their own agendas!
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I am currently working in care, and even the proper, light medical face masks honestly are uncomfortable to wear after about 5 minutes (not so much due to tightness, but the warm damp air you breathe out gets pushed up into your eyes and the whole thing just feels unpleasant and suffocating, my skin has come out in loads of spots and my eyes are much dryer than normal). So if you want to do that in cotton…feel free 
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My main point when I made this post was not about the masks themselves but the sheer number of New shops opening up and just selling facemasks. I think if they were existing shops that sell sewn items or if they were selling a variety of items it wouldn’t be so bad but these are shops that have opened with solely masks. There are four on the first page of new shops alone and there are more as you go on.
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I’m not trying to be contentious but I guess some new sellers may have adapted another business (not necessarily a craft business) to meet demand for the times, others may just see an opportunity to cash in. I agree that an influx of samey items doesn’t look great on the front page or new sellers list but once supply can be met elswehere, I’m sure it will level out again.
(I’m not really arguing these points for the sake of it - I actually don’t like to get involved in debate…what am I doing…lol!)
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Yes it will be interesting to see what these shops make when this is all over or even if they are still around.
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I don’t really do any sewing (I did try to make an apron at the start of lockdown - I didn’t quite finish it) but if all these masks have to have bias binding - I’m sure most of the makers will never want to look at another mask again! lol
I had a go at making a mask for myself, it was cotton fabric. After trying it on for about a minute, I had to take it off, it was too warm to breathe. Lots of people are wearing them now, so if someone wants to make and supply them to the general public I’m OK with that as it leaves more available for the key workers.
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I would be happy to make face coverings for family and local people if they requested but I certainly won’t be selling them. My personal opinion is that it seems wrong making profit from the situation…I know not everyone will agree with me and that’s fine as I say my opinion. I’ve seen new shops pop up selling face masks and charging high prices for them and do think it’s making money from peoples fear and anxiety. I have thought about making some and leaving them in the post office for those that want to take one with a note saying donations of £1 welcome (not compulsory) for a charity.
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I don’t mind if people want to sell them, but I think people need to be realistic…quite a few bundles of handmade cotton masks and little headbands arriving in care homes…it’s a nice idea and I do get that people genuinely want to help, but they really can’t be used in that setting.
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The possibility of being sued occurred to me to @JOYSofGLASS and it is why I decided not to make any masks to sell.
I would also feel uncomfortable selling them.
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I was told the other day from the local council that the ones in care homes need to be water resistant and they can’t take the fabric ones. It’s nice when people make them and give them away though and although they arn’t suitable for the purpose those people are doing it from the heart and wanting to help…I am all for people making and donating them I just don’t like people opening shops to make profit from them, i was surprised to see a Theme of the day for face masks this week.
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I’ve noticed that the local garage has advertised that they have those stretchy black face masks in stock (on one of our local facebook community pages) this morning - and people are falling over themselves trying to make sure they get one before they go out of stock. I’d rather buy one from a fellow Folksy seller (preferably one that I know). I would definitely buy one from someone that was giving a dontaion to the NHS too. The same with people selling rainbow items - I’d rather buy if there was a donation being given.
Preferably, if facemasks do become mandatory - the government will provide them…but I’m not sure if that will realistically happen.
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I’ve bought a couple of face masks for myself (non medical) and I’ve also made a couple for myself and family, I only go out once a week and wear a mask when I’m in the supermarket, I then wash it but if ever I do need to go out again I have a couple of spares. I always take a spare one out with me in a zip lock bag just in case I need it. I personally don’t think anyone would be sued unless they are being sold as top grade medical masks when they are really just cotton face coverings.
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Zoe yes absolutely. That is what I mean.
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Agreed . Shops newly opened and selling masks only at £10 a piece are not promoting the best of British hand made.
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