I still have $500 worth of PPE I bought back in 01/20.  Is it a good time to unload them now?

If you are looking to unload them 2-3 months after you bought them would have been ideal.  Now is better than later, but your peak selling time is well past.

I have yet to wear a dang mask

If you tried to sell them, any online venue such as Ebay or Facebook marketplace would have removed your listing. I had some stuff I would have sold but couldn't.

Why? If my family didn't need them during the WuFlu, why get them now?

I can get behind this reason, but I think a half respirator would work and only really need one for me. Not sure I agree on needing full face PPE for the whole family.

I like using the 3M N95 masks for welding. (Worn under welding mask).  Would be nice to have a few of those on hand.  All mine are 4-5 years old and used.

I continued to supplement and upgrade through 2020. I'm at a stage now where I might unload the israeli masks I have since I upgraded to 3m and Mestel. I have a multitude of N95 masks. I realized the Aura masks are ok for short term use but standard cup style are better options for me. I have a bunch of KN95 and KF94 masks that are good for stashing in packs and bags, and I probably have a years worth of ASTM level 1/2 masks.

Everyone is forgetting the big forest fires of previous years. Not a bad idea to have clean air for the family during an evac or even on perimeter defense duty wetting things down. Among other things.

I use the same mask and filters that you do, op.
Last January my wife and I were in Phoenix for her work. We were on the flight back to TN when they announced a student at ASU had covid. We were staying at the Moxie in Tempe right across from campus. I had walked all over that campus a couple of times while my wife was working.

I had been reading the thread in GD as a lurker about the Chinese locking down Wuhan. When we landed, I ordered a case of 100 filters. There were like $190.00. I sold 5 of the 10 packs at $40 each so that mine were free. We also were buying every mask/ n95 at Wal-Mart, HD/ Lowe's and paint store around. My wife thought I was nuts until March/ April came around. She trusts me though and supports me following my instincts.

I don't know how anyone considers themselves "prepared" without the basic needs covered. For me, breathing falls into that category.

I have the same mask/filters that I had before the virus.
Never felt the need to use them.

I been social distancing for years, my wife always thought i was just a cranky, old man.

Smoke will quickly clog filters. Scba is needed for heavy smoke environments.

Ya'll don't be hoarding them, we still need them at work for pulling pigs (mercury exposure) and for knifemaking.

Can you quantify "heavy smoke"?

I was envisioning light smoke, the type that would be incredibly degrading as an irritant to the eyes and lungs, not heavy smoke where you would see increased CO & CO2 as well as degraded O2 levels.

That being said, fighting a fire with some mask is certainly better than no mask I would say. The only downside I can foresee is if the mask gets you further into a dangerous area you shouldn't be in and then the filter becomes degraded and you can't get out.

I'd be more worried about my car stalling out from the ash first.

A gas mask or whatever with filters is just filtering particulates out of air.  As lobby day neared there was a run on surplus masks and filters.  Then covid wandered in and masks and filters disappeared.

Now some of the stuff is back but a filter that was 12 bucks was recently around 40 bucks or so.  Have not checked recently, just saw it in an email and did not check other sources.

We have discussed how a rail road wreck may cause you to bug out even if you really don't plan to ever bug out, kinda depends how far you are from some train tracks and honestly if a semi with the right stuff comes upwind of your area that could be a similar issue.

The forest fire is mentioned and also important.  And air filters for the car engine as well as the cabin air filter are important as well if your vehicle has one.  Air filters for vehicles saw a big surge in purchases but I don't think they ever went nutty.

If you spray chemicals on the yard or house for whatever reason, filters can be nice.

I don't think people need to run out and buy cbrn rated filters if the lower level stuff will work for you.

I know a lot of out of date cbn filters were bought for lobby day when tear gas and stuff was discussed.  By no means am I an expert and don't pretend to be, do your own research and as with most things if the gas mask does not fit well then I don't care what filter you got it won't work 100%.

I can honestly say after this go round of no good gloves for old prices, no good dust masks for old prices, and similar stuff I kind of look at supplies for hobbies like wood working or spraying pesticide or weed killer a little differently.  Now some stuff like rubber gloves don't keep all that well but like batteries in storage you can buy a box now and another one later and stagger em out.

They're awesome as long as you're not one of those people they don't fit or fog up on. I've gotten bits of metal stuck in my face while grinding and cutting. Respirator only covered the lower half, glasses covered upper, but there's that nice gap in the middle. Plus, one piece of gear to deal with rather than two... That said, I'd still buy the half face first, but having both is a great option.
Good to hear filters are coming back, I need some.

Went to Lowe's today and they had some in stock.  I use the ones with the valve thingie.

5 pack for $19.XX or 10 for $22.98.  So I grabbed a 10-pack.

For those who acquire and intend to rely on respirators: have you done fit testing to ensure they will work when you need them?

Everyone reading this may be aware of the necessity for fit testing, but it's worth mentioning.  N95 and N100 masks won't work as respirators if they don't seal on the face of the wearer properly and there are many sizes and shapes of them to accommodate a variety of human face sizes and shapes.  I think it's wise to fit test before you invest in a significant supply of a specific make and model of respirator.  Once you know what actually works for your face, then it's time stock-up.

The same is true for full-on respirators with changeable filter cartridges.  Although those are far more adjustable, I think it's prudent to do fit testing before you really need them  if nothing else than to confirm that you have it properly adjusted to make a proper seal.

I have a supply of N-95 masks for my woodworking hobby. I would never waste them for covid, that would be stupid.

Stocked up january 2020.