Keyrings hold historical and emotional value in our lives. For a long time, we have identified different accessories and materials that are used to take the place of a keychain. Many keychains hold great emotional value as our ancestors used to pass them down to the younger generation as a gift. Keychains are one of those items in the house that we give great importance to when buying, as these keychains are a materialistic representation of one’s personality.
Today, new keychain designs offer practicality alongside adorning the keyring. The users can choose from hundreds of design options available on the net or go for a custom keychain that matches their style. The keychains today are made using better material that gives them longer shelf life, all the while making them cost-effective for the buyers.
History of Keychains
The invention of keychains dates back to the old age when people used to use different charms or a piece of clothes to prevent burglaries by tightly fastening the keys with doors. The keychains in the past would range from rabbit feet to ancient amulets to rabbit feet. The keychains in the past and present have different symbolic meanings and styles that a person matches with their own beliefs. It is recorded in the history that first proper keychain was made by Fedrick J. Loudin in 1894.
The industrial revolution created a need for keychains with the invention of motor cars. As people felt that they may misplace their car keys, the introduction of keychains made their tasks easy. After the end of World War 2, people started to offer keychains as a souvenir to returning tourists. The collection of keychains from various new places led to a new hobby of keychain collection.
Keychains Designs in the Past
The keychain designs in the past were limited to good luck charms or cute keyrings that used to adorn our bags, wallets, keyrings, etc. These keychains were usually limited to a piece of metal with inspirational quoting or lazy designs. Some of the drawbacks of keychains in the past are as follows.
- Limited designs
In the past, the keychains came in various designs but had limitations, as the option to customize these accessories wasn’t available which made the keychains stand out. Additionally, the designs available were very simple, making the users easily bored with these common designs after using them for a certain period. Furthermore, with the limited options available for keychains, the users found it hard to find a keychain that represented their personality.
- Keychain material
The famous material that was used in the making of keychains was wood and metal. This type of material wasn’t sustainable as the metal would start to rust after a certain time of usage and the wood may start to crack or disintegrate due to a fungi attack. This problem decreased the shelf life of these keychains and made it hard for a keychain owner to sustain the keychain.
- Costly
As the keychains in the past were usually limited to two materials, the high cost of the materials and keychain manufacturing made the cost of keychains high. This increased cost of the keychains made them hard to buy for normal people, which made their buying restricted to a certain class of people. The price of individual keychains would be higher if they were bought in bulk.
- Heavy
Customers when looking to buy keychains look for keychains that are light to use. A heavy keychain attached to the accessory would make it feel heavy and uncomfortable to carry around. Materials like metal and wood are generally considered heavy materials, that adds weight to the keychain.
Keychain Designs in the Present
Today the keychain designs serve more benefits than an accessory. It has become a sense of identity for people as the choice of keychain reflects one’s personality. Many cute motivational keychains may motivate a person to do better and remind a person in tough times to stay inspired. Some qualities of the latest keychain designs are as follows.
- Practical
The development in keychain styles has allowed it to become more than just a pretty accessory. The dual-purpose design in keychains allows the keychains to come with additional tools like flashlights and self-defense tools that one can use in case of emergencies. Furthermore, with the help of digitalization, one can have a camera attached to their keychains, that would allow its owners to capture memorable moments on the go.
- Unlimited design options
In the new age, customers have become choosier and want to buy things that reflect their personality. When these customers can’t find anything that can physically represent their style, they look for the option to customize. This has allowed the production of custom acrylic keychains that give customers endless possibilities to design them according to their style. The users can buy these keychains in bulk and gain discounts from the vendors.
- Lightweight
With the option to customize, the customers have a free hand to decide the type of material they want for their keychain to be manufactured in. Acrylic keychains are preferred by many customers as it is cheaper and lightweight in comparison to other materials available. Which makes it ideal to be carried around with a set of keys or bags.
- Durable
The acrylic keychains have a longer shelf life in comparison to other materials that are available in the market. As it is highly immune to breakage. It can be cleaned easily using a surface cleaner, which makes it a favorable choice among users. An acrylic keychain can last up to years if taken care of properly.
In A Nutshell
The keychain designs have evolved drastically from 1894 to the present. Today the keychains are made of better-quality materials and have a better variety of designs that allow customers to pick styles that match their personality. Custom acrylic keychain is becoming a new trend, as it gives users the freedom of choice to unleash their creativity. The new keychains are smart keychains that serve more practicality than the keychains in the past did, as a keychain with tools can help a person during an emergency.
