Military personnel have used dog tags for personal identification for many decades. While this was, and is, the primary use for these items, their recent breakout into the wider non-military market has resulted in several important and creative uses that go well beyond the original military purpose.
Dog tags offer a very versatile opportunity to create a fashion statement. As a result, they have become trendy fashion accessories used by many wearers for many reasons. They first started showing up in wide use as a fashion accessory among young people that were looking for a tough, militaristic appearance. Since then, they have gone mainstream. They are inscribable with just about anything the wearer wants them to say. In addition to the versatility of inscribing them, they also offer great variety in color choices. Add in the many different types of rope and chain necklaces that can be used for suspending them around the neck and you have a very customizable and personal fashion accessory. Whether diamond studded, gold plated or very simple and basic, dog tags are cool and people in ever-growing numbers are adding them to their wardrobe.
Quite often, people wear dog tags in order to convey critical personal medical information such as allergies or medical conditions. This is a particularly good idea as the tags are easily attached to just about anything that a person wears or carries in addition to being worn around the neck in the typical manner. Attaching them to purses, backpacks, and shoe laces are just a few of the ways in which they can be worn in addition to the necklace method. It is important to note that this is not a wide spread use of the dog tag in terms of percentages of people that are doing this, so medical personnel may not know to look for the tags and may miss the valuable information that is portrayed on them. Keep this in mind when wearing dog tags with this purpose in mind.
Dog tags make great party favors, wedding favors, and small tokens of appreciation for any other special occasion. They can have pertinent information engraved on them that will remind the recipient of where they were when they received them, making them a great memorabilia item. Another good use is for children on field trips to wear one that identifies the child, the school and the activity. These can be given to the kids as keepsakes at the end of the day as well. The options for using dog tags in this way are only limited by the creativity of those that want to use them.
They make great identification tags for stuff, too. Anything you can attach them to can be identified with the owner’s contact information. They can be used on luggage, bags, cameras, key chains, equipment bags, carrying cases, camping equipment and anything else you can figure out how to attach them to. Be sure to secure them well so that they don’t fall off and they will outlast paper identification tags many times over.
Dog tags can be purchased in both small and large quantities. Many organizations have made use of dog tags to support fund raising activities. They engrave the tags with special phrases, quotes, or information about the organization and sell them to their supporters. Churches also add bible verses to them and sell them to raise funds.
Whether you want to make a fashion statement, convey medical or other identification information, give them as mementos or use them for fund raising, military style dog tags are a great way to get it done.
