Kwikset® Ilco KW: Charlotte Bobcats Keys

Represent your team pride with a set of custom-printed keys for the avid sports fan!

I'm surprised there hasn't been a slogan "Sports everything," or something of that kind. Reason is because of these keys: It wasn't until recently that, besides phone cases and wallets, I only ran into team-printed keys. It's just one of those things you wish you discovered earlier, but here we are. Some are probably thinking, "why would anyone have a key with their favorite team represented on it?" I'd ask the same for those who wear t-shirts of their favorite teams—it's only a shirt, right?

Let's get it out of the way: Why the Charlotte Bobcats? Besides video games, which I've gradually sold and slowly going digital with some of them, I consider myself a modest collector. Currently, I live in Los Angeles, California, and while I'm a big fan of our LA teams, the collector inside me shows up from time to time, and if the price is reasonable then that's when I make the move. Given that the Bobcats have been renamed to the Hornets, announced back in May 21, 2013, in time for the 2014-2015 NBA season, suddenly merchandise of anything Bobcats have been declining. I personally don't know, nor have I met, anyone who's a big Bobcats, now Hornets, fan, but I'm sure s/he is proud that I even own such item(s). As fellow NBA fans know, the Bobcats made it to the post-season but never won one game, nor advance to the second round—getting swept by the Miami Heat. Another reason was the Bobcats' logo and its Bobcat blue color. I find it pleasing to the eyes, and the logo is super cool, even though it looks something particular to an amateur college sports team.

Onto the keys: The keys feel solid and has a glossy finish. The letters NBA is embroidered on the part where you'd hold the key with your thumb and index finger, which means you'd physically be reminded that your keys represent the league your team plays in. At about 2½ tall, it's the perfect size for your key chain, pockets, purse or wherever else you keep your keys. Given its logo design with a "repeated" print, you're confident you won't lose, nor mistake, these keys from the others. Now, if you completely lose your keys, that's a different matter altogether, but nevertheless, the printing of these keys ought to stand out.

As for the design, this isn't some cheap printing where the vendor took a silver/gold Kwikset and injected the keys into some machine doing a lackluster job on quality. No, the ink on this lasts a very long time, and if you're someone who accesses your keys a lot, the printing won't fade so quickly. Granted, the keys we've pictured above are blank, and it's likely that the "teeth" part, where you often insert into a compatible lock, will be the first to get worn out. Rest assured, the area of the key where you hold on to, let alone link into a key chain, will be just fine and guaranteed to hold on to its printing for a good while. The price? It's very much pocket change between $2 to $5, depending on design and the type of key, so you might as well grab a pair, or more, and proudly represent your favorite team.

These were purchased from eBay seller named jdp7221 and has a decent stock on hand. Check out his store by clicking here, as they've got a variety, including MLS and NFL keys!

As a sports fan, and sports collector, you find something new everyday. Seeing that sports teams are also on keys, which most of us take for granted, it looks like a great time to purchase a set to represent my beloved LA teams. You, fellow sports fan, ought to do the same with your team. Makes you stand out at least, isn't it? Highly recommended!

Kris Caballero

Founder and operator of KCU Network, Kris has been writing since managing his personal blog launched back in late 2005. Despite producing videos from time to time for the network's website, Kris enjoys playing old video/DOS games, video technologies, reading and keeping up with quantum computing.

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