Do you buy souvenirs when you travel?
By Torunn
@Torunn (8607)
Norway
August 18, 2010 2:02pm CST
I used to buy a lot of souvenirs when I started travelling, but at some point I stopped. One reason is of course that for the money I don't spend on souvenirs, I can travel more! Then there's space, I don't want my flat to be filled with clutter and although some souvenirs are nice, most of them are just showed away in a drawer or stand somewhere, collecting dust. So I've started just looking at souvenirs, and wondering a lot about who actually buy all of them.
Last time I was in Finland we spent some time looking at moose shaped handbags. Who wants a moose shaped handbag? Not to mention caps with reindeer horn.
So, do you buy souvenirs? Or save money and luggage space? Or maybe buy one nice thing and look at all the weird things you could have bought?
5 people like this
37 responses
@dawnald (85147)
• Shingle Springs, California
18 Aug 10
I have a viking doll from Copenhagen, a doll with a lace apron from Belgium, t-shirts and hats from all over the place, a smoker from Germany, and not sure what all. I don't get souvenirs everywhere I go, but I often get them.
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
18 Aug 10
I have a doll from Belgium making lace! Maybe it made the apron of your doll? I think my father bought it for me as I've never been to Belgium.
For some reason the viking doll sounds all wrong. Vikings are supposed to run around with bad swords, high on mushroom. Dolls are cute and fluffy. Cute and fluffy vikings, who'd be afraid of them? :-)
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85147)
• Shingle Springs, California
18 Aug 10
OK this wasn't actually a "doll" so much as a figurine. He's carved from wood, has a red beard, and a wooden sword. Doesn't look terribly ferocious though.
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@goldeneagle (6745)
• United States
20 Aug 10
I collect shot glasses, so I usually try to find a nice or unique shot glass when I get to travel. It is a cheap hobby, because most of the time, I can pick up a shot glass for less than $10.
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@eden_shii (506)
• Australia
19 Aug 10
I do buy souvenirs when I travel. Aside from taking pictures, it has been a habit of mine to bring something from a country. But to be practically, I always bought keychains marked with the place's name where I travel. It is cheaper. I have collected quite a few. At least, I can always recall that I brought something from the place I've travelled.
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@eden_shii (506)
• Australia
20 Aug 10
Yeah. Taking pictures is so enjoyable when you travel. I do it often times. And it will also save you more money while you enjoy. ;-)
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
19 Aug 10
That's also a good idea! Keychains are small, lot of different ones available, and if you want to show them off you can put them on some board all of them together. I take lot of pictures too, all the time, all over the place. Even at airports *he he* My friends don't really understand that I go out to take pictures when they go shopping.
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@TeamCholent (2832)
• United States
18 Aug 10
My husband and I collect shot glasses from around the world and also from each state we visit. Its something useful and beautiful we can show and share with our friends and guests that come visit us and also helps understand more about some countries and reminders of the trips gone by. I think its a great idea to collect things just as long as its something that is useful to people.
Happy MyLotting!
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@puccagirl (7294)
• Israel
18 Aug 10
I agree, that does sound like a wonderful idea! I have heard about other people who do this too!
1 person likes this
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@sulynsi (2671)
• Canada
19 Aug 10
This is one thing that really annoys me about souvenirs. There are so many that are not made in the country in which you are visiting.
I also don't need trinkets and baubles.I like to travel lightly and not be weighed down. i have a recurring bad dream, in fact about having to pack masses of stuff I don't even WANT
minimalist here!
I might pick up a Tshirt, if its made in the place where I'm travelling. it is practical and can be used right away,
Here is an example, the PEI dirt shirt. It is produced by dying the white shirt with Island soil. It really comes out a pinky, orange colour that doesn't come out easily
http://www.squidoo.com/Prince-Edward-Island-My-Beautiful-Home
take a look at the picture of the fox - the soil really IS that red and makes an amazing dye
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
19 Aug 10
That soil is really red! Wow. Not sure I'd got a shirt (but they probably look quite amazing) but I would have been taking pictures of it :-)
I sometimes travel very light and buy tshirts and other clothes I need while I travel. So the only thing I bought the one time I was in Bangkok was underwear! My friend only bought socks, so we didn't really impress anyone with our shopping *he he*
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
18 Aug 10
Or Sweden! Last time I was in Finland we checked where all the stuff was made, and nearly all of it came from Sweden. They make a lot of things, then stamp them either Norway, Sweden or Finland and send it out into the world. Most of the stuff was really ugly though, just as well that we're not responsible for making it ourselves ...
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@davenhearst (327)
• Philippines
19 Aug 10
souvenir is important if we handle it with care coz it's emphasize the diiferent places you traveled and give you memories of the place that one's in your life you go along
@davenhearst (327)
• Philippines
20 Aug 10
it depends for a person how they value things they buy if some are worthless ok it depends upon you it's your expense
@GardenGerty (159754)
• United States
21 Aug 10
We tend to collect coffee mugs. They are hanging on peg racks all over our dining room. I would like one from each state and I would like them to be cobalt blue. I have them from many states, but not all of them are blue. I also find that buying a souvenir package of picture postcards is an ideal souvenir. 1. They can be put into an album. 2. The pictures are often better shots than I could ever take. 3. They take very little room when you pack.
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
21 Aug 10
I've kind of made of my mind to start getting the worse postcard I find in every place :-) Not sure what I'd do with them, make fun of them online maybe. Or make a collage that goes with my fridge magnets, I have some very touristy ones.
In most places there's a bit of both though, both the good and the bad. There's a few in Vienna I try to copy evertime I'm there. Not really succesful yet, but it's getting better. In Innsbruck we didn't manage to find any nice postcards, and it's a really pretty city. They were so bad we were quite fascinated.
@maximax8 (31047)
• United Kingdom
19 Aug 10
If it is available I like to buy a costume doll for my collection of dolls from around the world. I bought a lovely collection of four dolls in South Africa. They are made from colorful beads. In the Seychelles I got a couple of dolls made from cloth. I loved it when I was able to buy a wooden doll in Belize. I also collect postcards from different places that I visit. I have a small collection of interesting fridge magnets from different countries. I adore buying some souvenirs when I go to other countries. Sometimes I find an amazing souvenirs like a wooden giraffe in Kenya.
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
19 Aug 10
I've got a friend in Vienna (really a friend of my mother, so he's about 70). His place is filled with things from his travels, and he seems to be able to find nice things everywhere and display them to their advantage. He has been all over the world, so he has things from all continents. I don't think I'll ever manage to do that, I'm doing things a bit more minimalistic.
I sometimes buy a new elephant for my elephant collection, but only if I find a really special one. I bet I would have found a nice one in Kenya :-)
@6precious102 (4043)
• United States
21 Aug 10
I'm not a great one for souvenirs. Snap shots are all the souvenirs I care anything about. The other stuff just becomes junk in time, clogs draws or has to be dusted.
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
21 Aug 10
At some point when I get rich and famous and has a slightly bigger flat, I'll get a glass cabinet for the stuff I want to display so I don't have to dust them. Now I've only put most of them away as I hate dusting :-) Not sure anyone like dusting though, at least I've never met anyone who did.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
20 Aug 10
My story is similar to yours. I used to buy many souvenirs when I visited a new place, but now I don't buy much. Not because I want to save the money, but because I don't want a lot of clutter in my house. I collect music (mostly pop and rock) from around the world and when I visit a new place a usually buy a cd or two. Before I leave I try to find some information about the local band and singers, listen to some of the music on Youtube so that I know which names to look for.
In the past I bought dolls, shirts, mugs, magnets and all the usual souvenirs, but I hardly ever do that anymore. I sometimes buy candles for my mother, because she collects candles and I also buy other presents for my friends or relatives, but for myself I only buy some cds.
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
21 Aug 10
That's a very good idea! Maybe I should start collecting CDs instead of elephants. I love music, I think I might try that next trip. As next trip is to Vienna, finding CDs won't be a problem :-) There's CD shops all over town, and local musicians on every corner.
@bwaybaby (903)
• United States
19 Aug 10
I might buy something small for me and some things for friends or family. When I traveled to London in June I bought a bank shaped like Big Ben with Peter Pan, Wendy, Michael, John and Tinkerbell all on it. It wasn't that expensive nor that large. My parents got small things that I thought they'd enjoy, as well. My boyfriend got a model bus (those red double decker ones) because he drove buses in college.
When I went to Europe right after high school the main thing I got was postcards. They're cheap and a good way to remember what you visited. They also tend to have much better photos than the ones I took.
For the most part, I don't spend a whole lot on souvenirs. I'd much rather spend my money on more things to do while traveling-more museums or day trips or something.
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
19 Aug 10
For the most part, I don't spend a whole lot on souvenirs. I'd much rather spend my money on more things to do while traveling-more museums or day trips or something.
I second that very much. I browse postcards to get some tips for picture I can take myself :-) I have a double decker bus somewhere, I got it when I was in London for the first time. I've got a plan for playing with it with my god-child at some point.
@jinsefeizeia (53)
• China
19 Aug 10
Actrually, I do not buy souvnirs often. I prefer to take photos to remind about those travellings years after. I think this hobit have something to do with the quality of the souvenirs which sold at the place I traveld. In my country, souvenirs which are unique and can present the place where there are sold were hardly found anymore. No metter where you go for travel, you will find same staff in the shops. Things like that always make people feel uncomfortable, isn't it?
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
19 Aug 10
I know the feeling, there seems to be someone that produces lot of the same thing and put different logos on them. I know I saw the same "souvenirs" in Skara Brae on Orkney as they had in Bangkok, which is quite weird. Pictures will always be unique to the place they're taken :-)
@blackhillsgold (88)
• United States
19 Aug 10
I do, but it isn't anything as cute as a moose handbag.
;)
I usually get shotglasses, cups, shotglasses.....
things of that sort
not to forget the ultra touristy tshirts:)
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
19 Aug 10
You could have got a shotglass with a moose on! I'm pretty sure they have a lot of them. Actually, we have a lot of them here *he he*
They had moose handbags in different sizes. Luckily they didn't have any moose caps in my size, so I didn't have to try them :-)
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
19 Aug 10
Sometimes I do, but not all of the time. I only buy what I think my luggage can handle.
@strawberrychocodahi (4818)
• Philippines
19 Aug 10
I do buy souvenir items but such as t-shirt because we can obviously wear it. I don't go for souvenirs that are to be displayed in the house, because there are disadvantages on that. But anyway, as long as you have the money to buy, why not. It can only be once in a lifetime that you visit that place anyway, so why not buy something nice that you can use.
For me, I don't go extravagant on souvenir items. Be it simple and I can give it to friends back home, I do buy them like key chains, mini pouch or bag. I do only keep t-shirts for me and hubby to wear. But if it is an accessory such as bangles or necklace or bracelets, I do give it to friends.
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
19 Aug 10
I think that even if I have the money for it, it's lots of weird, expensieve souvenirs out there that I just don't get :-)
I like buying gifts too. You get something that you can't get at home, and for me it's usually cheaper. I don't really have much of a clue about accesoiries, so I haven't bought a lot of them.
@carpediem17 (1315)
• Singapore
19 Aug 10
I do buy some souvenirs but that has stopped with more travel over the years to the various countries in the world.
I have bought a cute umbrella from Switzerland which depicts the various counties in the country which I quite like. I have also taken to buying books from some of the places that I have visited. Nice pictorial books from India and Nepal and books particular to a place. Terracotta figurines from Xian China. But often times I just settle for T-shirts or fridge magnets.
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
19 Aug 10
Books are good. Especially if you're somewhere where you understand the languag, I always buy books when I'm in Britain or Germany/Austria. Both touristy books and normal fiction. I think I'd like to buy cooking books in India, I love Indian food but I've never tried to cook something. A bit difficult to find the right ingredients here in Norway maybe, but trying would be nice.
@tkonlinevn (6437)
• Vietnam
19 Aug 10
oh, I think that you like to shopping :) I rarely buy souvenirs when I travel but I usually buy postcard and send to my partners or my family. I almost send to them every evening when I finish a day. They're very happy about that.
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
19 Aug 10
Actually, I hate shopping! I like window shopping, and buying books *he he* But sending postcards is a very nice habbit, and it's so nice to get a real postcard instead of just reading the facebook updates. I try to send some postcards every time I travel, 'cause I think it's so nice to get one myself. Especially children when they're small, when they get a postcard that's sent to them and not to their parents.
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