Average rating:
When you travel, you always pick up a souvenir or two. Or you pick up gifts for friends. The classic Hawaiian shirt! The lop-sided, plastic molded  "airport art" carving! The classic T-shirt... basically saying "I am a doofus!" Stuff you would never buy at home even though Wal-mart probably has it.

Once in a (long) while, the souvenirs turn out to be great bargains and your friends really enjoy the gift or you actually display the little treasure at home. Often though, when you lug some of these crazy things home you are really preparing for next year's garage sale!  

It does not have to be this way. A little planning and you can bring home a few beautiful things that show the best of the country you visited, and can help artisans in that country, too.

Step 1:

Inform yourself. Find out what are the special items that come from the country or region. This could range from silk, wood carvings, woven cloth, embroidery, glass or jewelry and much, much more.  Of the artists or artisans who design or make these items, get the details of the top three. Go to shops that sell these things and ask who is the most famous of those who do this work? Find out where they retail their works. Get a bio on the artisan. Often, you can meet the artist/crafter and get a picture of the two of you with the object. Souvenirs mean memories and that's what you are really building along with some great stories.

Step 2:

Buy only what you appreciate. Bargains are of no value if you don't appreciate them yourself. While it is true that art and crafts can be an investment, if you don't like the piece, why buy it? If art happens to be what you are looking for, ask for the galleries of the best painters in town and go visit it. You can also find out from the internet the names of galleries that exhibit in the international art fairs like the one in Basel, Switzerland. Pick out the ones you love and buy the best of what you can afford. If it's fabrics, find out where it is woven and go there to buy from the weavers. You are really making a contribution to the country at this point and again you will have great pictures and memories....as opposed to another shot of a beach or a sunset.

Step 3:

Buy only what you can carry. Resist the local war shield....avoid the spear and sword. Steer clear of the dreaded turtle shell and dubious snake skin. The entire airport will burst into tears of laughter!  Have you checked luggage over-weight charges lately? Forget it!!! Buy the best of the small. 

But then, if you really like the item and you can't get it where you live, pay the extra fare. Or ship it. You could always ask the gallery or store to organize the shipping for you including necessary documentation, duties and insurance. Your hotel can help you in this as well. Some of the courier companies like Fedex, DHL, or UPS are good options and you can track your items on the journey home.

Step 4:

Pick out one item that helps you remember the place. There are many tour operators now that bring you to artisans or centers where local artists and crafters work or are trained in some of the traditional crafts. Many of these places are tourist traps but some are worth your support. Artisans D'Angkor in Cambodia, as an example, has been training young villagers to do the traditional crafts used in the temples. Most countries have a special place like this.  Go around and see who is the best of these crafters and ask him/her to show you a finished work. You can then ask this crafter to sign it for you if you like to buy it. This will, at least, personalize your piece and give you a story to tell. You can take a photo of the crafter holding the piece you bought and put this in a card to accompany your gift if you are buying the item for a friend.

Step 5:

Stay away from antiques and items not allowed into your country. Unless, of course, you REALLY know antiques. Chances are they have just been manufactured in a nearby garage. Fakes abound and they are hard to identify. Also you can be a heritage-friendly tourist by not encouraging illegal excavation of precious items of local history. If you don't create the market, they won't rob the historic sites. Remember, most countries now have strict laws around exporting their culture's precious relics. Chances are your item will be confiscated, or you could end up with heavy fines or even jail time. You are NOT Lord Elgin and you will NOT get away with it!

Animal skins, teeth, shells, wow....wait till customs in your home country see these! You too can make it onto television!

Better still, stay away from all the scrap (crap) called souvenirs. If you cannot resist, at least, look at the bottom of what you are buying and make sure it's made in the country your are visiting. Spend your time hunting for that unique souvenir and while doing it, you will experience the place and the people. Visit the local markets, try the local food, talk to the locals and collect memories you can bring home to treasure. They are cheaper and more valuable and much more enduring.

Be the First to Comment on this Article