The 5 Laws of Souvenirs

Credit: Mount Rushmore

If you fall into any of these categories, then this post is not for you:
 

• You love to shop! 
• It makes you happy to be surrounded by items you've collected from your travels.
• You adore giving gifts! 

You already know what you're doing and are having a good time doing it. Carry on. 


No, this post is for people who:

• Don't really enjoy shopping
• Often seem to buy the wrong souvenirs
• Feel anxious about which souvenirs to buy for folks back home  
• Feel like you "should" buy a souvenir, but really don't want to collect any more stuff

First Law: You don't have to buy any souvenirs


Freeing yourself of souvenir-buying saves you:

1. Time shopping, which you can spend on more pleasant pursuits.
2. Money that you can apply toward a longer stay, a lodging upgrade, additional stops, more activities on your trip ... or keep safe in your savings account. 
3. Luggage bloat that is inconvenient and perhaps costly.
4. Guilt that you aren't doing something you think you should be doing while traveling.
5. From having to apply a work attitude while on vacation, toward the goal of souvenir purchase.

Freeing yourself of the chore of buying souvenirs allows you to enjoy sensory-dazzling markets without a care, merely offering gracious "no thank you's" to vendors. You can devote your experience to taking in the sights and smells and sounds. Taking photos. Touching the wares. Or, get this: You don't have to visit a market at all, if you don't want.

If you happen to see something you must have, great! That is serendipitous and adds to the travel experience in a positive way. 



Second Law: Remember the light at home.

What looks stunning and exotic and perfect! on your trip may look out of place at home.

This applies especially to artwork, and it especially applies to situations where you've bought an item in a sun-drenched location and brought it back home to, say, the Midwest, New England, or the Northwest, where the light is so completely different.

The color palette of a painting that looked smashing on your trip might not make sense in your house. It might not work with your existing decor, or your light does not support the wonderful energy you saw in the painting when it was in its original environment.

Sometimes it's best to just appreciate a work of art in the moment and in its original context, and leave it there. If you wish, take a photo of it, if the vendor allows, so you can revisit the piece in an album as often as you wish.

This rule also applies to clothing. As beautiful as that scarf, shawl, harem pants, caftan, or traditional hat is ... will you (or your unsuspecting recipient) actually wear it back home?

On my first trip to Ethiopia in 2006, I bought several gorgeous (gorgeous!) shawls of the most brilliant hues and designs. But what I found upon returning home was that I never quite found the right opportunity to wear them, or even the knack to wearing them in a way that felt comfortable to me. I brought back a number of scarves for gifts, but as beautiful as they were, the recipients didn't wear them.

Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself before buying a souvenir:

• Will I (or the recipient) really wear this at home? When? Where? With what? 
• Where will I (or the recipient) display this in the house? Will the colors work with the light and decor? Is its size the right scale for the room?

Another technique I've found useful is to walk away from the item and continue shopping. If I still want it after I finish perusing the market, then that's a green light. Often, I find that I don't want the item enough to go back and retrieve it, thus saving myself buyer's remorse later.



Third Law: You are a rabbit, the vendor is a hawk. Never forget that. 

Rabbits and hawks are both worthy creatures, but each has its own agenda.

The hawk's agenda is to separate you from as much of your money as possible. Your agenda, as the rabbit, is to enjoy the day and get home with your hide intact.

Do not feel sorry for the vendor or worry that you might take advantage of the vendor. [Insert uproarious laughter here.] Regardless of the vendor's age or gender, trust that the vendor is a master hunter and you are the game.

When you forget this rule, you may:

• Buy souvenirs you don't really want
• Pay more for souvenirs than you want to pay
• Feel bad about your buying experience

If you don't want to buy anything: 

• Don't make eye contact with vendors unless you want to engage in a conversation
• Don't answer questions unless you want to engage in a conversation 
• Don't shake hands unless you want to engage in a conversation
• Say "no, thank you" and repeat as needed if you're looking at a vendor's wares. If you're just walking through, then keep on moving.

If you're interested in an item:

• In cases where your travel location is famous for certain items, such as precious metals or stones, or textiles, or whatever, do some research before you go to the market. Know, in general, what to look for in quality, price, plus any common scams.
• In a market where haggling is the norm, a rule of thumb is to offer half the vendor's asking price and go from there. But do some research about what the bargaining norms are for the country you'll be in. Asking a clerk at your place of lodging is a good strategy.
• Have a limit on what you're willing to pay for an item and stick to it. 

Fourth Law: Think Ahead


If you want to get souvenirs, then before you leave on your trip, think ahead: 

1. Who do I want to buy souvenirs for (including myself)? 
2. What artwork will complement my house vis a vis color, size, style?
3. What is my souvenir budget (total, per person, per category of recipient - such as family, friends, work)?
4. What do my gift recipients like? What are their interests? What do they wear? Do they have pierced ears? What size clothing do they wear? 
5. Would any of my prospective recipients, truthfully, really prefer nothing, as they don't want to add to the stuff they already own? 

Write this stuff down and take the list with you. Use the list as a daily prompt to help you keep an eye out for items as you enjoy your day.


Making such a list will help you avoid situations where you: 

• Just buy "stuff" in quantity and assume you'll figure out who to give it to when you get home
• Forget to buy a souvenir for an individual you want to give something to
• Are in a last-day panic of "I've got to go buy souvenirs today or else ...!" 
• Buy things you really don't want
• Spend more than you want

Fifth Law: Check the Bottom

I'm not going to mention names, but I still shake my head over the gift a friend gave me upon his return from a certain country far, far away. It was a wooden carving representing a figure from that country. When I turned it over, I saw a sticker, Made in China.

Helloooooo?!

[If you're going to buy something "local," but see that it was made in China, then at least take the sticker off. ;).]