Items/Memorabilia You Bring Back

[swin26]

I am not a shopper or collector so I rarely buy memorabilia on our travels, other than gifts for others. One exception was on a Baltic cruise where I bought a set of nesting dolls and an amber necklace. I know I am the exception.

[wander]

I am in the "Christmas Tree Ornament" group. The actual item need not really be for "Christmas", but something local and reminiscent of the country culture that can be hung from the tree. In appropriate countries (like in Africa and the South Pacific) I have collected native masks - sort of mid-range price/quality. (Not museum caliber but not junky.) I have a small wall in our home's entry way with the masks displayed and a small sign related to source.

 

Alas, as we age and downsize, my space for masks is about gone and our Christmas trees much smaller, so if I get something new - something older has "go" in terms of display space. (I do keep them - one never knows when change is needed.)

[Watson's aunt]

I collesct

 

Christmas ornaments, magnets, photo books I bought a wonderful book in Alaska

Also photo's and photo tiles I purchsed in Icy Stright. There are probly more

 

 

 

 

Mary

[Cruising Is Bliss]

I look for things that will remind me of people and places. Mostly small but not always. A goofy little 6" ceramic moose fit perfectly into a running joke on an Alaska cruise. Two glorious semi-abstract cityscape medium size prints I found in Paris on my 18h birthday and still have framed and on the wall 4 moves and 50+ years later.

 

If there are locally made things that's fine but it's not a deal breaker if I find something I like made in China. It's the item itself that evokes the memories.

 

I like magnets, key chains, small watercolor print cards. I take far to many photos, and I also get lots of postcards to keep as souvenirs.

 

A tablemate on one cruise always got pretty local-themed t-shirts to cut into square blocks for quilts. She had photos of several large quilts she had already completed.

Edited June 12, 2015 by Cruising Is Bliss

[pizzadog]

I have collected bookmarks from all our travels. I have them in leather, lace (Belgium :) ), pewter, paper, canvas,,,,, all sorts of materials. They have to name either the city/country or attraction where I purchased it. I love looking through them and finding Westminster Abby, St. Peters, Tivoli, Bermuda, Halifax, Quebec City, Canals of Amsterdam, Acropolis, Versailles, Tower of London etc

Great memories, inexpensive, lightweight to pack and carry.

 

 

I also bring Christmas ornaments home and enjoy reminiscing when we put the tree up. Your idea of bookmarks is wonderful. I am an avid reader so this little collectible really suits me - I think I could put a little album together of all the bookmarks and pass it along to my granddaughter who is also an enthusiastic reader. Thank you so much for this lovely idea..

[Cruising Is Bliss]

My favorite travel memorabilia ever is a photo taken in the Zaandam Pinnacle Grill by the ship photographer on a formal night. We were four close friends, three ladies fancy in long skirts and sparkles, one guy in suit and silk tie and French cuffs. It was the 70th birthday of one of us and we already knew she had pancreatic cancer. The photo is a lovely reminder of celebrating living with cancer instead of thinking of it as dying with cancer.

Edited June 13, 2015 by Cruising Is Bliss

[hrhdhd]

deleted

Edited June 13, 2015 by hrhdhd

[sail7seas]

I also bring Christmas ornaments home and enjoy reminiscing when we put the tree up. Your idea of bookmarks is wonderful. I am an avid reader so this little collectible really suits me - I think I could put a little album together of all the bookmarks and pass it along to my granddaughter who is also an enthusiastic reader. Thank you so much for this lovely idea..

 

I'm so happy you like the idea. Makes me feel good I was able to pass along a suggestion you find useful. :) Once you start looking for bookmarks in your travels, you'll find they are offered in most museum/cathedral gift shops etc Most souvenir shops have them though I've had to hunt them down sometimes...... all part of the fun. :)

[LaCat3]

Even before I began cruising, I began my collection of coffee mugs which now numbers over 200. A friend made and installed mug-sized shelves which go twice around the upper walls of my office. I enjoy remembering the journey associated with each mug!

[serendipity1499]

For me it was always a Christmas ornament, have been collecting them from each country since I first travelled abroad in the 50's.. But we've now moved into a condo & even had to downsize our tree.. Have no place to put a second tree, therefore some of the ornaments hang in various places throughout the condo or sit on tables/shelves when I decorate for Christmas..

 

Purchased most of my Lladro figurines & Parrot figurines sitting on Amethyst bases in Europe or South America.. Haven't purchased a large figurine in a while, but have about a dozen little "Rinconada" animals from Uruguay, which are packed away.. Many of those I purchased from a Friend who was from Uruguay & could not part with them when we downsized..:D Really should find a place to put them in our condo..

 

Now, I mostly buy for the Grandkids, dresses, purses, or T-shirts & if I come across a small painting from a local artist I have purchased it..

 

My Mom had a bell collection & I used to bring bells home for her.. We inherited the bells, but when we moved had to sell the entire collection.. Believe I still have one of Mom's bells. packed away..

 

As another poster mentioned it really is time for me & DH to stop collecting..;) Yes, he's to blame too & the one who encouraged me to buy the parrots in Amsterdam Sauer or H. Sterns in South Amer. & helped me bargain for them..

 

Remember that in many countries, it's expected that you will bargain with them & the sales people actually enjoy the bargaining session...You have to be prepared to walk out though if you have not come to an agreement & that's hard for me to do! ;) LOL

Edited June 13, 2015 by serendipity1499

[bra1nchild]

We each have our personal manias. DW collects small boxes, preferably wooden, for a display on a coffee table. There are now so many we need a city planner just to arrange them. I collect masks where/when appropriate and have one wall filled with them. We will have to plan future cruises carefully because the wall is full, too.

[crusinpsychRN]

Picture frames with Caribbean themes. Key fobs, magnets, got a very colorful bowl in Cozumel. The shop person tried to tell me he painted it, even brought out a tray of paints. Clever but I know he didn't. If you go to the backstreets in Cozumel you get much better prices.

[serendipity1499]

We each have our personal manias. DW collects small boxes, preferably wooden, for a display on a coffee table. There are now so many we need a city planner just to arrange them. I collect masks where/when appropriate and have one wall filled with them. We will have to plan future cruises carefully because the wall is full, too.

 

Bolding is Mine.. LOL I laughed so hard when reading this & completely understand..:):) I actually use my hand written "city planner" when I decorate for Christmas.. ;)

 

Wonder why so many of us like to collect things? Could never be a Nun, as would have to give up all my collections.& become depressed!:eek:

 

P.S. you could always build another wall..

Edited June 13, 2015 by serendipity1499

[POA1]

We always try to get some local specialties that you can't get anywhere else. Quite often it's a food item, spices, or some handicrafts. If there's someone making local chocolate, that's probably going to be DW's go-to choice. I'm also okay with whatever drink happens to be locally famous. If we come across a tiny t-shirt, we'll pick one up. I used to buy local history books, that's sort falling by the wayside. Now I try to read local history before we leave home.

 

But chocolate. Definitely chocolate.

[POA1]

Once you start looking for bookmarks in your travels, you'll find they are offered in most museum/cathedral gift shops etc Most souvenir shops have them though I've had to hunt them down sometimes...... all part of the fun. :)

 

That's a great idea! They're portable, inexpensive, and definitely useful.

[GUT2407]

Yes bookmarks are good.

 

But then I love books.

[sail7seas]

I love my collection of bookmarks. So many memories. :)

My DH's favorite I let him use was from British War Museum. He loved touring there.

Happy you like the idea.

Edited June 14, 2015 by sail7seas

[serendipity1499]

I love my collection of bookmarks. So many memories. :)

My DH's favorite I let him use was from British War Museum. He loved touring there.

Happy you like the idea.

 

Judy I too think that your idea to collect bookmarks is wonderful!.. I Love hardcover books & have lots of them.. Would love to see them standing on our shelves with bookmarks from various places we've visited in them.. :):)

[Caribbean Chris]

I have a friend who as been cruising on the Cunard Line World cruise every year since the early 1980s with her mother. I think they are the most senior of Cunard's repeaters, and get invited to gala inaugural events (one not long ago with the Queen herself in attendance!).

 

Anyway, Pam brought me a bookmark from Easter Island once from a cruise, truly one of my treasures. I would love to go there but probably never will make it. Anyway, I agree that the bookmark idea is wonderful.

[KruzPrincess]

One other thing I pick up at every new port is a nail file with the ports name. A funny story....when we got to Puerto Rico they didn't have any that I could find. I sent DH back out to look and the clerk in a store wrote Puerto Rico in sharpie on a regular one. LOL

 

:) I love this story.

[KruzPrincess]

I pretty much stopped bringing a lot of stuff home quite a while ago, but late in my cruising career I started collecting the magnets that are shaped like the ship. I particularly like the ones that are topographical (if that's the right word to use). For HAL, I didn't collect them back when I was on the Volendam and they didn't have any like that on the Veendam last year. I don't know if HAL has them. I'll look for one on the Statendam next month. Sometimes I look for my past ship magnets on eBay, but haven't found any or missed them. Sometimes I buy a t-shirt if it strikes me. Sometimes I'll buy some little folk art item if I see something I really like.

[LindaM]

I have too many things we've brought back. Today, I am boxing it all up before we put our house up for sale. What makes me happy to look at, people looking at our house will think is junk.

 

But, we got a cool idea for a gift from our travel to Scotland last year. We visited the Highland Park distillery in the Orkney Islands. We gave a single malt loving retiree a bottle with a note saying how we actually visited that distillery, on our way home from Iceland. This man is planning to go to Iceland! I thought it was a little more meaningful than giving any old bottle of liquor.

[RuthC]

I bring back a small stone from every cruise.

My husband and I cruised a lot together. There are two flower vases on his gravestone, so, since my first cruise after his death, I have placed a stone in the vase to signify I thought of him on my cruise.

 

Those vases are getting full! But there's still room for more. ;)

[Lauranne]

I bring back a small stone from every cruise.

 

My husband and I cruised a lot together. There are two flower vases on his gravestone, so, since my first cruise after his death, I have placed a stone in the vase to signify I thought of him on my cruise.

 

 

 

Those vases are getting full! But there's still room for more. ;)

 

 

I love this idea Ruth. Thank you for sharing with us.

Laurie

[summer slope]

I bring back a small stone from every cruise.

My husband and I cruised a lot together. There are two flower vases on his gravestone, so, since my first cruise after his death, I have placed a stone in the vase to signify I thought of him on my cruise.

 

Those vases are getting full! But there's still room for more. ;)

 

My dh traveled the world for his company. He brought a small rock from each place to my mother. I put them in her casket when she passed. She loved her rocks.