Buying Unconventional Souvenirs

When you think about souvenirs, you think about magnets, pins or postcards.  While there is nothing wrong with these items, they just sit around.  Sure, a magnet is practical in that it can hold stuff on your fridge or other magnetic surface but how often do you look at them Even the pictures you take, how often do you look at them unless you end up framing them and putting them on the wall or some other place that you see often.

A "Souvenir" store in London, England Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You may wonder what I am referring to but here are some examples that I have bought:

Gloves - When I was in New Zealand, the weather was cool.  While I had a hoodie, my hands were still a bit chilled.  I found a shop that was selling gloves and I bought a pair.  I still use them to this day, almost 10 years later.  And when I put them on, I think of New Zealand.

Clothing - Just like gloves, clothing is something practical that can remind you of your holiday.  When I was in Australia, due to all the cookies and other goodies I was eating, it was necessary to buy some new clothing.  I still have some of those clothes hanging in my closet; one pair of pants hit the bin as I wore them out.  You may also need to buy clothing because those items that you packed are not weather appropriate for where you are travelling.

Umbrella - I don't tend to bring an umbrella when I travel but I will take rain clothing.  But when I was in Australia, it seemed to rain constantly and I wanted an umbrella.  I still use it to this day as I like the way it folds down and gets very compact.  It stays in my work bag for that reason.

Toilet Plunger - This one is a little odd, I will admit that.  I recently went to Ohio to visit my friend and we were in Target.  I saw a colourful plunger that was on sale for $5 and I needed a plunger.  While its an odd souvenir, and not one I really want to use, I do see it when I go into the washroom and it makes me think of Ohio.

Luggage - I don't know about you, but I tend to shop a little bit more than I should while on holidays.  This was definitely true of my trip to New Zealand/Australia as well as my trip to Southern Ontario in 2010.  I ended up having to purchase an extra suitcase to bring everything home.  While I do not use these bags often, when I do see them or use them, I think of those trips.

I challenge you to purchase unconventional but practical souvenirs.  Share what you have bought in the past in the comments.