![people in marketplace](https://www.wanderingstrings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/featuredimage_300.jpg)
7 Unique Collectible Travel Souvenirs
If you don’t want to be cliché and collect the same things as everyone else, but you know you want to collect something, you have come to the right place. I am going to tell you 7 unique collectible travel souvenirs you can find on your next trip.
When I was going on my first big trip in middle school, I knew that I had to find something to collect on my journey, because that is what people do right? They gather t-shirts, thimbles, postcards, and other things. However, those things didn’t excite me. So, I decided to start collecting pins. I would get a pin from every state I traveled to. Over the years, I realized that it was a bad idea. As common as I thought pins would be to find, they were not. I spent a lot of energy bouncing from gift shop to gift shop trying to find a pin that was related to the place I was going. I usually end up finding one, but it is not always related. All of the pins I bought while on a trip that was not related to that destination, I don’t remember where I was. I remember buying it on a trip, but who knows which trip and which state I was in?
![people shopping in marketplace](https://wanderingstrings.littleorangeapron.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/people-standing-on-road-beside-market-and-high-rise-1060803-1-1024x768.jpg)
1. Local art
I am a huge fan of supporting local businesses and local artists. On a trip to South Carolina, my family and I visited a huge market filled with locals selling food and handmade goods. I ended up buying a little 4×6 colored pencil piece of a beach we visited while we were there. There is something so special about talking to the artist who made the item you are buying. Also, I know what it is like to be on the other side of the table and it feels just as amazing to meet the person buying your work. I feel more grounded in humanity. As a tourist, there is a sense of community in a place you have never been to.
![7 unique collectible travel souvenirs image: round shoulder bags for purchase](https://wanderingstrings.littleorangeapron.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/round-shoulder-bags-1118715-1024x682.jpg)
2. Accessories
Buying accessories in foreign places can be fun. A coworker of mine studied abroad in Italy and bought a backpack purse there. It was a conversation starter, as I am supposed to be studying abroad in London next Spring. Buying a hat here and a necklace there is not only practical but keeps your memories close as well! Next thing you know, you will have a wardrobe from around the world!
![7 unique collectible travel souvenirs image: assorted postcards](https://wanderingstrings.littleorangeapron.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/assorted-postcards-3234893-1024x682.jpg)
3. Paper products
This one sounds a bit odd but trust me. On a trip to South Carolina, I had tried Ben & Jerry’s ice cream for the first time in a Ben & Jerry’s store. Now, for some of you, this might be normal. However, in Pennsylvania, we do not have Ben & Jerry’s ice cream stores. So, I saved the wrapper that was around my cone. Also on that trip, I visited the Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach (side note: super cool!) and kept my ticket and a postcard I bought there. I also bought a postcard from a huge gift shop called the Gay Dolphin Gift Cove while I was there. For many people, this would make great scrapbooking material! For me, I don’t scrapbook anymore, but I put them in a shadow box with other paper items I have gathered from trips: Broadway Playbills, movie ticket stubs, concert tickets, among other things. Paper products may seem odd to collect, but they are easy to store, quick to reference, and fun to look through!
4. Brands native to your destination
One time, a friend told me that she bought Birkenstocks in Germany. I thought that was so cool. So, if you have the money, get some amazing sandals in Germany, or a Prada bag in Italy, or some Chanel perfume in France. These are practical items you will use every day and when somebody compliments you on it, you can say, “I bought them in Germany!” BAM! Another conversation starter.
![gift box](https://wanderingstrings.littleorangeapron.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/person-s-holds-brown-gift-box-842876-1024x730.jpg)
5. Gifts
Who says that you have to keep anything? Giving gifts can be just as fulfilling and it doesn’t clutter your house. Your trips will not only brighten your life, but a loved one’s as well! Also, the receiver of the gift will feel amazing because you thought of them on your trip. It is a win-win!
![blue and yellow guitar picks](https://wanderingstrings.littleorangeapron.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/blue-and-brown-guitar-picks-3477581-819x1024.jpg)
6. Something unique to you
You may be reading this and think “what? This is why I am here.” However, by this statement, I mean something you love. For me, I love to play the ukulele. I could get a ukulele from every location, but that would get rather expensive and difficult to house. For you, you could play guitar and get a guitar pick from everywhere you go. Or, if you love soccer, get some soccer socks. Maybe you love to hike, so get one new addition to your hiking gear collection. Make it unique to you and your passions!
![7 unique collectible travel souvenirs image: polaroids in a box](https://wanderingstrings.littleorangeapron.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/close-up-photo-of-pictures-on-wooden-box-1812527-683x1024.jpg)
7. Memories
Maybe your collections could be collections of memories. After all, that is what is most important. When traveling, you are there for new experiences and to see the world, not to buy another knickknack you will never dust. Don’t waste valuable time trying to find the perfect pin (been there, done that). Enjoy your surroundings and take it all in. There is no doubt that you will take a million pictures on your trip to remember the experience. So, don’t worry about bringing home a tangible good. Enjoy the journey.
The most important thing I want you to gather from this article is that if you are going to collect something, make it valuable to you and make it practical. If you hate dusting, don’t give yourself more things to dust. The reason you are putting time and money into this trip is to experience it, so do it! (Interested in more local experiences? Check out my post on how to find adventure in your daily life!)
I hope you found these 7 unique collectible travel souvenirs to be helpful. Tell me what you like to collect in the comments! Enjoy the journey!
![7 unique collectible travel souvenirs pinterest pin with an image of a marketplace](https://wanderingstrings.littleorangeapron.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Artboard-1-copy-100-2.jpg)
![riley in the woods](https://www.wanderingstrings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/featuredimage_300-3-75x75.jpg)
![woman playing ukulele in field](https://www.wanderingstrings.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/featuredimage_300-1-75x75.jpg)