I think a lot of people view receiving a souvenir about the same way they hate looking at your vacation photos. If I got a souvenir for my bother he would probably try to attack me with it.

OK, call me a Scrooge, but I just never understood the idea of why someone who goes on a trip is supposed to bring home some sort of gifts for everyone they know. Is it because you are supposed to feel guilty for being able to do it, and to relieve your guilt you buy things for others?<BR><BR>A group of us once went to London on a theatre group exchange. It was the first European trip for a couple friends of mine, who had to scrimp and save to pay their share of the trip costs. While in the UK, every time I turned around they were buying -- more and more stuff for their adult children, for fellow employees, for friends and family members. It was their last trip abroad. They keep saying, &quot;oh, we'd love to go again, but you know that trip cost us SOOOOO much money.&quot; In fact they were so busy shopping for gifts (and not just cheap trinkets) that I've never even understood how they had time to enjoy the trip itself.<BR><BR>

I agree with several of the posts where when you find something that strikes you as &quot;just perfect for X&quot; and it's at the right price, size, and weight, I'd go ahead and buy it. Even at home, I do that. (price is the biggest concern, of course!)<BR><BR>But, I buy something for someone because I wholeheartedly WANT to and NOT because I HAVE to or SHOULD. Otherwise, like someone mentioned, you end up somewhat &quot;resenting&quot; that person or having a generally bad feeling.<BR><BR>Anyway, if a friend is worth buying a present for, then that friend should also understand if you come home empty-handed.<BR><BR>

I travel mainly in England and also fell into the habit of buying individual gifts. Now I tend to buy a group item (I work in a large office) such as a big tin of cookies from Fortnum &amp; Mason - and I buy them at the airport upon departure so I don't have to lug them around until the very end. <BR><BR>I only buy individual gifts for my children such as a small model of a double-decker bus, a &quot;Mind the Gap&quot; t-shirt - picked up in museum gift shops. <BR><BR>I was once asked to bring back a particular tea set and spent the better part of a day looking for it but had no luck finding it. The person was quite upset when I returned without it. Never again!

Oh I gave up on souveniers long ago, except I always get my mother a cook book (iron clad rule here) and my mother in law socks.. but no body else.... they just don't care.

How could this be a problem?<BR><BR>I thought carting home a sourvenir for a friend et al was a gracious act which was received by another gracious act, normally referred to as &quot;thank you.&quot;<BR><BR>If the recipients are demanding or ungracious why would you bother repeating the exercise?<BR><BR>I enjoy searching for the odd item which might charm or engage a friend or family member but I definitely don't let it dominate the agenda.<BR><BR>What's all the yammering about?

I like to buy little things for my close friends because I know they appreciate it and I also know they will probably never get to the places I travel to, even Europe. <BR><BR>I get my religious best friend a little something from the vatican, my other friend a little something having to do with cooking, and so on, for about four of my best friends I have known since high school. I grew up in a very poor area and they have no prospects of spending money on travel.<BR><BR>They all appreciate what I bring and I bring things back out of love. How else could my friend get a rosary directly from the vatican?

When I was a kid I'd always pick out something for my best friend at school - that was a pleasure not a duty. If it was a particularly special trip or if it was easy to find inexpensive souvenirs I might buy a few for other good friends - these would be from my pocket money and gave me pleasure to buy.<BR><BR>As we got older my friends and I tended to opt for the tackiest souvenirs we could find - it was less about the duty of giving a present on one's return and more about the fun of finding the ugliest thing out there - such as a nail clipper with a picture of the eiffel tower on one side and a semi naked can can dancer on the other!<BR><BR>Now we buy gifts only when we happen to see something which we think would be just right for someone. Usually that's my sister as I love shopping for her. But even then we don't buy little trinkets that just look ugly on the mantelpiece when at home. We buy her food items such as balsamic vinegar, wine, foie gras that she can enjoy but which won't clutter her home.<BR><BR>If we see things which would suit other friends I will do as I do at home, buy them (if affordable) and store them until that person has a birthday or it's Christmas.<BR><BR>I am on holiday. If it doesn't feel good I don't do it.<BR><BR>Postcards: I enjoy writing these a couple at a time when sitting in cafes watching the world go buy. These always go to neices and nephews first. Adults tend to receive them in turn - a few friends might get a card from Madeira, on the next trip, to France, I'll send to a few different friends. I never send to everyone on each trip.