Nothing beats exploring a place for the first time. Whether you’re traveling near or far, venturing to a new place always leads to a new adventure. During your travels, one of the best aspects is collecting souvenirs. Why? These collected items become symbols of all the special places you’ve visited, experiences you’ve had, and feelings that were felt. Souvenirs, also known as travel mementos, help us to go back in time to relive special memories from those travels.
And that’s just the beginning of why collecting travel mementos is so special. We’re here to dive into more reasons why you should collect travel mementos along with highlighting some great memento ideas such as Limoges collectibles. Continue reading to learn more.
What is a souvenir?
A French word meaning token of remembrance, souvenirs are much more than small novelty gifts. Even though this word dates back to 1782, we can safely guess that the idea of souvenirs dates back far beyond that. Why? They are keepsakes or mementos that can take the form of any item, whether that be a rock, leaf, picture, or written words. The ultimate purpose of a souvenir or memento is to reminisce about the experience and give into the memories it brings back.
Why do we buy them?
There are a variety of reasons why travelers choose to buy and collect travel mementos, some of the more popular ones are listed below:
Remembrance: Buying an item during your trip will serve as a great reminder. Not only will this small token represent where you’ve been but it will serve as one of your many memories. Just looking at it will make you go back in time to the exact day that you bought it.
Gift: Trying to find a gift for that hard-to-buy person? A travel memento is a great way to show that person you were thinking of them over your travels. Not only will you be giving them a piece of your trip but your travel memento will surely make them smile.
Promise: Another great reason to collect a travel memento is to keep a promise to yourself. It’s easy to get caught up in your daily routine. Having a travel memento is a great reminder that the world is a much bigger place than we realize. This small gift can act as a promise to yourself to continue to travel.
Collector’s Item: Are you a travel buff? Travel mementos are a great collector’s item that have special meaning. Plus, most of the time these items have a good story behind them.
Conversation starter: Depending upon what travel memento you buy and where you buy it from, it could lead to a conversation starter. Artwork from Czech Republic? Bowl from Canada? The list is endless, but choosing a unique travel memento to collect will have your guests asking all kinds of questions about it.
Home decor: Similar to the above, collecting travel mementos is a great way to add some flair to your home decor. From artwork to rugs to bowls to everything in between, travel mementos that are both big and small are great ways to showcase your taste, travels, and flair into your home furnishings.
What makes a good memento?
There is actually no “good” or “bad” memento. It’s entirely up to the person buying and collecting it. While some typically buy the same item everywhere they go (pictures or tiles to name two), others tend to buy a memento that’s specific to the particular area they go to. For example, if you go to Limoges, France, buying a Limoges collectible (what this region is known for) is a great keepsake.
What memento should you buy?
There is without a doubt an art in collecting travel souvenirs. Intensely personal, these mementos will be treasured by you for years to come. Below are some top ideas for those wanting to start collecting travel mementos.
Paper Mementos
One of the easiest and lightest items to remember a trip by, paper mementos can take the form of postcards, maps, stamps, tour book pages, and ticket stubs. These unique mementos are great to frame or to put into a scrapbook.
To help preserve them during your travels, simply place them in a book, envelope, or tight plastic bag.
Store-bought Items
Another great way to remember your travels is with a store-bought item. Of course, these can range from t-shirts and mugs in a traditional souvenir shop to beautiful artwork or clothing from a local boutique. When you find something awe-inspiring, that’s usually a good indicator that you’ve found the perfect memento.
Miscellaneous Travel Mementos
Sometimes the best travel mementos are purchased or created after a vacation. Did you take photos, write notes or poems throughout your trip? Create a scrapbook filled with those items. Not only will this preserve those treasures but these items are a beautiful way to convey a sense of place and your feelings in the moment.
Another travel memento to consider is a Limoges collectible. These authentic, unique French porcelain boxes are the perfect keepsake to savor your travels. Coming in a variety of styles, Limoges boxes can take the form of luggage, an airplane or a specific location such as a Limoges Eiffel Tower box. Featuring over three hundred Limoges boxes in our Travel and World collection, there is a Limoges collectible that you’ll find to represent your travels.
These boxes are also perfect travel mementos for two more reasons. Each tiny box can hold a small item. Whether you kept a coin or ticket from your vacation, a travel Limoges box is a great place to store it. On top of that, all of our Limoges collectibles can be personalized. From adding a place, name, date, or saying, all inscriptions are hand-written with our onsite artists and cold-glazed to make sure they last forever.
As the saying goes: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And, we know that any travel memento you collect will hold precious memories for you. Browse our selection of Limoges collectibles today to find your perfect travel memento.
