Inevitably when going on a trip we do shopping of some kind, and often buy plenty of kitsch souvenirs and brand name rip-offs for our friends and family but for yourself why not take the time to collect an interesting and unique item from each of your travel destinations.

 Many people are collectors of something or another, it could be matchboxes, tea pots or any other object for that matter, but when you start to be a regular traveler you begin to collect things from the various travel destinations you have visited.

Firstly there are the tourist trinkets such as fridge magnets, mugs, plates and key rings and then there are the objects which represent the specific travel destination and what ever is unique to it. In Munich it could be a beer mug, in Switzerland a cuckoo clock and in Australia a boomerang, but what about collecting something from each travel destination which is both unique to the area and belongs to a larger collection of objects from all your travel destinations.

Collect the same object at each travel destination, but with it's own unique twist

When traveling you can collect objects which have something in common but still represent their original country. Avoid tourist souvenir and gift shops which have very little unique about them and rather look for something of more value, even if the value is only sentimental. Choose a theme for your travel collectibles.

On one of my earliest trips I traveled through several countries and from each I collected a hat. I tried to find a hat which was part of the traditional national costume. The thought in the back of my mind was to have a hat stand near my front door with my collection of hats hanging on it. Imagine an original sombrero, beret and bowler hat, hanging on the hat stand as if members of those nations had just dropped in for tea!

A friend of mine collects Babushkas or Marushka dolls from where ever she goes. However she has found that no matter what the travel destination they all originate in Eastern Europe. She still has quite a variety.

Another idea is to wander into second hand stores at your travel destination and pick up old kitchen utensils, a spoon perhaps. Another idea is to collect military medals from each travel destination; these can also be found in second hand shops and pawn shops.

What ever the item you decide to collect on your travels make sure that A) it is not something every other tourist will have bought at the souvenir shop; B) it is unique to the travel destination but still fits into the theme of your collection and C) choose something that you can either use or display. There is no point in collecting some item that will be left to rot in a box in the garage or attic.

My absolute favorite idea for what to collect on your travels is to collect reusable shopping bags, the kind that are replacing plastic bags in supermarkets. These bags come with the local logos and often writing in a foreign language. Then I use them for my weekly shopping, and the are a constant reminder of the places I've been.

Enjoy your travels and leave the T-shirts and key rings to those less traveled!