10 Tourist Souvenirs That Are Always a Total Waste of Money

Souvenirs are part of the fun while you’re traveling, right? There are all these cool little gifts in the shops, and it’s hard not to grab something to remember the visit. But come on — how many of those souvenirs even make it past the “vacation glow”? The majority of them end up in a drawer or collecting dust on a shelf.  Below are 10 souvenirs that are almost always a waste of money.

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Snow Globes

Paris Snow Globe Standing on a Metal Bar
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They’re shiny and cute and fun to shake, but hey — what will you do with it after the visit? Snow globes are fragile, bulky & an absolute nightmare to pack. And most airports won’t let you take them in your carry-on because of the liquid. It’s a recipe for disappointment.

Keychains

Keychains
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When you travel, you see keychains all around you and they are tempting because they’re small and cheap. But how many keys do you have? After one or two, the others fall into a drawer or are just left anywhere in the house. They’re so generic they barely feel special when you’re home.

Tacky T-Shirts

Souvenir clothes
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It would be nice to wear “I <3 [City Name]” shirt everywhere you go on vacation but how many times are you going to wear it? The majority of these shirts are poor quality and they get dull after a few washes. They’re also the very tourist cliché — they can be a little cringe when you’re back home.

Shot Glasses

Festive green shiny glasses with inscription St Patricks Day
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Unless you’re an obsessive collector or actually shoot shots with them, these little glasses only clutter up your cabinets. They’re little and easy to carry, sure. But do you need another shot glass from a place you already visited? The vast majority of us don’t even know we have them.

Magnets

Woman Hand Holding Magnet with Amsterdam Tenements
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Fridge magnets are among the best-selling souvenirs out there, but how much room do you have on your fridge? These are small things and add up fast, and the majority of them are factory-made and identical, wherever you get them. They’re cheap, but not much more than a token of your travel experience.

Plastic Trinkets

Red Telephone Booth
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Plastic souvenirs, from mini–Eiffel Towers to tiny Leaning Towers of Pisa are always pretty in the shop but totally useless when you’re home. They’re typically not well-made and after a while, you may forget where they came from. Do you really want to spruce up your home with cheap souvenirs?

Fake Local Crafts

Carpet shop
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You assume you’re buying something handcrafted and unique when a lot of “local” goods in tourist spots are actually factory re-productions. They’re nice, but you’re probably paying too much for something not even from the region you’re visiting. If you want true local art, get it from local markets or from real craftspeople.

Penny Pressed Souvenirs

Silver Round Coin on Person's Hand
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It feels good to drop a penny in one of those machines and have it turn into a flattened souvenir with a stamp of where you’re going. But what do you actually do with these afterwards? They’re too awkward to display and too random to keep in your wallet. Most of us either throw them away or lose them in no time.

Cheap Jewelry

Handmade Jewelry
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That glittery necklace or bracelet is a cute gift, but likely made of low-grade stuff that fractures or corrodes with frequent use. And worse, it can even irritate your skin or turn it green. Unless you’re shopping from a reputable vendor, stay away from the bling.

Stuffed Animals

Teddy Bear
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Unless you’re buying it for a child who loves collecting plush toys, stuffed animals from tourist spots are usually overpriced and unnecessary. They take up room, and the majority of grownups don’t know what to do with them once home. It’s cute in the moment but almost never worthwhile later on.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.

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