A good souvenir is hard to find

42 Comments by Sam Blog

Everyday I seem to walk by a hundred souvenir shops. Struggling to find something touristy has never crossed my mind, so today I went in search of an Australian sticker to add to my (extremely) limited travel collection. This was inspired by my recent post The sticker on my laptop. I had a wander around Circular Quay and The Rocks as these are easily two of the most tourist-friendly areas of the city.

I couldn’t find a great sticker anywhere.

I found some good ones, but none that really stood out. I looked for koalas and kangaroos (I know many of you wanted this as my choice!) however the ones I found looked very cheap and pretty bland. I guess tourists simply want a sticker of a kangaroo and they will always be bought by passers by, so quality is not an issue for the seller. I looked in convenience stores, tourist information centers and everything in between. What originally looked like too much choice turned out to be not much choice at all.

So I found one place in the CBD. I like the look of it, so I bought it.

I was hoping for a kangaroo with the flag on it, however I didn’t see a cool enough kangaroo. I was also tempted by a couple of aboriginal style designs, however I haven’t researched aboriginal culture enough to know whether what I had bought was a true reflection of their art. I am sure it wouldn’t look good if I was to promote aboriginal art and be so far from what it is. It is much easier to admit ignorance here.

I also like the shape of Australia. There aren’t too many countries in the world able to boast about not having to share borders, we Brits can (for now, who knows if we will break apart one day) but for an island the size of Australia, that is pretty special. There also aren’t too many countries in the world that bother displaying the outline of their nation on stickers or t-shirts. Going back to Texas, which isn’t a nation (yet 😉 ), this is a state that really enjoys displaying their borders wherever they can. It is a unique shape that is easy to remember, an interesting article on this can be read here. Whether the state border is used for breakfast waffles or as the layout of a local swimming pool, the shape is used everywhere. I like that some places use their geographical layout and this is why I like this new sticker.

What do you think? As I grow my collection, I will try to find a sticker different to the last. I guess I will have to find stickers that are smaller to fit… maybe have sizes that are relative to the length of time I stayed in the country. Both US and Australia are year long stays, so these are accurate so far.

Categories: Blog, TravelTags: , , , ,

42 Comments

    • Sam Reply

      Haha, I’m sure the ones you order are as good if not better quality than the ones you could have bought at the time! Postcards are nice, romantic and old fashioned, although they are still sent quite a lot by guests in the hotel I work at! I have tried to keep rail cards and tickets etc… Although I worry how long they will last. I need somewhere that will preserve them for life haha

      Liked by 1 person

    • Sam Reply

      Possibly, I’ll take a look. Everything is made in China! I probably was xD
      I don’t mind if it’s just a sticker, however if I buy an actual gift, I’ll try to buy an authentic and Australian made one.
      Thanks for the link.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. calista
    calista Reply

    I buy stickers when I travel and do try to find good quality ones because I put them on my water bottles and travel coffee mugs. I also buy art whenever I can because looking at a piece hanging on my wall always takes me right back to the country where I bought it. I look at buying stickers and art as an adventure and I usually find perfect pieces 🙂 Good luck with your stickers!

    Liked by 1 person

  7. mindlessnimkish
    mindlessnimkish Reply

    For some reason when you posted about your Texas sticker, I thought you had more stickers. But I’m loving your Australia one! I think you should try to stick with country or state-shape on it. I personally collect postcards and I’m going to put them up on a dedicated wall when I manage to settle into a life 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Sam Reply

      Yeah, I should have more haha, I will soon! I will be willing to consider that… I’ll see if I can find more of the same. The thing is, some nations will be harder to find stickers of this nature for. We shall see!
      I hope your wall collection develops nicely when you start it 🙂

      Like

    • Sam Reply

      Hey Vince! I guess it’s because I am from there, so I have only thought about the places I will travel to and collecting stickers on my travels. I would like to have one though, as I think the Union Flag is the best looking flag in the world! Next time I’m in the UK 🙂

      Like

    • Sam Reply

      Do it! Vince in the comments above asked me why I don’t have a sticker from home… I guess it is because we are always looking for things to take away as a reminder of the places we don’t live. If we live there, when would we ever enter a souvenir shop?

      Ps. I do like the Longhorns logo, I would definitely get that 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      • Sam

        I am sorry it as been over a year since I have responded to this, I don’t how I have missed it however I am more than willing to do a sticker exchange. Let me know if you have one yet! :p

        Like

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