Souvenirs and Travel Memorabilia - Scouting a Perfect Souvenir Shop

If you're a collector of souvenirs and travel memorabilia, you don't have to spend too much money from your credit card if you are a tourist. I urge you to spend it wisely by considering the following suggestions first. You just have to contemplate before plunging into a buying spree just for the heck of it.

1. Is it worth it or you just have to brag about your travel experiences that's why you're buying some souvenir items from a particular country you've visited?
2. If it will not be too much of an excess baggage and you have a budget for its extra payment, then go buy it.
3. Choose the most affordable item that is unique from that country. Aside from the flag, you can buy the most indigenous product from the said tourist spot. It may range from collector's items, food preserves, and the like.
4. Souvenir items that are environment-friendly or products from recycled materials are the in-thing these days. You can look for those handmade items that are the source of living of the people there. Items like native bags, paper mache are things you can or might consider.
5. If you consider giving those items as gifts to your friends and family, then you can budget your money for that items you might consider end buying.

If you happen to travel in Metro Manila, Philippines, you must include Intramuros in your itinerary. There are lots of souvenir shops that are still existing and thriving money-wise because of the tourist influx in this walled city in the metro.

It's Hispanic influences are well-preserved, from the sentries or guards with its 18th century uniforms and the existence of caretelas or horse-driven carriage that fetches tourists to tour the very small city.

The baroque-styled church at Beaterio street is often photographed by the tourists and city dwellers as well due to its grandiose presence.

Since Intramuros is also the place where my manning agency (for my work overseas) is located, I used to take photos of what interest me inside the walled city.

The souvenir shop where I used to visit is The Papier Tole Shop, established in 1668 as major hub for recycled paper products. The Spanish regime left a very important contribution to the Filipino people by utilizing their artistic talent and skills as it leave unique masterpieces for the unique paintings in 3D or in watercolor, paper dolls, necklaces and other paper products.

The influence of European art in paper recycling is noted with the products that I've seen and bought from the souvenir shop that I've visited.

Papier Tole or Paper tole is an art technique in which part or all of an image is raised from the surface to give a 3 dimensional effect which enhances the natural shape of the image.

From the products that I've seen at the Papier Tole Shop, I was engrossed by the 3D effects on the building art and related works.

It's like a duplicate image of a photograph, although the technique is to raise or separate each object from one another.

I blurted a lot of praises and talked with the shop's attendant-worker who also revealed to me he local artists who are engrossed with the manually-made 3D art or painting.

Although the shop is now incorporated with other indigenous art, paper products are still the highlights of the souvenir store.

You may drop by at the shop if you travel here in the Philippines.

And don't forget to buy items that you can afford for souvenirs.