souvenirs made in China

[retire-early]

Our next neighbors returned last night from their vacation to Italy.
This morning the wife came by and gave us small ceramic dish about 2" in diameter.
The dish was in a plastic bag, and a sticker on the back of the bag
said among other things Made in PRC.
I am guessing they didn't realize the PRC meant People's Republic of China.
At least the merchant was honest, but how does one avoid this?

 

[mickeyd]

I try to steer clear of anything made in China. My thinking is that part of what I spend on any product made in PRC will go to CCP. I do not wish to support the CCP.

 

[euro]

Well, you have to be realistic. Anything made locally in Italy is going to be more expensive than the imported stuff from China, Vietman, etc. So, if you are in Europe and a souvenir costs less can 5 or 10 bucks, it is almost certainly imported. If you want locally made stuff, be prepared to pay for it.

 

[Aerides]

At least the merchant was honest, but how does one avoid this?

Avoid what?

Your neighbor gave you a tchotchke, you thank her and that's all. Maybe she just thought it was pretty and you'd like it, nothing more. I mean if she presented it and described it as authentic Tunisian pottery or something, you still just smile and thank her.

When I shop overseas I do look for marks and labels, just like I would at home. But most of the time I'm not shopping at the airport or souvenir shops. I prefer to shop in the off-the-beaten path places.

 

[athena53]

I was in a shop in Dubrovnik 10 or so years ago that had all kinds of pretty nautical-themed dishes and accessories. A woman next to me, after turning over several items exclaimed, "They're all made in China!". And so they were. I walked out.

If I want inexpensive souvenirs to give as gifts I like to choose interesting local food- nonperishable, of course, and nothing the US Department of Agriculture would confiscate.

 

[Kerfuffle]

Nothing to avoid. You thank your neighbor for thinking of you and life goes on.

 

[retire-early]

What I meant when I said how to avoid was how can I avoid buying souvenirs made in China if I am traveling in Europe.

Is price the only determining factor?

 

[euro]

What I meant when I said how to avoid was how can I avoid buying souvenirs made in China if I am traveling in Europe.

Is price the only determining factor?

Yes, pretty much. Well, I suppose you can probably get the occasional; expensive Chinese made souvenir, but never a cheap domestic one.... if it is cheap, it is imported.

 

[tmm99]

OP,

I'm surprised that you are surprised. It's been that way for decades and decades as far as I know.

I went to Disneyland in Anaheim in the 70s and all the souvenirs sold there that I flipped to check were made in Japan. But they were the Disney souvenir items exclusively sold for Disney by Disney and you couldn't get those itmes anywhere else (I imagine they have knockoffs now...), so i bought a bunch and brought back to Japan and gave then to my friends.

It's just the way it is, and nothing to be alarmed about IMO.

 

[tmm99]

Oh, I just read your subsequent post. Unless something says "made in Italy" or wherever you are at, i think, most likely, the item is from some other country...

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

What I meant when I said how to avoid was how can I avoid buying souvenirs made in China if I am traveling in Europe.

Is price the only determining factor?

I don't think price is any help. After all, they can just remove the decal. Look at the boxes of imports to the US that are labelled as "made in some country that ISN'T CHINA" yet the contents clearly ARE made in China.

 

[Aerides]

Proximity to attraction is another factor. Stalls, Souvenir shops setup right next to the thing are more likely to be dreck. Find the artisan shops, ask your concierge or a local guide. Look for things with a artists stamp vs. a Made In thing. Expect to pay a lot more.

 

[OldShooter]

We are not great souvenir buyers except small items and artwork bought directly from the makers. We have a couple of decorative plates bought in Turkey at the school that trains these artists. We have a few small hand-made trinkets bought from Masai guides whose wives make them in the village. I have an amazing hand-forged knife bought from a guy in Vietnam whose family manufactures them in a shop in his front yard. We have bought from a shop in Nairobi where individual booths have goods from around Kenya, vetted by the shop operator to be real. DW has some glass candle holders bought from the artisan in Iceland. We have a weaving bought from the artisan in Ecuador. .... and the list goes on. Oh, and we have a small hand-tied silk "oriental" rug bought from a shop in Beijing's Forbidden City, made in (gasp!) China.

To avoid junk, don't buy in junk shops. If you're using a guide, absolutely refuse to be taken to tourist shops. This rule must be established on day one. The tourist shop problem is common because the shops pay the guides per head delivered or pay a commission on purchases.

 

[RobbieB]

Just read the label.

 

[audreyh1]

Our next neighbors returned last night from their vacation to Italy.
This morning the wife came by and gave us small ceramic dish about 2" in diameter.
The dish was in a plastic bag, and a sticker on the back of the bag
said among other things Made in PRC.
I am guessing they didn't realize the PRC meant People's Republic of China.
At least the merchant was honest, but how does one avoid this?

Well, that would be embarrassing for your friends if they foubd out later, or maybe it simply didn’t occur to them.

If you want to avoid cheap made in China souvenirs, you really need to carefully look at the labels. Certainly avoid the big souvenir shops in tourist areas. Usually a given region has a specialty you can look for.

I usually only buy souvenirs at an artisan’s store or local factory. Or a small shop that identifies the artist. I check items carefully at the museum stores. Textiles are usually made overseas, but it may have been a custom order for the museum or store.

Ceramics - we went to the one remaining Royal Delftware factory to get their ceramics.

I’m a sucker for buying scarves in France, particularly silk. In Paris I visited Diwali Paris twice because I loved my initial purchase so much so went to another to buy gifts. Really stunning scarves with usually an Indian design. These were manufactured in India and other East Asian counties, but specifically for the store. I’ve never seen anything like it.
https://www.diwali-paris.com/en/the-diwali-state-of-mind/

 

[JoshTrent]

What I meant when I said how to avoid was how can I avoid buying souvenirs made in China if I am traveling in Europe.

Is price the only determining factor?

In my experience, price can be a determining factor. But.. currency valuations can affect pricing too, along with your expectation of what something is worth. Quality & Materials would be determining factors too.

I shop with a "Buy Local" mentality (whether home or abroad). If I am am purchasing an item from a shop while traveling, I will chat with the shopkeeper about the item(s). I like to make sure they were produced/sourced locally. Otherwise, I like to purchase items from the source.

Part of my goal in traveling, is to support the local economy. If I wanted things made in China, I would sit at home and order crap from Amazon.

 

[Jim59]

Wow, I’m not sure I believe this post. A small mindful gift from your neighbour has exposed petty, discriminatory tendencies.

 

[Amethyst]

Easy. Show your neighbor the bag, pointing out that their so-called "Italian souvenir" clearly isn't from Italy. Remind them to use their reading glasses more often.

Pretty good bet you will never get another souvenir from them.

The dish was in a plastic bag, and a sticker on the back of the bag
said among other things Made in PRC.
I am guessing they didn't realize the PRC meant People's Republic of China.
At least the merchant was honest, but how does one avoid this?

 

[SnowballCamper]

I get your frustration, OP. I have no desire to get junk from anyone. For some people the junk is a way of life. My guess is that the neighbor doesn't know you well enough to know you don't appreciate the junk. My neighbors are junk collectors, but I barely speak to them. Good luck!

 

[Chuckanut]

I get my overseas souveniers from two places:

1. My camera. A nice print made from a photo I took of an interesting place/person/event.

2. Local shops that feature artisans. Yes, no $5 or $10 souvenirs there.

While in Krakow a few years ago, most of the jewelry I found was the ubiquitous amber jewelry that pretty much all looks the same. I can't help but think it all comes out for the same factory whether it is in Poland, China or some other place. My guidebook mentioned a small local shop tucked away near a famous church. Supposedly, all items were locally made by artisans near Krakow. The shop did not even have a sign over the door. I had to look hard to find it. No English was spoken except by me, though I think the shopkeeper had a basic understanding of 'shopping English'. Inside I found a wonderful item made of polished flint (a somewhat unusual stone from my point of view). I bought it and gave it to my sweetie. But, it was unusual and very attractive. I never seen polished flint jewelry locally or anyplace else for that matter.

I try to avoid buying stuff from the PRC for several reasons. I'll just leave it at that.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I have a friend who cannot travel, but appreciates one kind of souvenir. For her friends that travel internationally, she would like a few coins from that country. No worries about those souvenirs being made in China!

 

[audreyh1]

Wel I think the OP question is how can they avoid buying junk when traveling overseas.

And first question is what do you want from a souvenir? And are you looking for gifts for other people? But reading labels is always a good thing to do.

Sometimes a purchase for others is opportunistic when you find some local artisan or museum and you discover there are small inexpensive items that might make nice token gifts for a neighbor or acquaintance if that is important to you.

Perhaps the OP was shocked that made in China souvenirs were all over Europe.

 

[disneysteve]

I'm really baffled by this whole thread. Tons of souvenirs aren't made in the place where you buy them. I'd say most aren't.


If I go to New York City and buy a souvenir that happened to be made 3,000 miles away in California, is that any different?


What if the Italy souvenir had been made in Switzerland or France or Spain? Would that be better than China since they are geographically closer? It still wouldn't have originated in Italy.


A souvenir is a souvenir because of where you buy it, not where it was produced.


Someone mentioned Disney parks. That's a great example. We collect Disney memorabilia. I have hundreds of items purchased in Florida. I doubt if any were actually made there. I still consider them Disney World souvenirs.

 

[disneysteve]

I have a friend who cannot travel, but appreciates one kind of souvenir. For her friends that travel internationally, she would like a few coins from that country. No worries about those souvenirs being made in China!

There are many smaller countries that have their currency and coins made elsewhere, not in their home country.

 

[marko]

What I meant when I said how to avoid was how can I avoid buying souvenirs made in China if I am traveling in Europe.

As my mom often says: "May all your problems be little ones"