Which product are you most likely to buy in a souvenir shop?
filed in Xdela Community on Jul.18, 2010
Seriously. Let’s say you’re on holiday in New Zealand, in a little seaside town, and you stroll into this little arts and crafts shop. What are you expecting to find there, and what would you really choose to buy? If nothing, why not?
July 18th, 2010 on 3:35 am
Certainly NOT some mas-produced thing with New Zealand written on it (or whatever location I am in). I’m into wood so I would be very likely to buy an object de art or practical item made by a local craftsman. Something I couldn’t find elsewhere like for example a musical instrument (a simple one, mostly for display purposes) native to that area. A box made of a local exotic hardwood using traditional joinery. Something a real live human individual made by hand. Possibly something ceramic. A kite pretty enough to hang from a ceiling. I’m into books. What kinds of books can one only find in New Zealand? Local cookbooks? Does the area have a rich history of Piracy or mountain men or is it recovering from a devastating fiat currency failure? Knives (good quality) of local manufacture.
Since I don’t buy the junk, which is all most places have, I would be able to spend some money on something nice. I don’t think people go to New Zealand for a cheap vacation, do they?
July 18th, 2010 on 3:35 am
I am always looking for snow-globes, the cheap plastic kind. But, I collect them:)
July 18th, 2010 on 3:35 am
Traditional Maori arts and crafts – wood carvings, carved pounamu (jade) and bone pendants, lots of paua (abalone) shell-decorated stuff. Kiwi, sheep and buzzy bee stuffed toys, T-shirts with stereotypical "Kiwi joker" stuff on them, the list goes on. I’d go with traditional Maori stuff – it’s uniquely New Zealand as the Maori culture can only be found here.