When buying souvenirs when you travel try to buy something that you or the person you are buying it for can actually use. Try to avoid buying something that will just be sold at your next garage sale.
We don't buy souvenirs for others anymore but do get for our kids. My daughter has a small snow dome collection and usually you can find those in most souvenir shops when traveling. Also, I started a post card collection when I was 10 years old so I do the same for my children. I get them ea a post card of ea place we go and write on the back a little message and put the month/yr we were there. Post cards still are a very thrifty souvenir! I used to think getting t-shirts places was dumb but now that I have kids, I think it's a pretty good idea because it's atleast something they can use!