But first of all, why collect anything?
A souvenir is a French word which in general means “recollection” or “memory”. It been used in English from around the end of the 1700s, and is often used to refer to physical objects that remind us of places we have visited.
These items act as a reminder of the experiences and emotions felt during the trip. The souvenir industry is worth billions of dollars globally and continues to grow every year. Clearly people think collecting mementos of their holidays is well worth spending their hard-earned cash.
When traveling, people collect all sorts of souvenirs: pottery, mugs, key rings, bags, teaspoons, plates, postcards, sea shells and even tote bags, and snow globes. People are said to buy souvenirs that reflect their interests, hobbies, and personality.
Souvenir collecting itself has formed a natural part of our history The ancient Greeks and Romans brough back local objects and products from their expeditions in foreign lands. European pilgrims to the holy land in medieval times collected earth, stones and bought metal pilgrim badges with religious motifs, saints and buildings, they had got from local traders around the religious sites there.
We have in the past collected a few select pots from around Europe including this one from the Algarve; Alfa Romeo model cars, my favourite car, I once owned 4 in a row, during the time I collected them; glass paper weights; various tourist tack specific to the location like this bit of Berlin Wall and the Loch Ness monster from Scotland; model cacti to go in our consevatory alongside some real ones to remind us of the warmth; and we Still collect float pens, though they seem to be slowly going extinct in the tourist shops; and bottle tops, big time, might do a website of them one day; and of course snow globes which we have always collected on our travels and which this website is all about.
What makes a good souvenier?
Portability is a big advantage for a souvenir, being able to be wrapped up and placed in a suit case safely is essential. Interestingly, snow globes themselves have been banned from airplane cabins for security restrictions. Cheapness helps as purchases will be continuous over time for collectors and money is needed for the rest of the holiday as well.
From the collectors’ viewpoint souvenir hunting adds another element to holiday travel as well as the beaches and museums, churches, and bars, which all essential parts of holiday experience.
There are the tourist shops to search around, often at night when the shops and resort is lit up atmospherically. There is a definite thrill involved in finding a souvenir worth having. Its best to search various shops before buying too early, an identical but cheaper version might be next door.
The best souvenirs are the ones that make you remember, as they can evoke memories from those experiences that you want to hold on to. People buy souvenirs not just for their functional use but as a physical reminder of a meaningful experience and the emotions associated with it.
Why snow globes then?
Snow globes acting as souvenir’s became popular from the 1950s when the basic component, plastic, became cheap to buy and people began to holiday more. The advantages are, they were small, portable and inexpensive and related specifically to the place visited, by name and image within the globe. The globes don’t take up much space for transportation, nor for placing around the house. The small size provides maximum emotion and visual effect. Every new destination visited gives an opportunity to acquire a new addition to the collection. The enjoyment of travel and holiday is therefore encompassed around the collecting experience and these physical objects provide reminders of everlasting memories.
Types of theme
For collectors, there is a wide variety of options in theme and style available and not only the holiday location ones on this website. Here are some of the types available, including; solar eclipses, football club domes, events like birthdays, films like Harry Potter, Christmas, notable disasters like the Titanic or achivements like landing on the moon, characters like Paddington and the bizzare, like the Aztec type globe found in Malaga.
Modern and High-Tech Snow Globes have even evolved to include features like music, lights, and even motorized parts.
“A Window to Imagination. In essence, snow globes serve as portals to boundless imagination, encapsulating whimsy, beauty, and the essence of winter’s wonder.They transport us to enchanting realms, inviting us to partake in moments of tranquillity and reverie. As we gaze into their crystalline spheres, we are reminded of the magic that resides within the simplest of pleasures.
Why do We collect snow globes then?
Going around souvenir shops has always been a fundamental part of our holiday experience especially at night when the shop windows and their tourist products are lit up by. We have collected float pens, Alfa Romeo model cars (I once owned four life size ones in a row), local pottery and fridge magnets. But our main memento of choice has always been the snow globe.
We don’t just buy them up. Part of the holiday experience is wandering around the various shops looking for the best of the selection to purchase (we limit ourselves to a few per holiday). Some places have many to choose from, others few.
The globes themselves like any souvenir remind us of our holiday and specific moments within. They are like 3 dimensional photographs. There is a certain magic about these encased little worlds and locations. There is no incongruity seeing a representation of a warm place encased in a snow-covered dome.
Globes just happen to be usually inexpensive, small and portable, the safe wrapping up in the suitcase involves some forward planning like bringing a box and protective bubble wrap. We have not lost one yet. Its surprising how quickly they start adding up into a collection.
Incidently, The largest collection of snow globes is 4,059 and is owned by Wendy Suen (China) in Shanghai, China, at least in 2016.