Crap Souvenirs: The Ultimate Kitsch Collection

by Doug Lansky

The Best of the Worst

Ah, those tacky trinkets that find their way into our suitcases and our hearts…

The Hugo Chavez action figure from a trip to Venezuela.

A bikini-clad plastic flamingo commemorating your favorite vacation to Miami Beach.

And those Mussolini boxer shorts to memorialize your visit to Italy.

Whether you have some of these items scattered on your shelves or you like to poke fun at those who do, this illustrated collection of tacky souvenirs is for anyone who appreciates the finer aspects of off-the-charts kitsch.

Genres: Humor, Travel

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2012

About the author

DOUG LANSKY is an American travel writer and keynote speaker based in Sweden. He spent about 10 years traveling the world nonstop, visiting over 100 countries, and has since lived outside the US for an additional 13 years. Doug has contributed to Esquire, Men’s Journal, The Guardian, National Geographic Adventure, Reader’s Digest, COLORS Magazine, PublicRadio, and many others. He has written books for Rough Guides and Lonely Planet (advice and photo books, not guides) and has had a nationally syndicated travel column in 40 newspapers around the United States. He has always been mindful of the effects of travel writing and the impact of tourism, and currently writes about this in a regular column for Skift and speaks about it at tourism conferences around the world.

Reviews

[Jess]

The title states it clearly. It is literally full of crappy souvenirs. My favorites include a ceramic Mexican man taking a poop with poop still in his butt, Texas bullshit, and penis salt and pepper shakers. If you need to giggle then this is the book.

[D]

Exactly as described - photos of kitschy souvenirs! (One of which is sold at the store where I work...)

[Sam Adler]

I will never look at tacky souvenirs the same way after reading this. Only complaint is it was too short.