Collecting Fridge Magnets One Country at a Time
My favorite solo travel souvenir
Experiencing different places and cultures can be fun and exciting, but how can you capture those beautiful memories and bring them home? One way is to start a collection of fridge magnets!
Collecting fridge magnets is a great way to decorate your home while also displaying your travels and adventures abroad. Whether you chose to collect them in a few countries or want to bring back a magnet from every place you visit, this hobby can be both fun and rewarding. Read on to learn more about collecting fridge magnets and tips to get started.
What Are Fridge Magnets?
A fridge magnet, in case you didn’t know already, is simply an attached decoration commonly made out of plastic or metal that sticks to a refrigerator. These objects are decorated with designs, colors, and symbols that can represent a place or a country and make for a great souvenir. Some fridge magnets come in the form of postcards, some have maps of the country with landmarks, some have sand from the place, making them a great way to remind yourself of a place you have visited.
Benefits of Collecting Fridge Magnets
There are many benefits to collecting fridge magnets, the most obvious one being that it is a great way to capture and display your travels aside from the million photos and pics you may or may not have clicked. You’ll have a little piece of your vacation with you forever, and having these magnets in your home will be a great conversation piece when you have guests over.
Collecting fridge magnets can also help keep your memories alive. Every time you take a look at a unique magnet, you can remember the stories and experiences attached to it. This hobby can also provide something special to look back on and spark your wanderlust.
Fun fact: A fridge magnet collector is called a memomagnetist which I just learnt only after collecting nearly 30 fridge magnets. Did you know this?🤯
Where to Find Fridge Magnets
The best place to look for fridge magnets is obviously the country that you are visiting. Magnets are a popular item in tourist shops, and they are typically quite inexpensive though some places can crank up the prices. You can find magnets that are specific to a certain city or state, or ones that feature the national flag but always be sure to survey the shops to understand the typical pricing and variety before purchasing.
I make it a habit to purchase a magnet just a few days shy of my departure so that I have enough funds to enjoy all the things I want to and wrap it up with a nice souvenir. Also, this gives me a chance to survey prices in a larger area as opposed to just one or two streets which can often be touristic traps.
Tips for Collecting Fridge Magnets
When you’re starting a fridge magnet collection, it’s important to have a goal and a plan. Figure out how many countries you want to visit and how many magnets you want to get. For example, if you are visiting ten countries, you could aim to bring back one magnet from each place which is what I do. Otherwise your magnet collection can easily get out of hand and instead of making for a good memories it would give you more stress.
Aside from that, make sure to take the time to find unique and interesting magnets. Look for ones that feature the country’s culture, art, or iconic landmarks. I personally like the ones that have a map and then show the landmarks so I can understand how far and wide I went and orient myself better.
What do you collect as souvenirs from your travels? Photos? Videos? Mugs? Scarfs? Comment below.