Finding souvenirs that were actually made at your destination is getting harder and harder (unless you're visiting China). When you're traveling abroad, get off the tourist track and look for unusual items in places like supermarkets, hardware stores, stationery shops and so on. Not only will the merchandise have unique character, but it will also be stuff that locals really use. And even if the product itself isn't so different from what's available back home, the packaging will be loaded with charm.