Why do people buy suveniers?

Over the summer, people generally go on some sort of vacation. Some popular travel destinations include Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Disney Land, Disney World, and even more exotic places such as Hawaii, Europe or the Carribean. When someone goes on a vacation, they always buy some sort of memorabilia from the places they visit. Why does everyone waste their money buying things with the name of the place they're visiting on it. You can get the same thing without the name for half the price in Orem, Utah.
I had the opportunity to go to the Carribean this summer. I went expecting to spend money at each island or country on a special suvenier. Why do we do this. Yes, it's for the memories, but pictures that we take are so much cheaper. Natives of any place know that they can boost the prices of their products for tourists, and they'll still pay the asking-price. There are a few exceptions, such as in the country of Jamaica, where the US dollar is worth more to the people. The prices there are very low, and you can bargain them lower. However, this isn't the usual case. Why do we waste the money? In the Grand Cayman Islands, I spent fifteen dollars on something that cost five dollars in Cozumel, Mexico the next day. Why was I so stupid.
When I came back from my vacation, people wanted to see what I got while I was on my cruise. It was expected that I would buy memorabilia and I did. The keychains I bought were made in China, but I bought them anyways. It's not where they were made that mattered, but where I purchased them. It is so much more fun to look at a keychain bought in a different location on a vacation than to look at one you bought at Wal-Mart. Would it bring back memories to wear a shirt purchased at the mall in my home town? Not really. When I wear a shirt I bought in Jamaica or Mexico, I remember the time I spent there. When I see a friend with a keychain from Disney Land, I think of how much fun she must have been having when she was there. Memorabilia is intended for what it sounds like; to bring back memories.
Suveniers are purchased because they can bring back good memories of the good times we have while we are away from home. They bring the memories back to us when we're no longer in the fun or interesting places we visit. Looking back at our suveniers not only brings us happiness, but also helps us to remember what we've done in our lives. I'll forget that I've been somewhere, and then see something I bought or picked up while I was there, and my memory is refreshed. We pay jacked-up prices for suveniers because they help us remember where we've been and the good times we've had while we were there.