Travelers are stocking up on quality gifts while abroad

No matter what the occasion, you won't find Caryl Krannich making a panicky run to the mall for last-minute presents.

She and her husband, Ron, have already been around the world to get them.

"We're our own ever-changing international emporium," said Caryl Krannich, an inveterate traveler who says she has never met a country that couldn't fill a suitcase - and sometimes an air-freight container - with treasures for Christmas, weddings, birthdays or other special occasions.

Last year, the women on the Krannich's gift list got little banana-leaf-fiber jewelry cases from the Philippines (a bargain at $2.50-$5 apiece).

And many family members received Christmas ornaments that gave their tree a global flair - from Jordan, hand-blown glass balls with Holy Land scenes painted in gold; from Thailand, tiny stuffed velvet elephants and camels adorned with sequins; from Manila, translucent shells carved into bells, angels and wreaths.

"There's usually a story behind each purchase and the place we found it, which becomes part of the whole gift-giving experience," said Caryl, whose guest-room closet in their Virginia home is devoted to gifts bought on trips.

Each shelf is labeled with the items' possible use - a dozen gum-wood salad-bowl sets from Australia for weddings and anniversaries, a stack of fishermen's baskets from Hong Kong for house-warming presents, an exquisite Thai sapphire earring set for Ron's mother's birthday.

The Kranniches' twin obsessions of traveling and shopping are shared by an increasing number of vacationers who relish the opportunity to provide friends and relatives with mementos of their adventures - and not just tacky little trinkets.

These folks are looking for items that are indigenous to the destination but don't look like souvenirs - in other words, no salt-and-pepper shakers that say "I `heart' Italy."

"For me, shopping . . . is about exploring culture and preserving memory - the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tempo and touch of a place," said Kathy Burros, a former buyer for the Smithsonian Institution Museum Shops who has written a guide to global shopping, "The Fearless Shopper: How to Get the Best Deals on the Planet" (Travelers' Tales; $14.95).

Focusing as much on cultural experiences as products, her book covers nearly every region of the world, including the United States and Canada. It provides an extensive reference section, with size-comparison charts and recommended books, mail-order catalogs, museum stores, international shopping tours, and Web sites. "The Fearless Traveler" is among a bumper crop of new specialty guidebooks aimed at steering shoppers to the right sources in specific countries or regions.

Frommer's Travel Guides has enlisted mega-shopper Suzy Gershman to produce its pocket-size "Frommer's Born to Shop" destination books (IDG Books Worldwide, Inc.; $14.99).

The guides take a breezy look at boutiques and street markets, outlet shops and even malls, with maps, size-conversion charts and practical information on shipping, U.S. Customs and European value-added taxes, which may be refundable.

So far the series has covered France, Italy, London, New York and Paris, with a volume on China and Hong Kong due out in early 2001, and more on the way.

Ron and Caryl Krannich have turned their own shopping passion into a profession with the release of nine guidebooks called "Treasures and Pleasures: The Best of the Best" (Impact Publications; $14.95 to $17.95).

The series covers unique shops, special restaurants, hotels and cultural experiences in Thailand, Australia, Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Bali, Indonesia, Paris and the French Riviera, India and Italy, with a book on Israel and Jordan, and another on Egypt in the works.

Each volume makes use of the authors' experience in the shopping world - from custom-tailored suits in Hong Kong to hand-made Turkish rugs and carved Balinese furniture - and includes tips on planning, bargaining and shipping.

Among suggestions from the Kranniches:

-- When making a purchase, get the story behind the product. Have the merchant write down - or dictate to you - some of its history or cultural context. Include a card providing that information with the gift.

-- Take a photo or video of the item with the artisan or in its customary use (a mask dance, a traditional tea service), and include it with the gift. If photography is not your forte, you may be able to find an appropriate postcard. This can make the gift come alive for the recipient, who, after all, wasn't there. (Also consider sending a copy of the photo to the craftsman - a lovely way to connect your worlds.)

-- Think multiples. "Unless we're dealing with very large or expensive objects, we rarely buy one of a kind if we can find a dozen or more of a neat item at a great price," said Caryl Krannich. "That saves shopping time, merchants usually discount for quantity purchases, and we've found that folks back home usually love the things we've gone gaga for. They couldn't care less if somebody else gets the same gift."

To bring the world emporium a little closer to home, the Kranniches recently launched a Web site - www.ishoparoundtheworld.com - that links Internet explorers with many of the shops featured in their books. The site allows browsers to check out a store's products and prices ahead of time - or armchair shop without the challenges (or rewards) of actually going anywhere.Judi Dash is a freelance writer who lives in Cleveland.

Although part of the excitement of traveling and gift-hunting abroad is encountering the unexpected, would-be globe-shoppers would do well to prepare ahead for their quest:

-- Research not only a destination's prime historical sites and natural wonders, but also its special crafts, textiles, musical instruments, cooking utensils - even furniture. Bookstores with an extensive travel section, libraries and tourism offices can be excellent sources of information.

-- Create a comprehensive gift list covering a multitude of special occasions (not just the next birthday or holiday), with details about clothing sizes, personal tastes and room measurements if furniture or floor coverings are possible purchases.

-- Learn U.S. Customs' limitations and duties; watch for items heavily taxed (typically clothing and furniture, which compete with U.S. enterprises) and those sometimes exempt from taxes (often handicrafts from Third World nations). Get a copy of the Custom Service's free brochure, "Know Before You Go" (publication 512), available online at www.customs.gov/travel/travel.htm Or write: U.S. Customs Service, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20229.

-- Check out local shops, mail-order catalogs and Internet shopping sites specializing in products from around the world - including your intended destinations - to help decide whether an item is worth carrying or shipping home from abroad.

Among mail-order sources to consider: the Smithsonian Institution Museum Shops and Catalogue (800-322-0344), the Discovery Channel Stores Catalogue (800-227-1114), and the National Geographic Catalogue (888-225-5647). Among Internet sites recommended by The Fearless Shopper: www.globalmarketcrafts.com, www.serrv.org, and www.thephillipscollection.com. To find other Web sites, experiment with key words, such as "international gifts," which turned up dozens of sources.

-- Pack with purchasing in mind. Set aside a duffel bag and/or hard suitcase (if fragile items are a possibility) filled with bubble wrap, tape and twine. Also bring along scissors, a tape measure and a calculator for figuring exchange rates. The concierge at a good hotel may have extra supplies if you run low. Some will even pack up your purchases for a small charge or as a complementary service.

-- Get information about shipping options for larger purchases. You may be able to check an extra bag or two onto your flight home for a reasonable fee. Sea freight usually is the least expensive way to go for major loads, especially heavy ones, but you may have to wait as long as six months to get your shipment.

Whatever its size, insure your shipment (get a copy of the insurance document with the name, address and phone number of the insurance company - ideally including a U.S. contact). If possible, make your purchases using a credit card that includes insurance for items lost or damaged in shipping. Remember to get an itemized receipt for U.S. Customs.

-- Head out armed with credit cards, U.S. and/or foreign travelers' checks, an automatic teller card, and a stash of cash for places that won't except anything else - even if the guidebook says they will.

-- Make sure your purchases will hold up to conditions back home. Can that exquisitely embroidered blouse be washed or dry-cleaned without falling apart or shrinking? Has wood been aged sufficiently (before being carved into furniture or a sculpture) to withstand the temperature and humidity changes where you live?

What to buy where

Here's a sampling of gift ideas for some countries and regions:

Africa: Tribal masks, beaded or gold jewelry, woven satchels, batiks, spears, walking sticks.

Australia: Woolen garments, opals, aboriginal arts, boomerangs, wine.

Bali: textiles, wood carvings and furniture, dance masks.

France: Provencal tableware and napkins, wines, cheeses, designer clothing, perfumes, crystal.

United Kingdom: Woolens, fine china, teas, unique jewelry, Waterford crystal, Wedgwood, Irish linens and lace.

Greece: Jewelry, embroidered table linens and blouses, museum reproductions, tapestries.

Netherlands: Delft china, flowers and bulbs, cheeses, pewter, chocolate, diamonds.

Hong Kong: Antiques, fishermen's baskets, hand-tailored clothing (especially suits and silk shirts), designer knock-offs, jade, electronics, lacquerware, enameled dishware, serving sets and chopsticks.

Israel: gold and silver jewelry, olive wood crafts, religious items (Prayer shawls, Sabbath candlesticks, menorahs, hand-dipped candles, mezuzas, carved crosses, Holy Land paintings, Holy Family sculptures, bibles.

Italy: Hand-blown glass, jewelry, designer clothing, olive oil, wine, Carnival masks and figurines.

South and Central America, the Caribbean: Baskets, drums, jewelry (but be alert to fake gems, precious metals and pearls), silver work, carved wooden handicrafts, ceramics, folk paintings, Carnival masks.

Thailand: Handmade teak wooden furniture, silk and cotton clothing; precious jewels and jewelry (from a reputable dealer), designer knock-offs, brightly colored hand-painted decorative umbrellas.

Turkey: Handmade rugs, kilims (flat woven floor coverings), glazed pottery, meerschaum pipes, cotton scarves trimmed with shells or coins.