Dear Lee,

Don’t miss one of the best parts of a museum visit—the gift shop. We toured the Supreme Court and some Smithsonian museums during our recent trip to Washington, D.C., and each of us wanted to buy a long-lasting souvenir.

One member of the family collects unusual pencils, so the pencil with the words “Supreme Court of the United States” that had two erasers at the top was perfect. Did the two erasers represent the two sides of a case or did they symbolize the court’s ability to “erase” a law it finds unconstitutional?

A mechanical pencil with stars and stripes looked good until we noticed the “Made in China” label. But we bought it anyway as a representation of today’s political discussions of manufacturing in China. Should a U.S. government museum buy only “Made in U.S.A.” products?

Another pencil was what is called a “float.” It’s a popular type. Part of the body of the pencil is a liquid-filled tube. Inside you could see a street view of the Supreme Court building, and floating down the street when the pencil moved was a tiny scale of justice. A free online newsletter, FloatAbout.com, is available for floaty enthusiasts.

There were mugs and rulers that pictured U.S. presidents. We know old ones sell to political collectors. We bought a plastic ruler that pictures every president from George Washington to Barack Obama. The next time a new president is elected, the 12-inch ruler has to be redesigned. This one has no more space.

We noticed some pottery turtles meant as garden ornaments, but didn’t understand why they were being sold in the Supreme Court gift shop. We asked in the shop—no one knew. We found the answer online. Over the centuries, turtles have come to represent longevity, patience and stability—all important to the role of justice in a democracy. The tall poles that hold the lights in front of the Supreme Court building are standing on larger-than-life-size concrete turtles. So now I plan to claim that my garden turtles are part of my political collection.

Buy souvenirs at museum shops. They are often made for only a limited time and represent the art or history of an exhibit. If well made, even pencils and rulers will go up in value. And they will always bring back memories of a family trip.