Travelrific® Travel Journal

Good Buys Gone Bad

October 10, 2007 1:18 pm

By Linda Tancs

Sure, that red coral necklace looks just too irresistible at the market stall in Naples. But at what price, vanity? It might be a bigger price than you ever imagined if red coral is ultimately banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Oh, and that ivory figurine from Japan? Better leave it behind unless you have the papers to prove it’s an antique–that is, 100 years old or more. Crocodile and other lizard skins are likewise out of the question. And forget about those terra cotta pots from Mali. It’s better to know before you go, so check out U.S. Customs: http://customs.gov/linkhandler/cgov/toolbox/publications/travel/knowbeforeyougo.ctt/knowbeforeyougo.pdf