Research

Step 1:
Time
-changes in price over time
-when they were created
-timeline of change from creation to now
ex. toiletries in 1920, 1970 and today
an elaboration of this: interesting facts of the items from creation to now.

Location
-where they can be obtained
ex. hotel robe- hotel, manufacturer, online
-vacation spot where it is most needed
-best place in suitcase

Comparison
- price now
- ease of buying
-level of sturdiness during travel
-likeliness of damage
-necessity
ex. on a list of 1-10 toiletries are #2

Step 2: Time related research
Toiletries: Crest toothpaste in California in 1970 was 77 cents.
Hotel Robe: The Sheraton chain put robes in executive rooms in the 1970's and guests mistook them for gifts.
Camera: Edwin Land markets the Polaroid, which became handy for travel.
Suitcase: On March 8, 1994, Don Ku was granted a patent for wheeled suitcase with a collapsible towing handle.
Eiffel Tower Souvenir: In 2007 France's Black Block had souvenirs like a Sigmund Freud action figure instead of Eiffel Tower Souvenirs.
Currency: On March 10, 1862 the first United States paper money was issued. The denominations were $5, $10, and $20.

Step 3:
Toiletries: 1920's and 1960's shampoo ads

Hotel Robes: "For years, robes were only standard in the swankiest suites. When the Sheraton chain first put robes in the rooms on its executive floors in the 1970s, many guests mistook them for gifts and took them home. But as other hotels began to follow suit (adding those now-familiar cards warning guests that they'll be charged for missing robes), customers began to expect in-room robes as part of the luxury experience. Now, most hotels are stocking rooms on every price level with two robes instead of one, to save housekeeping staff extra trips and to lure more guests to new, multimillion-dollar spas." WSJ online.
Camera: "An instant camera is a type of camera with self-developing film. The most famous are those made by the Polaroid Corporation. Polaroid no longer manufactures such cameras. The invention of modern instant cameras is generally credited to American scientist Edwin Land, who unveiled the first commercial instant camera, the Land Camera, in 1947, 10 years after founding the Polaroid Corporation." wikipedia.com
Suitcase: Luggage has changed over time. Historically the most common types of luggage were chests or trunks made of wood or other heavy materials. These would be shipped by professional movers. Since the Second World War smaller and more lightweight suitcases and bags that can be carried by an individual have become the main form of luggage. wikipedia.com
Souvenir: American Indian souvenirs first became along route 66 in the 1880's with the rise of railroad tourism. The flow of visitors increased dramatically, however, with the advent of automobile tourism in the late 1920's. Indian artists responded by creating new art forms and variations on traditional crafts. A necklace from Santo Domingo Pueblo, for example, contains bits of black battery casings and red phonograph records in lieu of jet and coral, precious materials that would have made the jewelry too costly for the automobile tourist, who was typically less affluent than the railroad traveler. nytimes.com
Currency:ERMA was first demonstrated to the public in 1955 (September), and first tested on real banking accounts in the fall of 1956. Production models (ERMA Mark II) of the ERMA computer were built by General Electric. Thirty-two units were delivered to the Bank of America in 1959 for full-time use as the bank's accounting computer and check handling system. ERMA computers were used into the 1970s. about.com