I agree with you, Impiger (and don't say "Well, that's a first!"). Also, you run the risk of buying something which works only on 110V, or a car radio which only has 0.2 Mhz tuning steps rather than 0.05 - I've seen both of those happen to people who didn't know abot such things. Or those who bought Region 1 DVDs for their Region 2 player....
About the best things to but in a BX, PX or whatever were items of clothing. Uniform T-shirts and tube socks (for flying!) were particularly worthwhile. Or you could wind up some wheel by suggesting that you should buy miniature Kuwaiti or Saudi GW1 medals (the ones we aren't allowed to wear..
) to go with your mess kit.
But many a Vickers FunBus has returned from the USandA with bicycles, My Beautiful Weber barbecues, meningy slabs of Coors, the foulest 'wine' known to man (LeJohn's Cold Duck
) etc etc. I did once have to refuse a co-pilot who wanted to bring back some model rocket fuel (in the days when smoking was still allowed in the cabin) - and banned 'self lighting' charcoal..
. Wouldn't that be fun if a passing fag end caught the bag at 30West.
But the best route steal I ever saw was the navigator ('Mongo') who brought back a sit-upon lawn mower back from Offutt. In a Vulcan! The wretched customs officer (Farquar-the-Revenue) even charged him car tax - despite his protestations that he wasn't going to go shopping in Lincoln on it! Although he did get that refunded later.