Italian souvenirs best to ship or carryon?

If they’re even slightly breakable, but relatively small, bring them back in your “personal item” bag, not crammed in your carryon suitcase. That is, if you’ve got room.

Bulky items are best shipped home, whatever the cost, for piece of mind, and not having to wrangle thru airports and on the plane.

We have shipped things home to the US and have shipped to friends in Europe. It’s typically pricey.

I pack a 2nd personal item bag in my carryon-it smushes down well and takes up very little space. So, if we acquire a lot things on our trip, I just check my carryon and then have two bags in the cabin with me—often it is cheaper to pay for a checked bag than to ship.
Last years in The Netherlands we were on a cheese tour and it was a flat rate to ship to the US no matter how much we purchased; it was great deal and we shipped. Helped with customs too in the US.

I have bought pottery at Ubaldo de Grazia in Deruta and they shipped it for us. Also in Venice, I had Venetian glassware shipped by l’Isola where I bought it. Otherwise, placemats are very easy to put in your luggage. We have also found places with a flat rate to ship to the US such as olive oil
in Puglia.

We usually bring home smaller, unbreakable items...scarves, linens, small bits of pottery, packaged herbs, jewelry. Having said that, many years ago I bought a painting and was able to bring it on board. And about 6 years ago, my son bought a small painting and was able to pack it in his carryon.

Unless you're buying large and/or fragile items, plan on checking a bag on the way home. If you don't overdo it, it's manageable. We always pack an empty duffle bag in my carryon on the way over. That bag becomes our laundry bag during the trip, and then gets packed with liquid souvenirs (wine, oil, jam) and padding, and is checked on the way back. Yes, the downside is carrying that extra bag around with you, but upside is that it arrives home with you.

Of course it will be costly to ship things, but it's up to you to determine of it's too much. Go to a local USPS, UPS, FEDEX, etc., shop here in the US and see how much it costs to ship a box to Italy. It will likely be much more in reverse.

I take an expandable suitcase--fully compressed for the carry-on on outbound, and I can expand it and check it on the way home (when I care less about a bag delay). Makes things easier.

I bought a lot of the Deruta pottery in Florence and had it shipped home. I had entire place settings as well as large salad bowls, etc and every piece arrived just fine. I would not have attempted that myself.

If you would like to bring back wine, olive oil, vinegar, or anything else liquid and breakable, if it's less than a case, I'd recommend checking your bag. But I'd also recommend a product like Wine Diapers, Wine Skins, or Jet Bags. I have Wine Diapers which I've used to bring back wines in my checked bag, which were subsequently cellared, and later consumed, with no hint of bottle shock or corkage. I recommend these to not just protect your item, but to protect everything else in the bag from your item.

If you'd like a case, have 'em ship it. I have a special semi collapsible wheeled bag for a case, but I only bring it domestically, because I'm not looking to lug it around Italy, France or Spain.

I will mention that on our first trip to Italy, at our first stop, my wife bought a 2' tall wooden cat statue. Due to vagaries of our luggage at the time (rolly bags, the tool of the Devil ;-), I wound up lugging it from Rome to Florence, to 5Terre, to Milan, all over creation in Venice, then back to Rome. Really think hard about your willingness to lug anything heavy for an extended period of time. The wine diaper wines were bought at our second to last stop, and we had a rental car, so light packing was not as much of an issue.

Thank you all for the great input
This will be my first time in rome and the south to amalfi
I’m traveling solo and do not want to lug things around
I don’t want my luggage lost on arrival I’m flying Ali Italia.
I think best is to pack a bag in my carryon and check it in on return
Beats paying for luggage both ways
If I find excellent wine I’ll ship it