Fictional Vendors?

Psychotic.Pink · Feb 7, 2012

My story that I'm currently working on is based off of a Grimm Fairy Tale 'The Three Little Birds', and I need a little help.

The story starts off in a small fishing town that doesn't get a lot of news from the outside, and as a result doesn't get that many travelling vendors. I'm just trying to figure out what kind of stores and sellers would be in the main part of town--other than fish, etc.

Liosse de Velishaf · Feb 7, 2012

What time period?

Gale Haut · Feb 7, 2012

I did some quick research and if the setting is to be taken literally, then the story would be set around 800 AD under Charlemagne's rule of the Carolingian Empire. What the means in terms of vendors... I have no clue. Sorry. Maybe someone else will know.

geardrops · Feb 7, 2012

I'd recommend checking history books for that era, finding out what kind of vendors actually existed. That'd be your easiest and safest bet.

Psychotic.Pink · Feb 7, 2012

Thanks, all ^^

Buffysquirrel · Feb 8, 2012

You would probably do better posting this in Story Research. One of the mods would be happy to move it there for you.

The time when you set your story is up to you. You can put it in the Carolingian Empire or in modern day. But when asking for help from others, it does enable them to help you more if you specify time periods, countries, and so on. You'll find a lot of helpful people here on AW.

Some fish will be consumed locally, but probably the majority will go elsewhere. Possibly to a nearby market town. It would make economic sense to go to the market town loaded with fish and return loaded with goods to sell in the village. Think about what your villagers need that they can't produce themselves.

RichardGarfinkle · Feb 8, 2012

Fishing would likely be how the people survive more than how they make money. Indeed, a small fishing village for this time would likely not be on a particularly monetary economy at all.

For a situation like this, a lot of things would be non commercially supplied. A town like this will have specialists in things like shoemaking, but a great deal of work will be done cooperatively (net and bot repairs for example).

Fictional Vendors?

Psychotic.Pink

Liosse de Velishaf

Gale Haut

waxing digital artistic

geardrops

Good thing I like my day job

Psychotic.Pink

Buffysquirrel

RichardGarfinkle

Nurture Phoenixes