Meet the Middle Ages
BackMarket booths
Merchants and craftsmen had small stalls by the square and along the shopping streets, where they sold their ware. When the shutters were opened, they served as counters, where the goods was displayed. On market-day, there were busy crowds around the stalls. Many people wanted to buy fabrics and spices from foreign countries, others bought shoes, knives or tin cups from the town´s skilled craftsmen and others bought bread from the town bakeries.
All merchandise brought into town was carefully controlled, weighed and valued. Before being sold, cloth and wine was classified according to quality and content. Then, the town merchants could start buying and selling. The price depended on the quality. If the town lay in the interior of the country, the merchants brought the goods the harbour on the coast and transported it to be sold in town. The merchants stored their ware in their own houses or in bigger or smaller storage houses. There were also store-rooms in the harbour, where merchandise could be kept until it was shipped to other harbours.
Some craftsmen sold their products from their own workshops. They just opened the shutter facing the street. Then they were able to see if someone wanted to buy something from them whilst they were working.