What would people be selling in medieval times?

Question

I have this project where i'm making a newspaper in medieval times.
What type of things would people be selling in the classified ads?
Ex: crossbows

PLEASE I NEED HELP NOW!!

List some midevil items. Anything, i'm tottally brain dead right now.

I doesn't matter if it's histoically correct.
But thanks anyway =]

Answer 1

Everything, anything! Think of what people buy & sell today and find their medieval equivalents:

Instead of cars: wagons, carts, donkeys, ponies, horses and oxen

Instead of pens, pencils, markers & crayons: goose quills for making dip pens, wax-tablets, styluses (for writing on the wax tablets), oak gall (for making ink), gold leaf (for decorating the illuminated manuscripts)

Instead of automotive parts: goose grease (for lubricating wagon wheels), spare wagon wheels, harnesses, whips, horseshoes

Instead of CDs: musical instruments: recorders, flutes, lyres, harps, drums, rebecs (a kind of medieval violin)

They had clothing: tunics, hosen, leg windings, cloaks, mantles, veils, scarves, caps, dresses, kirtles, aprons, shoes, boots, pattens (a kind of wooden clog that fit over your shoes to keep the leather from getting muddy when walking on dirt roads).

They had books: Codexes, Psalters, Book of Hours. And for the ladies, Romances (the story of King Arthur was one of the original best-selling "romanances" in France and French-speaking England in the 12th century)

They could have advertised services: house cleaning, field clearing, shepherds, milk maids, goose girls, lady-in-waiting, squire, tax collector, weaver, tailor, cobbler (shoe-maker), cooper (barrel maker), smith (metal-worker), tutor (there were, actually, enough literate people to make that worth while), musicians, mummers (a kind of entertainment), jugglers, heralds, lamp-lighters, night watchmen, etc.

And of course, other stuff you need: candles, drinking horns, pewter spoons, wooden combs, spindles (for making thread), trenchers (a kind of shallow bowl/large plate they ate off of), dress fasteners (pin for closing cloaks, etc) ...

Does that help?

Answer 2

Most people in those times did not travel much and the concept of eating out was quite rare excepting those who could afford to stay at inns (while travelling) or monastries. People in towns would buy food from street vendors as home preparation was difficult. Taking a youngster into a nearby town or large village would be more likely on a market day or fair to buy or barter goods. Drinking is a fascinating aspect to history as short beer was widely drunk by all ages as the water was invariably disease ridden.

Answer 3

the fellow above is correct. Of course there were no papers because the majority of the populace was illiterate. Be sure to include a drawing of the items you have in your ads. All signs in those days displayed a picture of what was for sale. Easier for the masses to understand.

Answer 4

weapons may nto be one of the preim items to be sold as control was the primary form of currency in teh times, money perse was limited. one might also be selling produce, veggies, meat, eating utensils, some household items chairs tables, but these are mostly built by individuals. livery items ( horse saddles reins yoek for oxen ) made by a blacksmith, some minor metal items, ornaments for the rich made by the guild craftsmen, soem clothing items tho these would also be limited and made by onesself. a person might also be advertising thier labor or the labor of an apprentice, nee slave. one might also be selling thier bodys as a prostitute