The Caste of Merchants

Most gorean shops were specialized shops, owned and operated by a member of a given caste and selling the goods made by the caste workers on the premises. Goreans in a city went from shop to shop for their personal purchases. One went to the Perfumers shop for perfume, the Bakers shop for baked goods, the Metal Workers shop for weapons, iron, silver & gold products.

One visited the Cloth Workers shop for cloth, a basket shop for baskets, and so on. The average gorean did not go to a merchant for his purchases.

Gorean Shops of Caste Workers

Some members of the Merchant caste did travel about with a variety of wares, generally to small villages and cultures on the outskirts of civilization.

Peddlers

Many merchants, perhaps a vast majority, were known by a certain product that they dealt in, purchasing the item from the supplier and transporting it to the buyer.

Most of these items were raw goods, sold in bulk to other merchants in various places for either distribution further north (or south) or inland, or to the caste workers who would use the goods to make their caste products.

Hair merchants, iron merchants, salt merchants, and so on.

Merchants specializing in products

Most trade goods shipped by merchants was bulk, commercial trade - supplying mills with raw materials, entire cities with the grains and oil and salt needed

Bulk Trade Goods

It was the caste of Merchants that handled the banking and finance of Gor

Banking on Gor

Merchants hired men to see to the safe transport of goods from supplier to buyers

Hired Men

The caste of Merchants were the Administrators of the four Sardar Fairs held each year on Gor

Sardar Fairs

The caste of Merchants administered and managed several exchange island and free ports.

Exchange Islands and Free Ports

The caste of Merchants also maintained and managed several Free Keeps, such as the Stones of Turmus

Free Keep - Stones of Turmus

Some greater Merchants were involved in enterprises, having interests in several lines of goods such as oil, grain, and salt, as well as taverns, mills, ranches, etc. Mintar was one such merchant, owning the Enterprises of Mintar - many businesses in the company including mills

Merchant Enterprises

Feast slaves

Mill girls

Proprietors of Paga Taverns

For reference, a page of costs of goods and services on Gor. These prices, which vary depending on location on Gor as well as the situation at the time, are the prices paid by the average gorean to the retailer - the caste worker or proprietor.

Costs of goods and services on Gor