As some might know I'm currently working on a General Store, and I need some input on what's to be in it. It's supposed to be a Wild West store, so it would have to be things appropriate for that period (ca. 1880) So far there's nothig much in there, a counter, a barrel with... uhm... something brown inside *G* and the lamp. There will be shelves at the back wall to put the stuff on. There will also be room for some things outside the store. But WHAT?

Rows of stuff for shelves: boxes, cartons, cans, bottles, jars ... with texture templates/sample "labels" appropriate for the period. Stuff piled on floor, like sacks, cases, crates, as above

Hats, clothing, piles of fabric. Suggestions would be to watch the scenes that take place in General Stores. The movies "Outlaw Josie Wells" and "Silverado" spring to mind, as does "Pale Rider". Rent the movie and take a look? Just a suggestion, but might be worth looking in to.

Most common goods in those days were perishables. Shelves would contain, "canned goods", boxed fancy soap, cans of oil for lamps, bolts of fabric and bottles of tonic, home remedies and whiskey. There may be a rack with a couple of pistols and rifles on display with ammunition kept either beneith the rack, or under the counter. A display case on the counter may contain fancy things like men's razors, lady's hairbrush, and hand mirrors. The counter would hold glass jars of hard candy for the children and adults alike. That would be best placed next to the cash register, so the shop keep could keep an eye on little hands. The floor would have sacks and small casks containing flour, cornmeal and feed-oats. And don't forget the hand-tools. That's all I can think of right now. Hope it helps.

I seem to remember they had a big glass jar containing cheap cigars. Sacks of sugar, flour, oats and so forth. Milk (in churns) and butter in large blocks, wrapped in waxed paper.

Sorry, Tyger - I duplicated some of your suggestions. Note to self - read other posts. :)

Kinda reminds me of the store in Redneck Rampage. I love that game.

a pickle barrel

Wild West general stores often had a 'Post Office' setup with lots of little shelves for the mail. Also a telegraph setup. Stores like that are often shown with two old guys playing checkers, and a big old hound dog asleep in front of the fire. Lanterns, candles, oil, earthenware jugs, barrals of stuff, salt cod, salt pork, cured hams, bags of stuff (flour, sugar, beans, seed grain). Wanted posters and advertismenet posters. Sewing notions (treadle sewing machines then) - thread, thimbles, needles, scissors. Bolts of calico cloth Try reading the 'Little House on the Prairie' books for more ideas.

Picture's worth a thousand words, here's a list of sites/pictures on the web that may help (sorry so many of them are so small). http://www.goldpointghosttown.com/HTML_Pages/THE_EXPERIENCE_and_Accommodations.htm http://museum.gov.ns.ca/sv/general_store.html http://www.jenningsco.org/zinside%20general%20store,%20Greene%20family%20collection.jpg http://www.hfmgv.org/village/center/jones/products.html http://www.dakotamainstreet.com/pictures/bigglass1.htm http://dcwi.com/~koehler/gsinfo.html http://www.angelfire.com/id2/westpointbirmingham/Introduction.html http://www.oz.net/~markhow/smalltreadwellstore.jpg http://www.wonderlandantiques.com/Galleries/GeneralStore/images/Assorted3.jpg http://www.lihistory.com/spectown/hsot46.jpg http://www.airstreamcomm.net/~museum/general.html http://www.purnellmuseum.com/exhibits.html http://www.artcom.com/museums/vs/mr/291.jpg http://www.town.neepawa.mb.ca/museum/general.htm http://www.sidneymuseumandarts.com/MUSEUM/IMAGES/general%20store.jpg http://www.peshtigotimes.com/Photos/GENERAL_STORE_IN_MUSEUM.JPG http://www.heritagefarmmuseum.com/country_store.htm http://www.telusplanet.net/public/vlibrary/museum/gallery5.htm http://www.earlyworks.com/ew/images/generalstore.jpg http://home.rhein-zeitung.de/~gabi.g/grossbritanien/blackc.html http://www.mts.net/~vilbins/museum.html http://www.charltonpark.org/images/generalstore.jpg http://www.lapcohistsoc.org/generalstore.htm http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/ppmsc/00200/00246r.jpg http://www.goschenhoppen.org/museum.htm

And nothing sets the period like some price lists pinned to the wall. Low prices.

Great! Thanks for all those ideas :o) Whew, there's something to get to work on... About all the telegraph/post office things, my next project will be a telegraph for the wild west street I'm building. First item, The Saloon, should be awailable this weekend from somewhere nearby ;o) What can't be seen on the picture is that the counter has a lot of little drawers on the back, for all those little things. I've recently seen Pale Rider (again), I guess somewhere in the back of my head that's why I got the idea of the Wild West street in the first place. Gotta love that movie. Little house on the Prarie are also books I've read and re-read lots of times. And if there's any danes/norwegians reading this, I might also add Morgan Kane but I'm not sure if those books are known anywhere else. Anyway I love'm. But thanks! Now I'll have to find out how many of those things that are within my modelling capabilities.

It looks like you might have all the reference you need, but just to add to the pile, I'd suggest getting ahold of some old Western comics, of which there are hundreds if not thousands, and tons of good ones by folks like John Severin (Ringo Kid, Two Gun Kid, Weird Western stuff recently by DC I think, as well as any of the old Have Gun Will Travel, Gunsmoke, Tales of Wells Fargo, all by Dell Gold Key and most done by a GREAT Italian artist named Alberto Giolitti, though Dell Gold Key long had a policy of not allowing their artists to sign their work). What you showed us already looks great and I can't wait to buy it. Speaking of Morgan Kane, my wife is Norwegian born and bred and I have been studying norsk for years. Faktisk, hver gang vi reiser til Norge kjer jeg ber pnorsk, blant dem romaner av Louis L'Amour, Zane Grey, og ogsMorgan Kane serien. Har lest flere, f.eks, Kane's Colt, Satans Horn, Blodig jord, og min favoritt, Legenden Om Morgan Kane. Morsomt og deg hjelper meg le bedre. Tok du den? Looking forward to that general store. Larry F PS I always get them at a Narvesen, kind of a general store in its own right.