Ye Olde Shop Names

[Blood Legend]

In development of my upcoming Dungeon Fantasy game, I'm in need of some shop names for any and everything. Anything goes, serious names, silly ones, names strewn in mystery and bathed in backstory, anything goes as long as it suits TL3-4. So let's get collectin'.

Format:
1) Shop Name
2) What it Sells (If the name isn't obvious)
3) Where it gets its Name (If this is also vague)
4) Additional info - Name of the shop owner, special offers ("wont find a better deal on gnome-wear anywhere else!"), what that shop is looking for, who they typically sell to, or anything else you feel like putting in.

Example:
Ye Olde Smithy
Weapons and Armor
The guy's dad was a blacksmith.
The shop owner frequently buys and sells all manner of weaponized treasures because of the dense concentration of dungeons in the area. If you're looking for weapons with minor enchantments there's no better place to buy a +1 fire ice or lightning sword.

[jacobmuller]

http://www.kleimo.com/random/name.cfm
It generates random names. Most shoppes are named for their owner. If you live there you'll know what it sells, if you're a visitor you'll have to [gasp] Interact with the Locals!

Keep the owners' first name/s to yourself. The pcs will ask for the apothecary, the npc will say "the apotha-whut?"; the pcs explain what they need and the npc will happily tell them they need to go see Ole Jakes and gives them directions - don't use street names, just directions... They won't find it. Ole Jakes belongs to Marian Cant-Smith and his shoppe displays his name, abbreviated to Cant, or Smith. Ole Jakes is what the locals call his shoppe.

RL eg we had a hardware store, Jack's; and the newsagents, Jack's; and the postoffice was owned by Jack, the brother of the hardware store guy... Of course, some folk called the newsagent Dave's, after Jack's brother, David; the pharmacy was called Dave's, no relation. David and Jack were Douglas' but Walter and Jack were Gildea's; Dave? maybe I'll go ask him. The hardware sign said Gildea, the newsagent Douglas. Oh, and the postoffice was also called the Squirrel, and sold newspapers.

[Exeter]

Does DF assume literacy for PCs and NPCs? If not, it's slightly more "realistic" (yes, I'm aware of the dangers of using that word regarding DF) to have shop signs consist simply of a picture rather than the words "Ye olde shoppe." That too could make things somewhat interesting for PCs.

[Nymdok]

Favorite shop names:

Honest Habib's Flying Flooring - Meeting all transportation needs but specializing in tasteful Variable Orbit Surface Coverings. Or visit or sister store, Libowski's Throw Rugs and Tapestries....They really tie the room together...

Blood Bath and Beyond - Weapons, Armor and outfitting.

Heart Stoppers - Healing Potions wholesale. Ask about our 40oz Azure Bull of vigor!

Pot Luck Puck Chuck - Slightly irregular pastiles with unpredictable effects at amazingly low rates.

Before the Horse - Carts, Wagons, coaches and Carriages

Hardy Hooves - Inn, Tavern and stables

Nymdok

[nick012000]

Axebeard Alehammer's: A smithy owned by the dwarf smith Axebeard Alehammer. Sells a wide variety of weapons and armor. His apprentice is his nephew Rockbeer Fistaxe.

[Rendu]

From games I have run:
(Fantasy) The Half-Keg Every city has a tavern whose clientele are the very dregs of society- brigands, rotters, and scum, every last one of them. It's three blocks down. The ones who get thrown out of that tavern come here, to the Half-Keg. The sign is exactly what the name implies, although the locals call it "the Bottom of the Barrel".

(Sci-Fi) Smilin' Eddie's Discount House of Sudden Death The Smilers are an alien race evolved from a species that filled the same ecological niche as sharks on Earth, and that has had a profound influence on their business practices. Every major starport city has a Smilin' Eddie's, and there's no better place to get high-quality weapons at low, LOW prices! They also carry specialty items for "collectors".

[sgtcallistan]

Plenty of businesses in olde villages will be 'The Smithy', 'The Carpenter's', a pub might be called 'Caulker's House', especially in a ship-uilding area.
Or in a really rough area, the 'Paint Worn Off / Blank Sign 'cos It Don't Need One'.

Occupational names and the derivations.
The proprietor might have a different name, of course. Mrs. Carpenter could own 'The Baker's'.

This can work for many languages; have used it in a not-entirely-serious Samurai-era town. 'Benny Zuri' (beni-zuri, the action of printing) the printer, for example.
Look up the titles of occupations in a good phrasebook.

D&D influence would suggest names like 'Honest Abe's Adventuring Supply and Ship's Chandler's'; not impossible in the real world.

Fun could be had with shoppes having family names like 'Harrod's', or 'Sainsbury's', 'Fawlty's Inn', etc. referencing RW and TV familiar sources.

It's your choice, after all.

[capnq]

Originally Posted by sgtcallistan

D&D influence would suggest names like 'Honest Abe's Adventuring Supply and Ship's Chandler's'; not impossible in the real world.

Bigby's House of Gloves
Leomund's Furniture
Mordekainen's Kennel

[sardook]

I one campaign, our GM named all the taverns after an animal and a body part. We end up drinking at places like Platypuse's Bill, Pigs Tail, Goat's hoof, Elephant's Navel, Sparrow's quill, etc.

[Bruno]

Taverns tended to have heraldric names in europe, because the brewery supplying the tavern was owned by the local lord (as at times was the tavern as well). His coat of arms would be hung outside the tavern, and that became the name.

So thus the tradition of "At/under the sign of the Crown and Stag/The Red Fox" etc etc etc.

Graphical signs aren't always particularly literal. Pawnshops have hung three golden globes outside for centuries, and I have no clue what that's supposed to be a picture of. It just "means pawnshop" now, instead of representing something. Ditto for example the red-and-white stripped barbers pole. It may be very symbolic, but it's still a red-and-white striped pole and not much of a picture of anything.

In small villages, most shops won't bother with signs unless there's a lot of through traffic (on a trade route or pilgrimage route, for instance) AND the shopkeeper wants to attract these strangers. In a small village, there won't be many dedicated "shops" anyways - at best, it's the craftsmans workspace and where you can find him when he's not drinking by the duckpond, at worst it's the craftsman's home, where he does his work and the wife and kids are just as likely to be involved in the transaction as the craftsman is. Or may try to sell you their own handiwork on your way in/out, if the adventuring visitors look like they have money.