Since an earlier discussion that talked of pots and pans having their own spirits -- the possibilities -- anti-spoilage, good flavoring, "teflon," etc. are endless. A merchant can, of course, claim that pans and pots have such spirits even if they don't, depending upon his level of honesty.
And lots of people don't have the technology/skills to create such goods -- I
remember in an early "Griffin Mountin" adventure, one of my son's characters,
(he was then 13 and the character was 16) bearing home from triumph from
Elkoi a metal pan. My son
muttered, sotto voce, "sometimes I hate playing a primitive."
By the way, patent medicines were also a big trade item throughout history. Think Danny Kaye and Walter Slezak in "The Inspector-General."
Jim Chapin
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