Tulip Trader
Trade tulip bulbs, sold before they've flowered, in the back rooms of Haarlem's taverns. Prices only go up. Please don't ask about February.
1634 – 1637About the role
In the 1630s, the Dutch Republic fell in love with tulips, and then with trading them. Rare bulbs, especially the streaked ones, changed hands for the price of a house, and contracts were bought and sold in taverns before the bulbs had even flowered. In February 1637, buyers stopped turning up. It's often called the first recorded speculative bubble.
In the back room of the Golden Crown Replica, you'll join a trading circle of members who buy and sell bulb contracts over drinks, by the rules of the time. You'll learn the varieties, quote prices and write contracts on slates. Prices will rise. You'll be there when they stop.
What you'll do
- Buy and sell bulb contracts in the tavern trading circle.
- Learn the varieties, especially the rare streaked ones.
- Record every trade on a slate, then in the book.
- Pay the customary “wine money” on every deal.
- Stay calm in February.
What we're looking for
- Confidence, mostly.
- A good memory for names like Semper Augustus.
- Comfort doing business in a tavern.
- A high tolerance for risk, yours and other people's.
Perks
- A bulb of your ownUnremarkable, but it will flower. Most bulbs did.
- Wine moneyEvery trade included a small fee for drinks. It still does.
- A trading slateChalk prices, updated hourly. Wiped clean on February 3.
