The small glass kiosk at Vikingodden is undoubtedly Tønsberg’s most unusual shop.
Here, you can go on a treasure hunt, seek shelter and warmth, or simply enjoy a
pleasant chat. Everyone is welcome!
By Eivind Luthen
Here you might meet Grethe, Synøve, Unni, Janne, Willy, Knut Børge, or me. Marit also deserves a mention—she was with us for many years but “retired” a while ago. Knut Børge is the boss, though he doesn’t make much of it. In many ways, we are the foundation’s public face. And we get plenty of visitors. All sorts of people show up. They come from all over the world, fascinated by the Viking Age—some are “all in,” tattooed here and there, sporting the strangest hairstyles, looking like they’ve stepped out of a cabinet of curiosities. But they are all friendly, open, and generous customers.
THE FRIENDLIEST PLACE IN TOWN? Many visitors stop by the kiosk to shop for
rarities they won’t find anywhere else. Others come just for a chat. Everyone is warmly
welcomed by (from left) Knut Børge Knutsen, Eivind Luthen, and Willy Fredriksen, who
were on kiosk duty that day.
Viking Weddings
The kiosk also serves as a tourist information center, a guide station, a warming hut, a storage space, and a meeting place. We rarely turn down a request. We (Børge) have “married” people aboard the Saga
Oseberg and are happy to give impromptu mini-lectures—like teaching children to shoot with a bow and arrow. If someone wants to take a photo, we lend them swords, shields, costumes, and helmets—free of charge, of course.
But first and foremost, we are a store selling Viking-inspired products.
The kiosk’s mission is to bring in as much money as possible. We sell both new and old trinkets—fridge magnets, charming little Viking girls in plaster, plastic helmets with horns, rubber ducks wearing Viking helmets, vulgar beer mugs, and over- the-top T-shirts. But we also offer finely crafted silver and bronze jewelry, our own magazines, exquisite bone jewelry, quality knives, axes, glass beads, small pewter ship models, books, replicas of Oseberg textiles, and more.
The World’s Most Expensive Sardines
For several summers, we sold “the world’s most expensive” sardine cans, featuring vintage-style Viking ship artwork and labeled “Specially packed by Osebergstiftelsen.” Price: 100 kroner. The sardine sales helped finance one of the electric engines for Saga Farmann. One of our best-selling items is a book on the Oseberg find, which includes Carl Barks’ Viking stories about Donald Duck’s adventures.
Very few Viking-themed souvenirs are made in Norway, so we scour second-hand shops, flea markets, and Finn.no, always on the lookout for something to sell—whether it’s empty Larsen Cognac Viking bottles, cutlery with Viking motifs, dragon chairs, saga-themed textiles, drinking horns, or similar treasures.
WHALE HUNTING MEMORIES: Tønsberg and Sandefjord were leaders in the whaling
industry from the 1800s until 1967. These decorated whale teeth are hobby crafts from that
era.
WHALE EARS: Viewed from the side, a whale’s inner ear resembles a face—something that
hobby painters of the past took creative advantage of.
Handmade Jewelry
We have produced beautiful replicas of jewelry from the Migration Period, Viking Age, and Middle Ages, all found in the Tønsberg area. The Blanka ring in gold and silver is sold out, and the berlock pendant is nearly gone. We have also minted our own gilded coins, some in silver. These were a great success—we sold more than 2,700 of them! The coin sales played a crucial role in making the construction of Saga Farmann possible. Now, we are working on a Gokstad coin following the same model. But we are still looking for a team to sell merchandise at the shipyard in Sandefjord!
The Life of a Viking Merchant
During the summer, business is good. Americans, Spaniards, people from Finnmark, Northerners, French tourists, grandfathers with grandchildren—and Poles—are easy to sell to. Western Norwegians and Swedes never buy anything. But we keep trying—never give up!
Sure, it’s fun being a merchant, but not everyone understands that it’s also exhausting. You need to be alert, friendly, and preferably able to switch between English, German, French, Sami, Polish, and Chinese. If you can’t, a smile goes a long way. These days, we focus on visitors from Sandefjord, appealing to their local pride. It’s important to find people willing to sponsor a steering chest, an oar, a shield—almost anything.The kiosk has often received generous donations—mostly from Americans. They are our
favorite customers—always friendly.
Some days, we have lots of visitors but little sales. Other times, we get few visitors but great
sales. Last year’s best sales day was in late autumn, when we brought in 45,000 kroner. The average summer daily revenue is around 10,000 kroner—plus or minus. Since we all work without pay, this provides crucial funding for our shipbuilding projects.
The Off-Season
From October to April, the kiosk is open on Saturdays, occasionally Sundays. When it rains, customers vanish like mist before the sun. On warm summer evenings, you might find us behind the kiosk, where we have tables, chairs, and a harbor view.
Guess how good shrimp and a cold (zero) beer taste then!
Being a Viking merchant is a good life—much better than being married!
Translated from Norwegian by ChatGPT.