1. Pens
   Needles
2. Pins
   Hoop

You could usually find needles at general stores in small towns and on corners of big cities alike. They were a necessity back when general stores were a necessity, because people needed to mend clothes and embroider.

1. Milk
   Cheese
2. Eggs
   Sour cream

Farmers would trade cheese to general stores for merchandise and in turn, general stores would sell it. As a matter of fact, farmers would trade just about anything to general stores so they could get products and general stores could stock even more.

1. Gum
   Tootsie Rolls
2. Chocolate
   Licorice

Licorice was a staple at most general stores, and it didn't come in packages either. It was in jars, and people would hand it to your child without washing their hands ... after touching money. Think about it.

1. Soup
   Milk
2. Vitamins
   Aspirin

General stores often stocked canned goods on their shelves for two reasons. One, canned goods didn't expire as quickly as perishables, and two, they were a quick fix for travelers moving through the town.

1. Knives
   Guns
2. Bayonets
   Pepper spray

Guns were a common sight in general stores before government regulations made it so that retail and sale shops needed permits to sell them. These days, there is paperwork involved when getting a gun.

1. Almond bark
   Candy cane
2. Hershey's chocolate
   Snow globe

Hershey's chocolate bars didn't always cost a dollar (or more these days), and they were actually a little smaller. Hershey bars have been sold in general stores since their inception in 1900.

1. Milk
   Orange juice
2. Lemonade
   Soda

Long ago, in this land right here, soda came in glass bottles that you could return to the general store to get a little bit of money back. Recycling was cool back then, because it cost quite a bit to make a glass bottle.

1. Codeine
   Vodka
2. Extracts
   Salt

Think vanilla extract, then consider the fact that there were various other plants to extract from. Some of these extracts were made specifically for cooking, and others helped people heal minor wounds.

1. Pillow
   Sheet
2. Rug
   Shoes

Many general stores around the country sold throw rugs and area rugs to those in town. For the most part, these were special orders put in when someone needed one, but they were still sold at the general store.

1. Coloring books
   Extracts
2. Puzzles
   Paint by numbers

General stores often sold children's toys, because children often shopped at general stores. Among the toys sold were puzzles, which were perfect for people who had to deal with rainy days and inclement weather.

1. Tea
   Ice
2. Coffee
   Ice cream

Later on, general stores that had chest freezers would actually scoop the ice cream out for you as you ordered it. It was a great way to attract children to your store and have them spend their money on things they didn't need.

1. Soap
   Detergent
2. Toothpaste
   Mouthwash

For the most part, general stores would sell handmade soaps from people in the town. If there wasn't a person in town willing to trade soaps for goods, general stores would stock soaps from their distribution companies.

1. Coffee
   Tea
2. Sugar
   Bottled water

Tea was a necessity for general stores on the east coast. Some general stores even offered imported teas for foreign lands, which always caught the attention of tea drinkers in the area.

1. Jelly
   Oatmeal
2. Bread
   Jam

While general stores were around during a time when bread was made at home, there were times when people just wanted to buy a loaf to get it out of the way. Considering it could have taken people hours to get to the store, it wasn't unheard of that they'd just pick up a loaf while they were there.

1. Screwdriver
   Mallet
2. Bundler
   Hammer

A variety of tools could be found at the general store in town. This is because most towns were too small to justify an entire hardware store, so the majority of what you needed could be found or ordered at the general store.

1. Sandals
   Socks
2. Shoes
   Slippers

Shoes weren't necessarily a common item to see in general stores, but they could be ordered specifically for you if you needed them. This is, of course, only if there isn't a cobbler in your town.

1. Hat
   Apron
2. Shoes
   Dress

Though many people don't wear aprons anymore, they were a necessity a long time ago. This is because people had fewer clothing options and couldn't just change when they were messy. That's where aprons come in.

1. Mints
   Gum
2. Extracts
   Toothpaste

Mints were generally thought of as a candy item in general stores for a long time. It wasn't until "halitosis" was made up (yeah, it's not a real thing) that mints were sold as a way to be more likable.

1. Brownies
   Pastries
2. Cookies
   Cereals

If there wasn't a bakery in your town, you could find various baked goods at the general store. However, they were usually made by someone in town who traded them for goods and merchandise.

1. Comics
   Tablets
2. Magazines
   Newspapers

Long before your phone (or social media, for some of you) delivered the news to you every day, people had to wait for the news to be delivered to them ... in paper form. Saving the trees wasn't a thing back then.

1. Rice
   Flour
2. Gluten
   Sand

Flour and wheat were essential items that were found in general stores across the country. This is because wheat was abundant throughout the country and it was a cheap way to fill yourself up (and it was nutritious).

1. Screws
   Tacks
2. Nails
   Hammers

If a place sold hammers, it only made sense that it would too sell nails. For those general stores in towns without hardware stores, nails were another necessity to stock the shelves with.

1. Pianos
   Sugar jar
2. Clocks
   Mason jar

There was very little need for clocks in rural towns back in the day. Usually, there was one large clock tower in town and bells rang to tell you what time it was. If you needed to be anywhere (like school), you'd just listen for the bell.

1. Honey
   Sugar
2. Cinnamon
   Salt

Sugar was used for baking, cooking and making sweets at home. While it wasn't a necessity in all homes, those who made their own bread knew that a spoonful of sugar fed the yeast and made it rise.

1. Rocks
   Sand
2. Gumballs
   Flour

Children loved candy, and they also loved interacting with things. Put the two together, and you have a gumball machine. The design of gumball machines hasn't changed much, but the materials they use to make them have.

1. Butter churn
   Mill
2. Butter cream
   Steamer

If you move milk around enough (whole cream milk, that is) it will eventually start to get more and more dense, until it becomes butter. However, if you add a little sugar, and don't over churn, you'll have whipped cream.

1. Tea
   Bottled water
2. Milk
   Coffee

We all love our morning cup, but what would happen if we ran out? Well, knowing us, we'd run to the store and grab some or just stop at Starbucks. That wasn't really possible back in the day, that's why coffee was sold at general stores.

1. Light bulb
   Oil lamp
2. Generator
   Hammer

Oil lamps and oil for those lamps were all sold at the general store. Of course, this was a huge fire hazard and during a time when fire departments were men with buckets doesn't really give us much hope.

1. Lighters
   Matches
2. Sticks
   Heads

Fun fact: the lighter was invented before the match, but matches and lighters alike were sold at general stores. If you wanted to build a fire, but didn't want to get close to the flame, throw a match in.

1. Sugar
   Extracts
2. Spices
   Honey

Spices were a great way to make your food taste different; however, spice trades were never accurate and couldn't be depended upon. However, general stores offered different spices (seasonally, of course).

1. Cough syrup
   Aspirin
2. Whiskey
   Tobacco

Cough syrup in the early 1900s wasn't very much like the cough syrup we have today. It was much stronger and put people to sleep pretty quickly. That's why it was so addictive and effective.

1. Apples
   Grapes
2. Tennis balls
   Oranges

Oranges were regional and seasonal. This means that they were only sold in certain parts of the country and during certain times of the year. They were found in general stores often.

1. Graham crackers
   Chocolate bars
2. Marshmallows
   Sticks

If you needed to make a s'more or you just wanted to add a little marshmallow to your day, you could pick up these sweet treats at your local general store ... if they had them in stock.

1. Chili powder
   Cocoa powder
2. Sugar
   Honey

You could also make hot cocoa with this as well as various other treats and breads. Unsweetened cocoa powder is a versatile ingredient for bakers and home cooks alike, but if you wanted some, you had to go to the general store.

1. Butter
   Bread
2. Sugar
   Eggs

Butter didn't always come in convenient little sticks. As a matter of fact, it usually came in a big blog wrapped in wax paper. It was weighed and sold by ounce or pound in general stores across the country.

1. Soup
   Soda crackers
2. Stew
   Corn

Crackers, like most other items were sold in tins. You could find most crackers at general stores, because they didn't go bad easily (especially when they were in metal containers), and they didn't take up much shelf space.

1. Gum
   Ice
2. Chewing tobacco
   Coffee

Yes, general stores came stocked and fully loaded with chewing tobacco and various other vices that people in town might have. Each customer that came in was a regular, and sometimes, store owners would know exactly when they were coming in.

1. Chocolate
   Snickers
2. Taffy
   Reese's

Taffy was a common item to have in general stores, because it wasn't very expensive to make and children loved it. You could usually get taffy at a good price and if you were a kid with a nickel, it was the most bang for your buck (or nickel).

1. Horseshoes
   Propane
2. Air
   Gasoline

Not all general stores carried gasoline, but those in towns that required it sure did. Soon, general stores became fill up stations and they provided pretty much everything for everyone in town.

1. Socks
   Shoes
2. Stockings
   Panties

Stockings were an essential part of women's apparel back in the old days. That's why general stores often stocked them, because the women in town would eventually need them ... until they stopped wearing stockings.