The acorn trade was a staple of the local economy in the 19th century and the merchants of Astakos played an important role in the process whereby acorns from the local oak forests arrived in Italy, England, Portugal or Denmark. Local families spent August and September in the forest collecting the acorns. The crop was then sold to intermediaries sent by the merchants, who packaged it in large sacks, paid the farmers, and transported the acorns to large storage facilities in Astakos and nearby bays for transhipment. The acorns had to be perfectly dry so they spent many months in storage, under the watchful eye of the merchant who wanted to ensure that they would not spontaneously combust.