Most locally-produced ware was transported by pack animals to Rethymnon and its environs, while the rest was sent to the Mesara (by the same means) because it fetched better prices there.
The vendema groups travelled across Crete (especially the central and western parts of the island), in the same areas as the potters from Thrapsano.
In spite of the rivalry with the Thrapsano potters, we do not know of any serious incidents taking place during this period.
The potters of Margarites were no less skilled that their fellow-craftsmen, copying or inventing various shapes of vessel to satisfy their customers.
The vessels produced at Margarites differ slightly from those of other centres as to shape and the reddish-brown slip used to create geometric or abstract patterns on the sides of certain types of pot.
Traditional production fell in the 60s. Seasonal migration stopped, but many craftsmen continued to make small vessels for use. Traders transported these by motor vehicle to the areas where they were still used. After 1980 the demand for “tourist products” provided incentives for a new generation of potters, who now produce miniatures of traditional types and copies of European forms.
Potters were established in Margarites long after the village was first built, as it can easily be dated by its three medieval churches.
Research in the village itself and the wider area of the old kilns (Krystalli) allows us to conclude that potters began to operate there during the medieval period, but never produced glazed pottery.
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