Across all the various industries, merchants have had a proper and moral method on how they work and sell their products to consumers. However, there were sellers in various industries that secretly used unethical and devious methods, making the process easier to maximize profits. These sellers usually weren’t the nicest of people to work with.

In Book 10, Folio 44v and 45r, the bad cape seller is described. Comparing the two separate translations, they both give a similar description of what a bad cape seller is like, and their methods of deceiving their buyers. However, the Spanish-to-English translation gives a slightly more detailed description as to how the bad cape seller creates their product and how the finished product turns out. For example, as part of the process of creating a bad cape, it is mentioned that the bad cape seller boils old capes in bleach to whiten them, leaving some of them full of holes. In the Nahuatl-to-English translation, the use of bleach to whiten used capes is not mentioned. Further more, in the Spanish-to-English translation, it ends with a small recap of what a good cape seller is. In the Nahuatl-to-English translation, when the description of the bad cape seller ends, it immediately transitions to describing a different kind of seller.

In Book 10, Folio 46r, there is another image of a cape seller, but it is displayed next to text describing how they deal their product, indicating the person in that image is a dealer, suggesting that there might be a second person involved in the business of selling capes.

This image displayed here is a depiction of a cape seller in the middle of creating their product. Located in Book 10, Folio 45r, this image isn’t displayed until the bad cape seller is mentioned, potentially indicating that the person in the image is a bad cape seller. In the text, the process of how a bad cape seller is described, but through the actions of a man. This is seen in sentences like “…[F]or he knows how to freshen them up…” or, “…[H]e polishes them so well that they look as good as new…” However, the person in the image is a woman. Visual elements like the skirt and hairstyle indicate her feminine characteristics. Only the skin of the cape seller is in color. Her hair, clothes, and work station are all left without color. The lack of color could represent the white finish the cape seller attempts to achieve before selling. However, there is a symbol drawn above her head, with specific details colored red and black. In the Digital Florentine Codex, keywords used to depict the image include xochitl, meaning “Flower”.

The symbol above the head of the cape seller is left out of the textual narrative. There isn’t anything in the translated text that explains the meaning behind this symbol. It is the only other thing in the image besides the cape seller’s skin that is in color. This object could be some sort of material she uses to gather dye for his product. We see in later images, like in Book 10, Folio 46r, a cape seller in the middle of making a deal. The red color reappears, but this time, it is on his product. It also bares the similar flower like shape depicted in the first image. This indicates that the symbol is a flower, used to decorate capes.

Following the description of the seller of maize greens, In Book 10, Folio 47v, the bad seller of maize greens is brought to light. Deceptive and hard to work with, the bad seller mixes good grains of maize with “moldy, sour, and weevil-infested” maize that could be as old as 10 years. The bad seller lies to his consumers, praising the product by declaring it good and desirable to others.

The description of the bad seller of maize greens is very similar between the Spanish-to-English and Nahuatl-to-English translations. There are many parts of each translation that share similar wording, however, there are small differences, mainly in the order of how the description is structured. In the Spanish-to-English translation, it immediately begins with explaining how the bad seller operates their business, later mentioning how they deceive their buyers by lying to them about the quality of their product. In the Nahuatl-to-English translation, it starts by explaining how the bad seller is “uncooperative, a deceiver” and then is followed by the process of how they operate.

The image depicts a maize seller in the process of crafting their product. We see a woman sitting down on some sort of blanket on top of grass. Next to her is a bag which might be filled with maize. Since this image is displayed after the description of the bad maize greens seller, it is possible that this is a bad seller. The pot next to the seller may be the item used to mix the good and bad maize together.

One thing about this image that seems to be left out of the textual narrative is the object above the pot of maize. It looks almost like a tentacle or tail of an animal. However, looking at images later in Book 10, there are similar objects above different kids of sellers. These objects seem to be plants, but it is not mentioned which kind of plant they are.