Ancient Bhutanese trade mainly consisted of travelling merchants with caravans. The main business trips the Bhutanese merchants made were to the trade marts on the borders with Tibet and India. Bhutan exported items such as rice, paper and textiles and imported salt, borax, pelt, gaur, etc. There were only a few trade marts and market places within Bhutan but merchants sold goods from door to door. Before the monetisation of the economy, merchants mostly bartered goods. The aristocratic families often employed a family trader who would lead the caravans between Tibet and India.