Here. Lemme show you the picture I had up in response to Slip, and that I showed M..mr..MrManvi..? something...
Anyway. This is how I set up my "tool heads" unless I know i can sell through the assembled items and intend to go mining.
If you just do something /like/ this. not necessarily this.
then you don't have to worry about any of the other issues associated with customers not paying attention.
They won't break randomly, cause they're not assembled.
They won't break on reload (every. reload.), cause they're not assembled
They won't slow you down all that much, because they're already heated, hammered, cooled, and placed near the workbench/assembly table.
And. As you could see in that specific pic/moment. having iron, tin, copper, and steel large blades (which would be greatswords, assembled)
They won't (can't) lock onto them and prevent a sale either - because they're not items
Now like I said. You don't have to set it up exactly like this - do it however you like. You don't /need/ to keep all material stocked - you could just go with /only/ the best or maybe best and 2nd best. In this specific picture I just happened to be doing all of then.
I'd in fact recommend only doing top 3 at most - and only fulfilling orders for the current metal if you don't already have the metal for it.
i.e - if you have Steel (current)
and have Steel on hand (3 ingots), iron (28 ingots) and Tin (1 ingot)
I would Leave the steel on the forge- so that I had enough steel ingots to complete any one steel request (and then likely buy more to replace them)
Make /all/ of the iron into tool heads - If they don't ask for one of the ones I made, then I send them away
Make the tin either into a tool head, or just stack it on a shelf for fun because it isn't worth the hassle at one ingot. - if I do that, I send all other tin away.
Have no Copper, isn't worth ordering more in. Send them away.
And as the picture mentions. I keep 2h spare handles on part of the shelf nearby (dunno why I just find it easier to keep them there for some reason, you could place them anywhere else) - I keep 1-4 one hand grips with guards attached already on the backboard of the workbench - I keep 1-3 (2h) grips with guards attached - backboard in another slot - and 1-2 no grip handles, either size, but only one of whichever size. - sometimes I make it 1h guards.
Under the bench on the lowest shelf I tend to keep 1h grips, on the floor, pole grips (just order a few, set the box flat on the ground, open, then use one to line them all up and push them all under with that one (slowly)), and on the shelf with the lantern - I set 2h guards - Everything is in a quick to reach, fairly 'separated' area - that I can get into a pattern of muscle-memory/remembrance of where it is, and quickly assemble it, without sending 8 different things flying trying to get a one-hand blade out of a pile of 12 different tool heads.
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If you /were/ to want too keep assembled items.
I'd recommend one or two types (e.g Greatsword and Greathammer) - of only the best material (e.g steel and mithril) and not making more than you think you can sell in a single session.
Keep them under the counter, stacked ontop of one another (like how you see the large-blades in the pic, only, reversed, you want the handle near the walkway/customer, not the bedroom) - However. Only use the first and second shelf - they can't reach the third, even if they can see it. - you can instead stack them above the counter. - again. You want the grip - which is the "thicker" part of the handle, to be right under that cloth you see on the front counter- and customers can "reach" for it.
For Pole arms - this often means Blade towards customer, because the thick-grip part is so high on the grip.
For almost everything else - the blade/tool head should be towards your bed, and the handle to the customer.
I recommend this method for /sale while mining/ but do not recommend it in general for ver0.0.82
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If you want a different idea, and do not plan to be mining.
Perhaps placing them outside the front door will suffice for "out of box"
There is a different, unrelated to sale bug, bug that plagues 0.0.82 - It's Mad Strafe Disease
Customer pathing is faster but much sloppier than normal NPC pathing. Normal Npcs can be smacked around with physics, Customers will walk right through most physics, but not Terrain, and they will NEVER EVER walk backwards while walking towards your shop to purchase.
As a result, one of the most common accidents is them getting stuck and never ever being able to reach the shop.. and one of the most common places for that... is at the shop. Behind the door. - They strafe, again, for whatever reason, once they've gotten to shop, and lock themselves in the small gap between the backside of the door, and small stool/table outside....
YOU. can stand in that area and walk against them, causing them to slide off you and inwards towards shop if you do it right (note: if you just stand there or do it wrong, they actually can strafe beside you and get even further off course, I've had it happen.)
So. Anyway. Placing the items outside might be an option. Since you might stand out there anyway to ensure MSD doesn't take the life of another sale, you may (or very well may not) be able to see what they want, and then carry it inside, they can have items handed to them, through them. And they /can/ reach a little bit beside them.
I pretty much have never tried this and don't really recommend it for anything. - in general for ver0.0.82 I recommend just going with tool heads.