Can someone explain turnip and fruit trading to me? Also what should I be doing when I visit someone else's island. I feel like y'all are playing a different game
Turnips are the game's version of a stock (stalk) market. Every Sunday a character will visit your village from 6am to 12pm and sell turnips. Starting Monday Timmy and Tommy will buy turnips from you, and their prices differ before and after noon so check twice a day. Simply put, the idea is to buy low and sell high. It's a fairly easy way to make bells. Word of warning, turnips expire if you don't sell them by the next Sunday. Also do not time travel (change your switch's system clock) while you have turnips, the game will auto-spoil them if you travel to next Sunday or further, or if you travel back and forth. Just don't risk it.
Fruit trading is just trading for other people's native fruits. You started with either cherries, peaches, oranges, apples, or pears as your native fruit, and coconuts are on basically every mystery island. However, mystery islands don't often provide fruits that are different than your own native fruit, so people just trade them. You can dig a hole, plant the fruit and get every type of tree on your island.
If you visit someone's island, just be courteous. Don't run on their flowers or pick them, or take all their fruits (most people are ok if you just shake 1 tree). Don't touch any money trees if you see them unguarded. I'd also say if you're there for something else (like trading an item) you should ask if you want to check out their stores, because some people don't really appreciate people they don't know well dillydallying. Uh, and some people might have a thing about strangers talking to their villagers, because the villagers will mention visitors. I personally don't care but keep it in mind.