diff --git a/src/pretix/base/migrations/0005_auto_20151206_1652.py b/src/pretix/base/migrations/0005_auto_20151206_1652.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9992623452
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pretix/base/migrations/0005_auto_20151206_1652.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('pretixbase', '0004_auto_20151024_0848'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name='item',
+            name='available_from',
+            field=models.DateTimeField(null=True, help_text='This product will not be sold before the given date.', blank=True, verbose_name='Available from'),
+        ),
+        migrations.AddField(
+            model_name='item',
+            name='available_until',
+            field=models.DateTimeField(null=True, help_text='This product will not be sold after the given date.', blank=True, verbose_name='Available to'),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/src/pretix/base/models/items.py b/src/pretix/base/models/items.py
index d8ecca922e..ec707375a5 100644
--- a/src/pretix/base/models/items.py
+++ b/src/pretix/base/models/items.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import sys
 from datetime import datetime
-from decimal import Decimal
 from itertools import product
 
 from django.db import models
@@ -8,7 +7,7 @@ from django.db.models import Q, Case, Count, Sum, When
 from django.utils.functional import cached_property
 from django.utils.timezone import now
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
-from typing import List, Tuple, Union
+from typing import List, Tuple
 from versions.models import VersionedForeignKey, VersionedManyToManyField
 
 from pretix.base.i18n import I18nCharField, I18nTextField
@@ -98,6 +97,10 @@ class Item(Versionable):
     :type admission: bool
     :param picture: A product picture to be shown next to the product description.
     :type picture: File
+    :param available_from: The date this product goes on sale
+    :type available_from: datetime
+    :param available_until: The date until when the product is on sale
+    :type available_until: datetime
 
     """
 
@@ -152,6 +155,16 @@ class Item(Versionable):
         null=True, blank=True,
         upload_to=itempicture_upload_to
     )
+    available_from = models.DateTimeField(
+        verbose_name=_("Available from"),
+        null=True, blank=True,
+        help_text=_('This product will not be sold before the given date.')
+    )
+    available_until = models.DateTimeField(
+        verbose_name=_("Available until"),
+        null=True, blank=True,
+        help_text=_('This product will not be sold after the given date.')
+    )
 
     class Meta:
         verbose_name = _("Product")
@@ -171,6 +184,19 @@ class Item(Versionable):
         if self.event:
             self.event.get_cache().clear()
 
+    def is_available(self) -> bool:
+        """
+        Returns whether this item is available according to its ``active`` flag
+        and its ``available_from`` and ``available_until`` fields
+        """
+        if not self.active:
+            return False
+        if self.available_from and self.available_from > now():
+            return False
+        if self.available_until and self.available_until < now():
+            return False
+        return True
+
     def get_all_variations(self, use_cache: bool=False) -> List[VariationDict]:
         """
         This method returns a list containing all variations of this
diff --git a/src/pretix/base/services/cart.py b/src/pretix/base/services/cart.py
index b7b6ca6de2..c19aaa462b 100644
--- a/src/pretix/base/services/cart.py
+++ b/src/pretix/base/services/cart.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ def _add_items(event: Event, items: List[Tuple[str, Optional[str], int]],
         # Fetch all quotas. If there are no quotas, this item is not allowed to be sold.
         quotas = list(item.quotas.all()) if variation is None else list(variation.quotas.all())
 
-        if len(quotas) == 0 or not item.active:
+        if len(quotas) == 0 or not item.is_available():
             err = err or error_messages['unavailable']
             continue
 
diff --git a/src/pretix/control/forms/item.py b/src/pretix/control/forms/item.py
index f991c7f52d..df2c762c2f 100644
--- a/src/pretix/control/forms/item.py
+++ b/src/pretix/control/forms/item.py
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ class ItemFormGeneral(VersionedModelForm):
             'picture',
             'default_price',
             'tax_rate',
+            'available_from',
+            'available_until',
         ]
 
 
diff --git a/src/pretix/control/templates/pretixcontrol/item/index.html b/src/pretix/control/templates/pretixcontrol/item/index.html
index 3e6eb9c24f..1aa8fc1a68 100644
--- a/src/pretix/control/templates/pretixcontrol/item/index.html
+++ b/src/pretix/control/templates/pretixcontrol/item/index.html
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@
 			{% bootstrap_field form.default_price layout="horizontal" %}
 			{% bootstrap_field form.tax_rate layout="horizontal" %}
 		</fieldset>
+		<fieldset>
+			<legend>{% trans "Availability" %}</legend>
+			{% bootstrap_field form.available_from layout="horizontal" %}
+			{% bootstrap_field form.available_until layout="horizontal" %}
+		</fieldset>
 		<div class="form-group submit-group">
             <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary btn-save">
                 {% trans "Save" %}
diff --git a/src/pretix/presale/views/event.py b/src/pretix/presale/views/event.py
index 319dad5caf..0a48a8e57e 100644
--- a/src/pretix/presale/views/event.py
+++ b/src/pretix/presale/views/event.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import sys
 
-from django.db.models import Count
+from django.db.models import Q, Count
+from django.utils.timezone import now
 from django.views.generic import TemplateView
 
 from pretix.presale.views import CartMixin, EventViewMixin
@@ -13,7 +14,9 @@ class EventIndex(EventViewMixin, CartMixin, TemplateView):
         context = super().get_context_data(**kwargs)
         # Fetch all items
         items = self.request.event.items.all().filter(
-            active=True
+            Q(active=True)
+            & Q(Q(available_from__isnull=True) | Q(available_from__lte=now()))
+            & Q(Q(available_until__isnull=True) | Q(available_until__gte=now()))
         ).select_related(
             'category',  # for re-grouping
         ).prefetch_related(
diff --git a/src/tests/base/test_models.py b/src/tests/base/test_models.py
index 52c9d2a589..4e8001f7a2 100644
--- a/src/tests/base/test_models.py
+++ b/src/tests/base/test_models.py
@@ -425,6 +425,40 @@ class ItemCategoryTest(TestCase):
         assert c2 > c1
 
 
+class ItemTest(TestCase):
+    """
+    This test case tests various methods around the item model.
+    """
+
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpTestData(cls):
+        o = Organizer.objects.create(name='Dummy', slug='dummy')
+        cls.event = Event.objects.create(
+            organizer=o, name='Dummy', slug='dummy',
+            date_from=now(),
+        )
+
+    def test_is_available(self):
+        i = Item.objects.create(
+            event=self.event, name="Ticket", default_price=23,
+            active=True, available_until=now() + timedelta(days=1),
+        )
+        assert i.is_available()
+        i.available_from = now() - timedelta(days=1)
+        assert i.is_available()
+        i.available_from = now() + timedelta(days=1)
+        i.available_until = None
+        assert not i.is_available()
+        i.available_from = None
+        i.available_until = now() - timedelta(days=1)
+        assert not i.is_available()
+        i.available_from = None
+        i.available_until = None
+        assert i.is_available()
+        i.active = False
+        assert not i.is_available()
+
+
 class CachedFileTestCase(TestCase):
     def test_file_handling(self):
         cf = CachedFile()
diff --git a/src/tests/presale/test_cart.py b/src/tests/presale/test_cart.py
index 15288e90e1..7780713b78 100644
--- a/src/tests/presale/test_cart.py
+++ b/src/tests/presale/test_cart.py
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
 import datetime
-import time
 from datetime import timedelta
 
 from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.utils.timezone import now
-from tests.base import BrowserTest
 
 from pretix.base.models import (
     CartPosition, Event, Item, ItemCategory, ItemVariation, Organizer,
@@ -158,6 +156,31 @@ class CartTest(CartTestMixin, TestCase):
         self.assertIn('no longer available', doc.select('.alert-danger')[0].text)
         self.assertFalse(CartPosition.objects.filter(cart_id=self.session_key, event=self.event).exists())
 
+    def test_in_time_available(self):
+        self.ticket.available_until = now() + timedelta(days=2)
+        self.ticket.available_from = now() - timedelta(days=2)
+        self.ticket.save()
+        self.client.post('/%s/%s/cart/add' % (self.orga.slug, self.event.slug), {
+            'item_' + self.ticket.identity: '1',
+        }, follow=True)
+        self.assertEqual(CartPosition.objects.filter(cart_id=self.session_key, event=self.event).count(), 1)
+
+    def test_no_longer_available(self):
+        self.ticket.available_until = now() - timedelta(days=2)
+        self.ticket.save()
+        self.client.post('/%s/%s/cart/add' % (self.orga.slug, self.event.slug), {
+            'item_' + self.ticket.identity: '1',
+        }, follow=True)
+        self.assertEqual(CartPosition.objects.filter(cart_id=self.session_key, event=self.event).count(), 0)
+
+    def test_not_yet_available(self):
+        self.ticket.available_from = now() + timedelta(days=2)
+        self.ticket.save()
+        self.client.post('/%s/%s/cart/add' % (self.orga.slug, self.event.slug), {
+            'item_' + self.ticket.identity: '1',
+        }, follow=True)
+        self.assertEqual(CartPosition.objects.filter(cart_id=self.session_key, event=self.event).count(), 0)
+
     def test_max_items(self):
         CartPosition.objects.create(
             event=self.event, cart_id=self.session_key, item=self.ticket,
@@ -262,21 +285,6 @@ class CartTest(CartTestMixin, TestCase):
         self.assertIn('no longer available', doc.select('.alert-danger')[0].text)
         self.assertFalse(CartPosition.objects.current.filter(identity=cp1.identity).exists())
 
-    def test_restriction_ok(self):
-        self.event.plugins = 'tests.testdummy'
-        self.event.save()
-        self.event.settings.testdummy_available = 'yes'
-        response = self.client.post('/%s/%s/cart/add' % (self.orga.slug, self.event.slug), {
-            'item_' + self.ticket.identity: '1',
-        }, follow=True)
-        self.assertRedirects(response, '/%s/%s/' % (self.orga.slug, self.event.slug),
-                             target_status_code=200)
-        objs = list(CartPosition.objects.current.filter(cart_id=self.session_key, event=self.event))
-        self.assertEqual(len(objs), 1)
-        self.assertEqual(objs[0].item, self.ticket)
-        self.assertIsNone(objs[0].variation)
-        self.assertEqual(objs[0].price, 23)
-
     def test_remove_simple(self):
         CartPosition.objects.create(
             event=self.event, cart_id=self.session_key, item=self.ticket,
diff --git a/src/tests/presale/test_event.py b/src/tests/presale/test_event.py
index 4c9686b890..8f4922b7d7 100644
--- a/src/tests/presale/test_event.py
+++ b/src/tests/presale/test_event.py
@@ -54,6 +54,31 @@ class ItemDisplayTest(EventTestMixin, BrowserTest):
         self.driver.get('%s/%s/%s/' % (self.live_server_url, self.orga.slug, self.event.slug))
         self.assertIn("Early-bird", self.driver.find_element_by_css_selector("section .product-row:first-child").text)
 
+    def test_timely_available(self):
+        q = Quota.objects.create(event=self.event, name='Quota', size=2)
+        item = Item.objects.create(event=self.event, name='Early-bird ticket', default_price=0, active=True,
+                                   available_until=now() + datetime.timedelta(days=2),
+                                   available_from=now() - datetime.timedelta(days=2))
+        q.items.add(item)
+        self.driver.get('%s/%s/%s/' % (self.live_server_url, self.orga.slug, self.event.slug))
+        self.assertIn("Early-bird", self.driver.find_element_by_css_selector("body").text)
+
+    def test_no_longer_available(self):
+        q = Quota.objects.create(event=self.event, name='Quota', size=2)
+        item = Item.objects.create(event=self.event, name='Early-bird ticket', default_price=0, active=True,
+                                   available_until=now() - datetime.timedelta(days=2))
+        q.items.add(item)
+        self.driver.get('%s/%s/%s/' % (self.live_server_url, self.orga.slug, self.event.slug))
+        self.assertNotIn("Early-bird", self.driver.find_element_by_css_selector("body").text)
+
+    def test_not_yet_available(self):
+        q = Quota.objects.create(event=self.event, name='Quota', size=2)
+        item = Item.objects.create(event=self.event, name='Early-bird ticket', default_price=0, active=True,
+                                   available_from=now() + datetime.timedelta(days=2))
+        q.items.add(item)
+        self.driver.get('%s/%s/%s/' % (self.live_server_url, self.orga.slug, self.event.slug))
+        self.assertNotIn("Early-bird", self.driver.find_element_by_css_selector("body").text)
+
     def test_simple_with_category(self):
         c = ItemCategory.objects.create(event=self.event, name="Entry tickets", position=0)
         q = Quota.objects.create(event=self.event, name='Quota', size=2)