Huckster

Last updated
Women huckstering from The Irish Sketch-Book, 1845 The Irish sketch-book (1845) (14594583307).jpg
Women huckstering from The Irish Sketch-Book, 1845

A huckster is anyone who sells something or serves biased interests, using pushy or showy tactics. In historical terms, it meant any type of peddler or vendor, but over time it has assumed pejorative connotations.

Contents

Etymology

The original meaning of huckster is a person who sells small articles, either door-to-door or from a stall or small store, like a peddler or hawker. The term probably derives from the Middle English hucc, meaning "to haggle". [1] The word was in use circa 1200 (as "huccsteress"). During the medieval period, the word assumed the feminine word ending "ster" as in huckster, reflecting the fact that most hucksters were women. [2] The word assumed various spellings at different times: hukkerye, hukrie, hockerye, huckerstrye or hoxterye. The word was still in use in England in the 1840s, when it appeared as a black-market occupation. It is related to the Middle Dutch hokester, hoekster and the Middle Low German höker, but appears earlier than any of these. [3] In the United States, there developed a connotation of trickery  the huckster might trick others into buying cheap imitation products as if they were the real thing.

Other meanings

Itinerant medicine salesmen were often known as "hucksters" A French itinerant medicine vendor on stage selling his ware Wellcome L0032279.jpg
Itinerant medicine salesmen were often known as "hucksters"

The term "huckster" was used in different ways across Europe and later ended up taking on different meanings at different times.

In Scotland

In Scotland, the term "huckster" referred to a person, usually a woman, who bought goods, watered them down, and resold them in tiny quantity to others who were too poor to buy quality products available at market value.[ citation needed ] These items tended to be in the poorer quality range, since economy was paramount. Scots burghs often felt the need to control hucksters because they operated without a stall, on the economic fringes. In particular, they were subject of accusations of forestalling, in this case the practice of buying goods wholesale, "before the stall" and therefore before tax was paid. [4]

In England and Europe

In England and Europe during the medieval period, the term "huckster" was synonymous with peddler. [5] [6] Hucksters and peddlers belonged to a broad group of resellers who purchased surplus stocks from weekly provincial markets and fairs and then resold them at larger daily markets or engaged in door-to-door selling.

As time passed, the distinction between hucksters and peddlers became more pronounced. During the medieval period, the term "huckster" came to refer to market-based food vendors, while peddlers referred to itinerant vendors of a wide range of merchandise. Hucksters were often women who dealt in low-priced goods such as meat, poultry, dairy, bread and baked goods, including pies and pastries. They sourced raw materials from their own holdings or purchased goods from other sellers and carried their products to the market place in baskets or on their heads. These women either lived in the market town or travelled into the market place from the surrounding area. Hucksters were at the bottom of the market hierarchy, both in terms of wealth and status, since they made only small returns. [7]

Luca Clerici has made a detailed analysis of Vicenza’s food market during the sixteenth century. He found that there were many different types of reseller operating out of the markets. For example, in the dairy trade, cheese and butter was sold by the members of two craft guilds (i.e., cheesemongers who were shopkeepers) and that of the so-called "resellers" (hucksters selling a wide range of foodstuffs), and by other sellers who were not enrolled in any guild. Cheesemongers’ shops were situated at the town hall and were very lucrative. Resellers and peddlers increased the number of sellers, thus increasing competition, to the benefit of consumers. Direct sellers, who brought produce from the surrounding countryside, sold their wares through the central market place and priced their goods at considerably lower rates than cheesemongers. [8]

In 20th-century Philadelphia

Hearing Before the Special Committee on Aging. United States Senate, 107th United States Congress. First Session. Washington, D.C. Serial No. 107-14. Swindlers, Hucksters and Snake Oil Salesman - Hype and Hope Marketing Anti-Aging Products to Seniors.pdf
Hearing Before the Special Committee on Aging. United States Senate, 107th United States Congress. First Session. Washington, D.C. Serial No. 107-14.

In Philadelphia, in the early 1900's, hucksters were seen as primarily men who came around with carts, horse or hand-drawn, of fresh produce. They made their presence known by crying out loud what they had to offer. In earlier Philadelphia dialect, to say "like a huckster" meant to be too loud in one's speech. [9]

The story "The Goblin and the Grocer" by Hans Christian Andersen implies that human nature is attracted to a state of happiness as represented by poetry and to sensual pleasure as represented by jam and butter at Christmas. Although the story has been mistakenly called "The Goblin and the Huckster", it has nothing to do with that term (pejoratively). The Grocer, through his haggling and bargaining, is seen as industrious because he possesses the jam and butter (sensual pleasure), and the student is seen as poor but happy because he appreciates the beauty of poetry above all else. Meanwhile, the Grocer's talkative wife and the cask in which are stored old newspapers both have plenty of authoritative knowledge to share but are paid little attention compared to the primal desires of humankind, which constantly compete for (the goblin's) attention. [10]

In the novel "The Black Stallion" by Walter Farley, the supporting character Tony is described as a huckster, in the sense that he works as a vegetable salesman in New York City's smaller streets, selling from a horse-drawn cart.

In science fiction fandom, the term "huckster" is used non-pejoratively to designate dealers in science fiction–related books, magazines and paraphernalia, [11] particularly those who deal at science fiction conventions.

In the song "There Only Was One Choice" by Harry Chapin one line refers to huckster of belief.

In the 2022 song “Sweet Nothing” by Taylor Swift, she refers to “smooth-talking hucksters.”

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merchant</span> Businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others

A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as industry, commerce, and trade have existed. In 16th-century Europe, two different terms for merchants emerged: meerseniers referred to local traders and koopman referred to merchants who operated on a global stage, importing and exporting goods over vast distances and offering added-value services such as credit and finance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shopping</span> Buying goods

Shopping is an activity in which a customer browses the available goods or services presented by one or more retailers with the potential intent to purchase a suitable selection of them. A typology of shopper types has been developed by scholars which identifies one group of shoppers as recreational shoppers, that is, those who enjoy shopping and view it as a leisure activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Market town</span> Settlement granted the right to host markets

A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural towns with a hinterland of villages are still commonly called market towns, as sometimes reflected in their names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bargaining</span> Negotiation between a buyer and seller over the price and nature of their transaction

In the social sciences, bargaining or haggling is a type of negotiation in which the buyer and seller of a good or service debate the price or nature of a transaction. If the bargaining produces agreement on terms, the transaction takes place. It is often commonplace in poorer countries, or poorer localities within any specific country. Haggling can mostly be seen within street markets worldwide, wherein there remains no guarantee of the origin and authenticity of available products. Many people attribute it as a skill, but there remains no guarantee that the price put forth by the buyer would be acknowledged by the seller, resulting in losses of profit and even turnover in some cases. A growth in the country's GDP Per Capita Income is bound to reduce both the ill-effects of bargaining and the unscrupulous practices undertaken by vendors at street markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">List price</span> Price that the manufacturer recommends for a retailer to charge

The list price, also known as the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), or the recommended retail price (RRP), or the suggested retail price (SRP) of a product is the price at which its manufacturer notionally recommends that a retailer sell the product.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flea market</span> Street market or bazaar for used items

A flea market is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously owned (second-hand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal' and 'casual' markets which divides a fixed-style market (formal) with long-term leases and a seasonal-style market with short-term leases. Consistently, there tends to be an emphasis on sustainable consumption whereby items such as used goods, collectibles, antiques and vintage clothing can be purchased, in an effort to combat climate change and fast fashion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Costermonger</span> Street seller of fruit and vegetables

A costermonger, coster, or costard is a street seller of fruit and vegetables in British towns. The term is derived from the words costard and monger (seller), and later came to be used to describe hawkers in general. Some historians have pointed out that a hierarchy existed within the costermonger class and that while costermongers sold from a handcart or animal-drawn cart, mere hawkers carried their wares in a basket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Personal selling</span> When a sales representative meets with a potential client for the purpose of transacting a sale

Personal selling occurs when a sales representative meets with a potential client for the purpose of transacting a sale. Many sales representatives rely on a sequential sales process that typically includes nine steps. Some sales representatives develop scripts for all or part of the sales process. The sales process can be used in face-to-face encounters and in telemarketing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawker (trade)</span> Street Vendor

A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with costermonger or peddler. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells inexpensive goods, handicrafts, or food items. Whether stationary or mobile, hawkers often advertise by loud street cries or chants, and conduct banter with customers, to attract attention and enhance sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peddler</span> Door-to-door salesperson

A peddler, in British English pedlar, also known as a chapman, packman, cheapjack, hawker, higler, huckster, (coster)monger, colporteur or solicitor, is a door-to-door and/or travelling vendor of goods. In 19th-century America the word "drummer" was often used to refer to a peddler or traveling salesman; as exemplified in the popular play Sam'l of Posen; or, The Commercial Drummer by George H. Jessop.

Engrossing, forestalling and regrating were marketing offences in English, Welsh and Irish common law. The terms were used to describe unacceptable methods of influencing the market, sometimes by creating a local monopoly for a certain good, usually food. The terms were often used together, and with overlapping meanings. They became obsolete in 1844.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Goblin and the Grocer</span> 1852 fairy tale published by Hans Christian Andersen

"The Goblin at the Grocer's" is a fairy tale published 1852 by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, about a goblin who must choose between poetry or his Christmas porridge from a grocer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Street cries</span> Song, rhyme, or patter used by street vendors

Street cries are the short lyrical calls of merchants hawking their products and services in open-air markets. The custom of hawking led many vendors to create custom melodic phrases to attract attention. At a time when a large proportion of the population were illiterate, the cries of street vendors and town criers provided the public with important messages, whether those messages were commercial in nature or of more general public interest. Street Cries were part of the aural fabric of street life from antiquity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marketplace</span> Space in which a market operates

A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a souk, bazaar, a fixed mercado (Spanish), or itinerant tianguis (Mexico), or palengke (Philippines). Some markets operate daily and are said to be permanent markets while others are held once a week or on less frequent specified days such as festival days and are said to be periodic markets. The form that a market adopts depends on its locality's population, culture, ambient and geographic conditions. The term market covers many types of trading, as market squares, market halls and food halls, and their different varieties. Thus marketplaces can be both outdoors and indoors, and in the modern world, online marketplaces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haymarket (Louisville)</span>

The Haymarket referred to an outdoor farmers' market in Louisville, Kentucky. The market occupied the block between Jefferson, Liberty, Floyd and Brook streets. A small section extended south down Floyd Street. It was established in 1891 on the site of the city's earliest rail station, belonging to the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad. The site had been cleared after the station relocated to First Street in 1881.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sungei Road</span> Subzone of Rochor Planning Area in Singapore

Sungei Road is a road in Singapore situated between Serangoon Road and Jalan Besar and runs along the Rochor Canal. The area around Sungei Road formerly housed affluent Europeans and Asians, and many ornately designed buildings were built there. Since the 1930s, the road has been synonymous with Sungei Road laksa and the Thieves' Market, the largest and oldest flea market in Singapore, where locals can shop for old bric-a-brac or second-hand goods. The market was permanently closed on 10 July 2017 for "future residential development use".

A marketing channel consists of the people, organizations, and activities necessary to transfer the ownership of goods from the point of production to the point of consumption. It is the way products get to the end-user, the consumer; and is also known as a distribution channel. A marketing channel is a useful tool for management, and is crucial to creating an effective and well-planned marketing strategy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vendor</span> Supplier of goods or services

In a supply chain, a vendor, supplier, provider or a seller, is an enterprise that contributes goods or services. Generally, a supply chain vendor manufactures inventory/stock items and sells them to the next link in the chain. Today, these terms refer to a supplier of any goods or service.

Print butter is an obsolete term for butter that was sold in wrappers printed with "some emblematic device" as a branding device as modern butter almost always is. Originally the wrappers were normally cloth and sometimes washed and returned for re-use by the retailer. By the late 19th century greaseproof paper took over from cloth. The term is found in American sources from at least 1791 to 1949. Packages of butter which were wrapped were called prints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of retail</span> Historical development of sales to consumers

The history of retail encompasses the sale of goods and services to consumers across all cultures and time periods from ancient history to the present.

References

  1. "huckster". The Free Dictionary.
  2. Davis, J., Medieval Market Morality: Life, Law and Ethics in the English Marketplace, 1200–1500, Cambridge University Press, 2012, p. 7.
  3. Oxford English Dictionary , 2nd ed. (1989), "Huckster, n."
  4. Wuthnow, Robert (2017). "Worked as a Huckster". American Misfits and the Making of Middle-Class Respectability. doi:10.23943/princeton/9780691176864.003.0003. ISBN   9780691176864.
  5. "Huckster and Peddler are synonyms". thesaurus.plus. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  6. "huckster", Wiktionary, 2022-07-15, retrieved 2022-11-19
  7. Davis, J., Medieval Market Morality: Life, Law and Ethics in the English Marketplace, 1200–1500, Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 7–8.
  8. Clerici, L., "Le prix du bien commun. Taxation des prix et approvisionnement urbain (Vicence, XVIe–XVIIe siècle)" [The price of the common good. Official prices and urban provisioning in sixteenth and seventeenth century Vicenza] in I prezzi delle cose nell’età preindustriale / The Prices of Things in Pre-Industrial Times, [forthcoming], Firenze University Press, 2017.
  9. "1923 International Huckster". www.classicautomall.com. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  10. Lang, Andrew (1889). The Pink Fairy Book.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  11. Franson, Donald (1962). "A Key to the Terminology of Science Fiction Fandom". National Fantasy Fan Federation.