▁and ▁ped d lers ▁increased ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁sell ers , ▁thus ▁increasing ▁competition , ▁to ▁the ▁benefit ▁of ▁consum ers . ▁Direct ▁sell ers , ▁who ▁brought ▁produce ▁from ▁the ▁surrounding ▁coun tr ys ide , ▁sold ▁their ▁war es ▁through ▁the ▁central ▁market ▁place ▁and ▁pr iced ▁their ▁goods ▁at ▁consider ably ▁lower ▁rates ▁than ▁che es em ong ers . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 th - century ▁Philadelphia ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Philadelphia ▁of ▁the ▁past ▁century ▁the ▁h uck ster ▁was ▁the ▁man ▁who ▁came ▁around ▁with ▁his ▁cart ▁of ▁veget ables . ▁ ▁The ▁cart ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁mechanical ▁or ▁even ▁horse ▁drawn . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁man ▁from ▁whom ▁you ▁bought ▁all ▁your ▁products . ▁ ▁The ▁h uck ster ▁made ▁his ▁presence ▁known ▁by ▁cry ing ▁out ▁loud ▁what ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁offer . ▁ ▁In ▁old ▁time ▁Philadelphia ▁dialect , ▁to ▁say ▁" like ▁a ▁h uck ster " ▁meant ▁to ▁be ▁too ▁loud ▁in ▁one ' s ▁speech . ▁ ▁In ▁literature ▁and ▁popular ▁culture ▁ ▁In ▁" The ▁G ob lin ▁and ▁the ▁Gro cer " ▁The ▁story ▁" The ▁G ob lin ▁and ▁the ▁Gro cer " ▁by ▁Hans ▁Christian ▁Anders en ▁rel ates ▁that ▁human ▁nature ▁is ▁attract ed ▁to ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁happiness ▁as ▁represented ▁by ▁poetry ▁and ▁to ▁sens ual ▁pleasure ▁as ▁represented ▁by ▁jam ▁and ▁but ter ▁at ▁Christmas . ▁Although ▁the ▁story ▁has ▁been ▁mistaken ly ▁called ▁" The ▁G ob lin ▁and ▁the ▁H uck