Huckster

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Huckster is also a character class in the role-playing game Deadlands.

A huckster is a seller of small articles, usually of cheap or shoddy quality, or one engaged in haggling or making petty bargains, that is, a certain type of peddler or hawker.

The word may have been in Middle English usage [LANGLAND, William PP1 Bv 227 "She hath holden hokkerye al hire lyf tyme"] and may also have been spelled hukkerye, hukrie, hockerye, huckerstrye or hoxterye at one time or another. The word was still in use in England in the 1840's, when it appeared as an occupation in census returns.

The word is derived from Middle Dutch hokester.

The story 'The Goblin and the Huckster' by Hans Christian Andersen relates 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. The huckster, 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 huckster'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.

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