The peddlers were selling not more expensive than the market.

Sometimes even cheaper, due to early morning provisioning and they would not rise the commodities price during the day, as sometimes happened in the market. But even when they were selling more expensive it would still worth buying from them. It was better quality merchandise and fresh. In addition, it was sold by known people who had no reason to cheat, because they would lose customers and couldnt earn new ones. We are in a time when consumer articles are found in abundance (late nineteenth century and early twentieth century). The prices are not high compared with existing purchasing power. According to Constantin Kiritescu calculations, the lowest clerk - copyist, messenger, the signalman - had around 60 lei per month (in 1890, even 120). A head office exceeded 260 -270 lei, a teacher - 220 lei, a captain - 360-400 lei, a regional doctor - 480, a day laborer - 2 lei per day, a qualified worker - 3-4 lei per day. It is found that prices of the main food products would not increase but decrease. Even more interesting is this finding as in the meantime, the salaries grow, although not significantly. Prices needed to be seen also through the operation of bargaining, which began to play an increasingly important role in trade. The best traders were appreciated by bargaining skills. At that time, it was not referred to advertisement as the soul of commerce, but honor. What was good was good. And was even better if you knew how brag about it. Carts had numbers and weighing machines. Permit was not necessary for those who sold in fairs as they lasted, for those who traded in localities certain specified goods or selling newspapers, books, brochures. This includes the fiddlers who could exercise their profession anywhere and at any time. Permit was needed though, for monkeys and bears players, organ grinders, those who claimed to predict the future, clowns. Strolling merchants, as they were called, those sellers of everything or "Marchitani", they were everywhere. Most vendors were known by buyers. Those who were selling freshly milk, cheese, butter, Rumanian pressed cheese, cream, yoghurt, came to Bucharest usually from neighboring villages, each family had its own milkman, or Oltenian guy if the merchandise was different. Most of these Oltenians were young up to thirty years old, walking in a hurry, almost running, with their baskets jumping, and shouting their goods. They had their streets where their customers use to walk; they were entering the yard, put down the baskets and if no household member was seen, they shout. Their shouts were simple, screams, funny, sometimes mini poems. Their merchandise was of all sorts and, of course, depending on the season: spring - early vegetables, summer - vegetables, autumn - fruit. Everywhere was heard the voice of the tireless Oltenian. From the seventeenth century, there is a Oltenians slum in Bucharest. Dating from the nineteenth century, was also a street. Oltenians were joined by Albanians, who sold ice cream with vanilla or raspberry, Bulgarians, who had the monopoly of the cultivation and sale of vegetables, the Turks - with sweets and drinks, Jews - with gourmets, coffee, figs, raisins, cake

essences. Eventually, all food was sold on the street. And not only. Each ethnic group had its own market segment: the Greeks, the Bulgarians, Serbs, Turks, Gypsies, Jews ... And it was respected by everyone. A big advantage of strolling trade was that it had no fixed schedule like groceries. Sellers were popping out from all over the place in to boulevards and side streets in the center or at periphery, from the roosters crowing until sunset. Many took merchandise from Main Square (the Unirii Square). Sellers were expected at gates, at entrances to buildings - by housewives or maids sent by the owners with fix money - with fun and joy. Most people knew each other. Romanian urban society did not yet become impersonal..! Peddling was a great relief for all. Because markets were little, the products transport was hardly managed, on to opened roads, with few expensive vehicles. A boon to buyers. They had everything they needed at home. And more, selling on credit was functional, accounting was held with chalk on the door sill of the kitchen: a circle for an oca and one line for a pound ... Other times! We were in the East, we were in the West? These could be the foreigners questions that discovered in Romania the first circle of existence. But not to the Romanians from the cities, who enjoyed life and often leave thoughts pass by.