Arabbing has been around since Baltimore was founded in 1729. At that time, selling in U.S. city streets was very common. Finding jobs could be hard for people who had just moved to the United States. But they could become peddlers and hucksters more easily. When the Civil War ended, Baltimore had a large population of freed slaves. Street selling was a good way for them to make money too.

Arabbing is an old tradition. But times have changed. Technology has changed. Arabbers struggle to compete with large grocery stores. At one time, arabbers’ stables were scattered across the city. By the 1960s, only 25 stables remained. Now only about a dozen people work as arabbers.