Legal Definitions - abbroachment

Abbroachment is a historical legal term that describes the act of buying up a large quantity of goods, typically wholesale, with the specific intention of reselling them directly to consumers as the sole vendor. This practice was considered illegal because it created an artificial monopoly, preventing other merchants from selling the same goods and forcing consumers to buy exclusively from the abbroacher, often at inflated prices. It was a form of market manipulation aimed at controlling supply and demand.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a merchant in a medieval town who, before the weekly market opens, travels to surrounding farms and buys all the available sacks of wheat directly from the farmers. He then brings all this wheat to the town market himself, becoming the only person selling wheat to the townspeople.

  This illustrates abbroachment because the merchant purchased the commodity (wheat) wholesale (from farmers) before it reached the general market, and then sold it retail (to townspeople) as the exclusive seller, thereby controlling the supply and price.

• Consider a trader in a colonial port city who learns that a ship carrying a rare and highly sought-after spice is due to arrive. Before the ship docks and its cargo is made available to all local merchants, the trader secretly arranges to purchase the entire shipment of that specific spice directly from the ship's captain. He then sets up his own stall and becomes the only vendor in the city selling that particular spice.

  This is an example of abbroachment because the trader acquired the entire wholesale quantity of a specific good (the spice) before it was generally accessible, and then sold it retail to the public as the sole supplier, effectively cornering the market for that item.

• In a growing industrial town during the 18th century, a particular type of specialized tool becomes essential for local artisans. A savvy entrepreneur buys out the entire stock of these tools from the manufacturer's initial production run, before other distributors or retailers can acquire them. He then opens his own shop and is the only person in town selling these crucial tools to the artisans.

  This scenario demonstrates abbroachment as the entrepreneur purchased the wholesale supply of a specific product (specialized tools) and then retailed them exclusively, preventing competition and controlling the market for that item within the town.