piece of goods

'Well, upon my word,' exclaimed the father, taking the pipe from his mouth, and staring aghast at his daughter in a stupor of indignant surprise, 'you're a pretty article; you're a nice piece of goods for a man to bring up and waste his substance upon […]

Usually a silk salesman, a man is accustomed to take his piece of goods and handle them, and roll them out and show them to his customers, […]