In literature and popular culture, featherbed salesmen are often portrayed as being dishonest or unscrupulous. This is likely because they were often seen as taking advantage of people who were desperate for a comfortable bed. Additionally, featherbeds were often sold at inflated prices, which made featherbed salesmen even more unpopular.
Today, the term "featherbed salesman" is sometimes used to describe someone who is lazy or unproductive. This is because featherbed salesmen were often seen as being lazy and unwilling to work hard. Additionally, the term is sometimes used to describe someone who is trying to sell something that is outdated or useless.