Things you wouldn't think about buying on the black market
wardnate77
Published
10/08/2015
this is crazy
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1.
Believe it or not, baby formula is one of the most treasured items on black markets around the world. It sounds weird, but baby formula is another one of those products that happens to tick all the boxes on the “ideal black market item” checklist. It’s in very high demand and has a guaranteed level of profit built it, it’s easy to steal, and it tends to be expensive, especially when controlled by a few brands. As a result, baby formula around the world is stolen and then sold a bit cheaper by a number of more…ah, flexible establishments. -
2.
Around the world healthy semen and eggs see a robust trade in black markets that circumvent regulations and red tape. In many cases, this is about the underground fertilization industry that takes advantages of people desperate to have kids but unable to afford the prices of more traditional fertilization treatments. However, humans aren’t the only ones to suffer from this black market – there are also thriving underground systems for collecting and selling prized bull semen and cow embryos. Not exactly items to offer in the back alley, but very popular among farms that want to get famous strains of cattle -
3.
This is one of those infamous stories that makes the rounds on the Internet: Selling Casu marzu, or the “maggot” cheese, on the black market because governments won’t allow the Sardinian cheese to be sold in any legitimate sense because 1) gross and 2) high toxicity. However overblown that story may be, there’s no doubt that cheese is a popular black market item in some areas, especially the more rare and rank cheeses that are difficult to find and often sold for high markups. This is particularly true in areas where getting specific brand cheeses is difficult, like Russia, where the cheese black market is alive and well. -
4.
We’re talking about good ole’ fashioned black gold here, the sort of crude oil that is carefully priced and sold by the barrel while being watched by analysts around the world for economic warning signs. But none of this stops oil from also being traded in much smaller amounts on growing black markets for people who just want enough fuel to cook – or who want to make a quick extra buck. In Mexico, for example, there’s a serious problem involving thieves who steal oil straight from pipelines and sell it cheaply to gas stations, where it is mixed with refined gas and resold to unsuspecting customers. -
5.
You can make a dessert in your own home or buy one at the supermarket whenever you want – so why is it on this list? Once again, it all comes down to supply and demand issues. When no more Twinkies were produced starting in the early 2010s, Twinkies quickly became a black market trade item. Likewise, hard-to-find yummies like Cronuts can create mini thriving black markets with insane markups. In other words, if there is a unique dessert, someone will find a way to resell it secretly to very, very hungry people. -
6.
Here the problem is once again high costs – specifically, high costs of Tide detergent. This is another baby formula scenario, but one compounded by the Tide brand. You see, buyers don’t want any particular detergent, they want Tide, but they really don’t want to pay for it. As a result, the theft of Tide detergent from supermarkets is surprisingly common, and there seems to be a thriving market that exists just to trade Tide for drugs. Tide may also be sold for cash, often at a discount, but in areas where the soap isn’t readily available it may sell for ridiculous markups. -
7.
When people want hair extensions, can’t they just visit a salon and, well – buy them? Not always: You may be able to find a variety of extensions in certain U.S. locations, but this is far from the case in other parts of the world, or even out on the streets, where people may be looking to buy cheap hair extensions out of a trunk with no questions asked. You see, extensions made from real hair are a very limited product usually controlled by only a few vendors and with no easy way to create product identification. It’s the perfect set-up for a thriving black market. -
8.
The new age of black marketing is, of course, on the Internet where organizations like the various Silk Roads and Evolutions are dedicated to selling illegal materials (until they are shut down and more spring up to take their place). However, some truly odd products can be found on these new services, including but not limited to a thriving group of self-help books. Do you want to learn how to properly text a girl? Would you like to find out the ways to get free pizza in London? There’s a black market for that. The more sinister how-tos include hacking and identity theft, because of course. -
9.
In some places, baking supplies can be so hard to find that they are traded constantly on the black market. No, this isn’t some USSR horror story, but rather a scenario playing out in areas like Venezuela, where black marketers quickly buy up every shipment of cooking oil, sugar, milk powder, coffee, and more. Then these people sell everything on a black market of their own creation, often through social media and with extra services like home delivery. The turbulent and violent environment of Venezuela does not make for a great supply chain, but it does support innovative black markets. -
10.
Apparently, the number of people who just can’t quit maple syrup is high enough to inspire all sorts of black market antics, including the theft of millions of dollars of maple syrup from Canadian producers. In a field where quality is so important, it’s no wonder that true Canadian maple syrup is in high demand. But apparently that demand is enough to put it in the same category as assault rifles and hard drugs, especially as syrup prices continue to rise. Apparently, in Quebec both weed and black market syrup are illegal, but selling maple syrup illegally will lead to much higher fines, which shows a serious set of priorities. -
11.
The orchid is a fragile, often rare tropical flower…that also happens to be worth a lot of money in the right markets. In the world of orchid buying, it seems that anything goes, especially when there are a lot of rich collectors around willing to pay anything to get their hands on that one rare bloom. Trade and import laws go up in smoke when someone is willing to fork over hundreds of thousands of dollars for a flower. But where’s the quality guarantee offered by normal, everyday professional orchid salespeople? -
12.
Food regulations are constantly shifting as time goes on, often leading to new requirements when it comes to safety. This ticks many food purists off, so it’s no surprise that there are black markets for technically illegal items like unpasteurized almonds and milk. Some people fear additives and chemicals. Others just have a passion for “raw” food in all its forms. And if these passions contradict new rules, then there are always small-time suppliers and local organic growers that are willing to hop over the thin legal law and offer untouched foods. -
13.
There’s a fetish for everything, and apparently nothing turns some people on like a uniform…and if it’s a uniform purchased illegally on the black market, well, even more titillating. This is why old uniforms from bankrupt companies like Japan Airlines quickly made the transition over to the black market where many interested parties wanted a flight attendant uniform of their own for private entertainment. The airline tried to crack down on the black market, but you can bet that similar markets exist across the world for other uniforms from a variety of professions…the sexier, the better. -
14.
It’s no surprise that animals are on the black market, though it’s common to think of exotic felines or rhino horns when considering underhanded trades. But the animal black market actually gets a lot weirder than that. There is a crazy demand for strange creatures in certain parts of the world, which leads to situations like selling sea cucumbers (those mushy, plant/animal hybrids rocking out on the sea floor) as a delicacy even when international laws prevent it. A smuggler hasn’t truly smuggled until they’ve smuggled their first sea cucumber to China. -
15.
How far will people go to bleach their teeth into shiny white perfection? When it comes to U.S. consumers, the answer is “straight to the black market,” especially when new restrictions limit the types of whiteners that can be sold legally. Buyers simply couldn’t deal, and all those older whiteners with too-high peroxide counts in the formulas shifted immediately over to the black market. While Amazon and eBay fought against the trend, there are still other places you can buy a teeth whitener with a little something extra.
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