History Main / BlackMarket

* In ''Film/DaleksInvasionEarth2150AD'' (1966) a black marketeer exchanges food for gold and jewelry that's been picked up in the abandoned villages of Britain (even though [[FridgeLogic such things should now be worthless]]).

* ''Mindstar Rising'' by Creator/PeterFHamilton is set in an AlternateHistory Britain recovering from a left-wing dictatorship. Philip Evans, the CEO of Event Horizon, describes how he had consumer goods built in [[CityOnTheWater cyber-factories outside Britain's territorial waters]], which were then smuggled in by stealth aircraft and distributed via an army of spivs to undermine the socialist economy. He says the biggest problem was the goods were paid for by bartering fruit or fish, which then had to be exchanged for gold, silver or diamonds which were then smuggled out of the country.

* ''WebVideo/EmpiresSMP'' Season 2: There exists one that's accessible under Chromia's outpost on the Greatbridge, dedicated to selling misellaneous goods and contraband items, including and not limited to custom hats[[note]]Which are ''technically'' not banned, but it was against the Sheriff's law to steal or wear another player's hat, a law which is mostly ignored as most players are fine with others trying on their hats with their consent[[/note]], Sheriff toys (in Joel's case)[[note]]Which were banned for showing "disrespect" to the Sheriff[[/note]], and various treasures that Scott has robbed from the items' rightful owners.

* One of the earlier examples is found, of all games, in ''VideoGame/KidIcarus''. The Black Marketeer's goods are both more expensive, and in many ways more useful than the stuff you get from the normal shopkeeper. You could also find a credit card that would allow you to buy an item from him you couldn't afford, but you wouldn't gain any more money until you paid the balance off. Even worse, the second world in the game featured thieves that could steal your powerups... guess where they showed up?

* ''Series/TokusouSentaiDekaranger'': The main villain of this ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' series, Agent Aburera, is a prominent figure in a galactic black market, providing MechaMooks and equipment for any alien criminal who can meet his price, and fencing their spoils for them. In fact, he doesn't even get directly involved with the Rangers until late in the series, when their interference of his clients' plots start tanking his profits.
* The episode "One Man Band" of ''Series/TheUnusuals'' provides us with a Murder Store. Everything you need to kill someone, including the weapons and cleaning products for [[DisposingOfABody body disposal]]. You can only get in if you know the password, although every potential client used a different one, so the screening process must have been crap.
* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'': In "The Mind of Simon Foster", the black market is the only way that people can get real meat as opposed to meat substitutes in 1999. The pawnbroker Mr. Quint also illegally sells [[TransferableMemory memories removed from desperate people]] to wealthy collectors.

[[http://shadowyingzhi.deviantart.com/art/The-Illegal-Transaction-207873578 Image]] courtesy of [[http://shadowyingzhi.deviantart.com ShadowYingZhi]].\\

[[caption-width-right:331:Buyer ''and'' seller beware!]]
[-[[caption-width-right:331:[[http://shadowyingzhi.deviantart.com/art/The-Illegal-Transaction-207873578 Image]] courtesy of [[http://shadowyingzhi.deviantart.com ShadowYingZhi]].\\

[[folder:Web Comics]]

[[folder:Web Original]]

* ''Podcast/FatFrenchAndFabulous'' has the following exchange:
-->'''Janel:''' I want to know how you resell stolen bull semen... is there a bull semen black market?\\
'''Jessica:''' I don't know how you fence bull semen.\\
'''Janel:''' Somebody's like, you know, I could get these cows knocked up legitimately, or we could hit the black market.

* In ''[[Literature/ReplicaSeries Replica]]'', there is a thriving Black Market. Though it's illegal, many Executives not-so-secretly use it.

* ''LetsPlay/EmpiresSMP'' Season 2: There exists one that's accessible under Chromia's outpost on the Greatbridge, dedicated to selling misellaneous goods and contraband items, including and not limited to custom hats[[note]]Which are ''technically'' not banned, but it was against the Sheriff's law to steal or wear another player's hat, a law which is mostly ignored as most players are fine with others trying on their hats with their consent[[/note]], Sheriff toys (in Joel's case)[[note]]Which were banned for showing "disrespect" to the Sheriff[[/note]], and various treasures that Scott has robbed from the items' rightful owners.

Sometimes you will encounter a ''literal'' Black Market, a [[WelcomeToEvilMart covert shopping emporium]] complete with merchants hawking their dubious wares from established stalls. This latter type is often a subset of the BazaarOfTheBizarre, with ''everything'' for sale and the outright illegal stuff lurking around the edges. The black market goods may be offered in a [[SecretShop private, invitation-only section]] of a [[CovertGroupWithMundaneFront innocuous-seeming front business]], which looks normal except for the 6'4" {{Bouncer}} at the door.

Sometimes you will encounter a ''literal'' Black Market, a [[WelcomeToEvilMart covert shopping emporium]] complete with merchants hawking their dubious wares from established stalls. This latter type is often a subset of the BazaarOfTheBizarre, with ''everything'' for sale and the outright illegal stuff lurking around the edges. The black market goods may be offered in a [[SecretShop private, invitation-only section]] of a [[LegitimateBusinessmensSocialClub innocuous-seeming front business]], which looks normal except for the 6'4" {{Bouncer}} at the door.

cop or spy doing TheInfiltration), but they'll just be manning one of the (literal or metaphorical) stalls; the ultimate power will usually be in the hands of TheSyndicate. Unless it all comes full circle, and the whole thing is just another branch of TheEmpire...

* In ''Manga/{{Monster}}'', Johan runs one of these.

* The "Underworld" features increasingly in ''Manga/{{One Piece}}'', with the crew encountering major black market hubs on Sabaody and Dressrossa. The clientele are often pirates less scrupulous than our main characters, explaining the bad reputation pirates have with the government (but since the government-supported World Nobles are also major buyers on the black market the hypocrisy is obvious).

** In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'' and its expansions you buy weapons from Little Jacob's car by calling him up.

* In the ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'' games, the Erebonian Empire has a relationship with its foreign neighbors, particularly Calvard, that can be described as... complex, at best. Naturally it has a black market, and in ''Cold Steel III'' you get to meet some of its leaders and even buy some of their merchandise.

* In ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'' and its {{Remake}} ''Sonic Adventure 2 Battle'', there's the Black Chao Market. Both function the same way - it allows players to pay rings for Chao toys, specialized Chao Eggs and even brand new soundbites for the main screen. However, it's how you got there that differed - in the original, it was an actual Sega-ran website. In ''[=SA2B=]'', it was a market that you went into in the Chao Garden hub world.

* ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' has a "Gray Market" that will purchase alien corpses and artifacts, and indeed some items like wrecked alien devices from downed [=UFOs=] are nothing but ShopFodder. During your EarlyGameHell, it can be a primary source of income - just don't ask what your buyers are doing with all those dead [[TheGrays Sectoids]] or "alien entertainment" systems.
* ''VideoGame/XCOM2'' has you running LaResistance in a VichyEarth, and you can turn to the Black Market for supplies, useful gear, and personnel. It's unclear whether they're genuinely sympathetic to the cause, war profiteers, or straight-up TheSyndicate, but whatever the case, XCOM is in no position to be choosy. The catch is that while you can unload captured alien equipment, spare munitions, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick and alien corpses]] on the Black Market for some extra resources, the market itself isn't interested in currency, instead you have to spend your rare Intel resource to purchase things on it.
* ''VideoGame/XCOMChimeraSquad'' doesn't have a Black Market, no sir! These are all legally scrounged things found throughout the city, and the Scavengers are absolutely on their way to give them to the authorities as required by law! But, since they're here at Chimera Squad headquarters for a break...do you want to take a look?

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* The plot of ''VisualNovel/KissedByTheBaddestBidder'' involves a secret black-market auction at which anything can go up for sale, including stolen artwork, the rights to donor organs, and occasionally even people. In theory the rules of the auction prohibit selling a person without their consent, but that doesn't keep the protagonist from ending up on the block.
* ''VisualNovel/QueenOfThieves'' features the Underbelly, an illegal market slash criminal trade bazaar operating in an abandoned subway station in Paris. The main characters, a CaperCrew of infamous thieves, frequent the Underbelly to meet with professional contacts and are well-known there.
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[[folder:Webcomics]]

* In ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' the Black Market of Paris is an underground BazaarOfTheBizarre. Since the Master is aware of its existence and keeps an eye on it many of the things sold there fall into a legal grey area rather than being completely illegal, like parts scavenged off ruined clanks in the wastelands which are legally considered stolen but since they're from abandoned wrecks it's not like they were stolen from someone.

* The Black Market in ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'' is probably more grey than anything. On top of the usual illicit goods and organized crime rackets, they sell weapons and armor from both legitimate vendors and "acquired" military gear, and even weapons and commercial goods they make themselves. At least one faction of the Black Market is one large organization that even owns a PoweredArmor factory out West(at Area51, no less), one that [[CutLexLuthorACheck brings in more money as a semi-legitimate business than their criminal activities do]].