History Main / BlackMarket

* Due to ExecutiveMeddling the new ''BattlestarGalactica'' churned out a [[{{Filler}} Filler Episode]] about the black market on the Colonial fleet which was very poorly received. One common interpretation which emerged said that the market did exist, selling luxury goods, food and even people, but that none of the events involving Lee Adama and his sudden, melodramatic angst [[CanonDisContinuity actually happened.]]

* In the British [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt apocalyptic movie]] ''The Day the Earth Caught Fire'' (1961) the rising heat levels create a black market in water, and one character catches typhoid from it. Likewise in the Series/DoctorWho movie ''Invasion 2150 A.D.'' (1963) a black marketeer exchanges food for gold and jewelry that's been picked up in the now abandoned villages of Britain, even though [[FridgeLogic such things would now be worthless]].

* {{Tropico}} 2 has a literal version in which the Black Market is a marketplace-type structure you can construct on the coast that allows you to buy weapons for piracy.
* In {{City of Villains}}, the player-driven marketplace is called the Black Market. Imagine that.

* In ''{{Thundercats 2011}}'' Young Prince Lion-O apparently makes a habit of traveling [[KingIncognito incognito]] in [[InTheHood cloak and hood]] through Thundera's [[TheCityNarrows CityNarrows]] to frequent his [[FriendInTheBlackMarket friend]] Jorma's shop in search of what Lion-O [[DoubleSpeak politely calls]] "certain hard-to-find collectibles." He's hoping to discover BlackBox LostTechnology. His new friend Cheetara takes a look at one GrailInTheGarbage and assumes that Jorma's wares are universally [[WorthlessYellowRocks forgeries]].

* In ''{{Thundercats 2011}}'' Young Prince Lion-O apparently makes a habit of traveling [[PrinceIncognito incognito]] in [[InTheHood cloak and hood]] through Thundera's CityNarrows to frequent his [[FriendInTheBlackMarket friend]] Jorma's shop in search of what Lion-O [[DoubleSpeak politely calls]] "certain hard-to-find collectibles." He's hoping to discover BlackBox LostTechnology. His new friend Cheetara takes a look at one GrailInTheGarbage and assumes that Jorma's wares are universally [[WorthlessYellowRocks forgeries]].

[[quoteright:349:[[HomestarRunner http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Sbemail190_2646.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:349:Bubs: a businessman so shrewd and skilled, he could sell UweBoll [=DVDs=] for 50 dollars.]]

* A black market is the beginning point of the NeroWolfe story "Before I Die", published in the {{omnibus}} volume ''TroubleInTriplicate''. It's set in 1946, during [[WorldWarII WWII]], with food rationing in full effect. When a crime boss tries to hire Wolfe to stop a blackmailer, Wolfe declares that he'll accept the case only if he's given access to the meat black market as part of his fee. The crime boss agrees and provides a phone number of a man "who might have meat", and the necessary password.

* The WWII black market is the beginning point of the NeroWolfe story ''Before I Die''. Wolfe is desperate enough for some meat that he contacts a crime boss who controls the black market. The crime boss then hires Wolfe.

* There are fences in ''[[TheElderScrolls Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]]''.

--> "... anything in the explored universe can be had by a man with cash, from a starship to ten grains of stardust, from the ruin of a reputation to the robes of a senator with the senator inside"

* Robert Lynn Asprin's ''Myth Adventure'' novels features the Bazaar, which fills the entire dimension of Deva.
** Not a legitimate example, as the majority of trading which occurs at the Bazaar isn't illegal under Deva's laws. A BlackMarket does operate ''within'' the Bazaar, however.
*** Except that Deva serves as the Black Market for ''every place else''. People go to Deva to buy things that are illegal in other places, usually for a good reason.

!!Examples:
[[AC:{{Anime}} & {{Manga}}]]

[[AC:{{Comics}}]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* ''MASH'' episode "To Market, To Market." After black marketeers steal vital medical supplies, the doctors must make a deal to get them back. Their contact with the underworld? Father Mulcahy!

* In ''{{Firefly}}'', Mal and the other heroes have dealings with Badger, who runs a small black market operation on Persephone. In the movie ''Serenity'' it's Fanty and Mingo on Beaumonde.
* The main villain of the SuperSentai series ''TokusouSentaiDekaranger'', 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.

* DadsArmy featured both sides of the World War 2 Black Market with the classic 'spiv' Walker selling all sorts of dodgy goods 'off the back of a truck' and the genial Jonesy quietly providing extra sausages and the like from his butcher's shop.
* Implied to be how RJ got his morphers in ''PowerRangersJungleFury'' - apparently, he "knew a guy who knew a guy who had an uncle". How else is a guy running a pizza shop who isn't a rocket scientist going to get some of those?!


[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* As quoted above, the city of Jubbulpore in RobertHeinlein's novel ''Citizen of the Galaxy''.

* The WWII black market is the beginning point of the NeroWolfe story ''Before I Die''. Wolfe is desperate enough for some meat that he contacts a crime boss who controls the black market. The crime boss then hires Wolfe.

* Knockturn Alley in the ''HarryPotter'' novels.
** Also, Hagrid's frequent purchases of contraband magical creatures.
** Technically, the ''entire wizarding-world economy'' is an example of this trope. It operates beneath the notice of the Muggle government, using its own unsanctioned currency, and with apparent disregard for Muggle tax laws and trade regulations.

* In ''{{Persepolis}}'' Mariane buys Iron Maiden tapes at a black market in Teheran.
* In TheHungerGames, District 12 has the Hob, which operates out of an abandoned coal warehouse. [[spoiler: until it goes up in flames]]

[[AC:{{Tabletop Games}}]]

* In the RPG ''{{Shadowrun}}'', the players must usually turn to this to unload any loot they acquire.

* The Black Market in ''{{Rifts}}'' is probably more grey than anything. They sell weapons and armor from both legitimate vendors and "acquired" military gear. At least one faction of the Black Market is one large organization that even own a PoweredArmor factory out West.

[[AC:{{Video Games}}]]
* One of the earlier examples is found, of all games, in ''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?

** There are similar fences in ''[[TheElderScrolls Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]]''.

* A game mechanic in ''SinsOfASolarEmpire''
** You do have to wonder where criminals are getting all these resources to sell you. There's enough trade for there to be price fluctuations, so they aren't just trading with you...
* There's a very, very small one in Tancred's in ''Summoner'', but the only place you get illegal goods is from him.

* The ''[[WildArms Wild ARMs]]'' series has black markets in every game, traditionally in the form of a shop hidden within a normal shop, often requiring you to have to have some sort of authorization to interact with (in the form of a Black Pass, which oddly enough is found in a random treasure box in the middle of a dungeon). In the earlier games, they simply sold rare things that you couldn't buy elsewhere (like healing items), but in the fourth and fifth games they started selling the best equipment in the game... at the cost of your characters' levels rather than money. Cue [[LevelGrinding Power Leveling.]]
** In WildArms 2 the black market is the only way you can get healing items without winning them (very rarely) from enemies.
* In ''KingdomOfLoathing'', the BlackMarket is rather literal; it's located in the Black Forest, and everything it sells is black in addition to being illegal. [[OrganTheft Except your kidney]].

[[AC: Western Animation]]
* Somewhat parodied in the {{Family Guy}} Episode where Lois and Peter were trapped in Cuba without passports. They found the Black Market, which was pretty much a walmart with bombs and other weapons. They even had a "Black Market Club", 10% off your first purchase!

<<|CrimeAndPunishmentTropes|>>

->"[Jubbulpore's] inhabitants brag that within a li of the pylon at the spaceport end of the Avenue of Nine anything in the explored universe can be had by a man with cash, from a starship to ten grains of stardust, from the ruin of a reputation to the robes of a senator with the senator inside."
->--RobertHeinlein, ''Citizen of the Galazy''

* In the British [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt apocalyptic movie]] ''The Day the Earth Caught Fire'' (1961) the rising heat levels create a black market in water, and one character catches typhoid from it. Likewise in the DoctorWho movie ''Invasion 2150 A.D.'' (1963) a black marketeer exchanges food for gold and jewelry that's been picked up in the now abandoned villages of Britain, even though [[FridgeLogic such things would now be worthless]].

* [[strike:Due to ExecutiveMeddling the new ''BattlestarGalactica'' had a poorly received [[{{Filler}} Filler Episode]] about the black market on the fleet.]] Wait, [[CanonDisContinuity never mind]].
** Well, common interpretation is that a black market in the fleet exists, selling few remaining luxury goods, foods and even people. But none of the events surrounding it involved Lee Adama and his sudden, melodramatic angst.

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

A Black Market is an established "underground" economy which deals in the transfer of illicit goods, the exact nature of which will vary wildly depending on era and location. TheEmpire may be actively trying to stamp it all out, or taking its cut under the table and vigilantly [[BigBrotherIsWatching looking]] in some other direction. The stuff for sale may be [[VendorTrash worthless crap]], [[SchmuckBait lethally dangerous]], [[{{Unobtainium}} genuinely useful]], or, most likely, a mixture of all three. But you're going to pay through the nose, and when you arrive to pick up your purchase, it might be a good idea to [[ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption come armed]].

-->"[Jubbulpore's] inhabitants brag that within a li of the pylon at the spaceport end of the Avenue of Nine anything in the explored universe can be had by a man with cash, from a starship to ten grains of stardust, from the ruin of a reputation to the robes of a senator with the senator inside."
-->--RobertHeinlein, ''Citizen of the Galazy''

A Black Market is an established "underground" economy which deals in the transfer of illicit, the exact nature of which will vary wildly depending on era and location. TheEmpire may be actively trying to stamp it all out, or taking its cut under the table and vigilantly [[BigBrotherIsWatching looking]] in some other direction. The stuff for sale may be [[VendorTrash worthless crap]], [[SchmuckBait lethally dangerous]], [[{{Unobtainium}} genuinely useful]], or, most likely, a mixture of all three. But you're going to pay through the nose, and when you arrive to pick up your purchase, it might be a good idea to [[ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption come armed]].

A Black Market is an established "underground" economy which deals in the transfer of illicit or outright illegal goods, the exact nature of which will vary wildly depending on era and location. TheEmpire may be actively trying to stamp it all out, or taking its cut under the table and vigilantly [[BigBrotherIsWatching looking]] in some other direction. The stuff for sale may be [[VendorTrash worthless crap]], [[SchmuckBait lethally dangerous]], [[{{Unobtainium}} genuinely useful]], or, most likely, a mixture of all three. But you're going to pay through the nose, and when you arrive to pick up your purchase, it might be a good idea to [[ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption come armed]].

* Somewhat parodied in the {{Family Guy}} Episode where Louis and Peter were trapped in Cuba without passports. They found the Black Market, which was pretty much a walmart with bombs and other weapons. They even had a "Black Market Club", 10% off your first purchase!

* Implied to how RJ got his morphers in ''PowerRangersJungleFury''. How else is a guy running a pizza shop who isn't a rocket scientist going to get some of those?!

* The city of Jubbulpore in RobertHeinlein's novel ''Citizen of the Galaxy'': Its inhabitants brag that within a li of the pylon at the spaceport end of the Avenue of Nine anything in the explored universe can be had by a man with cash, from a starship to ten grains of stardust, from the ruin of a reputation to the robes of a senator with the senator inside.