History Main / BlackMarket

* One-Eyed Sam's in the ''NetHack'' variants Slash'EM and [=UnNetHack=]
* The Generic Terrorist Faction in ''CommandAndConquer: Generals'' has the BlackMarket as a building for generating money and for researching weapon upgrades.

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

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* In ''{{Warhammer 40000}}'' a Black Market is standard rather than exception in the Hive cities and major spaceports in the Imperium of Man.

* 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.]]\\

* Moe's gang in ''Film/SkyBlue'' intends to steal a shipment of weapons being moved into Ecoban to sell on the black market. Unfortunately for them, this turns out to be part of a XanatosGambit on the part of Locke.

-->--''[[RobertHeinlein Citizen of the Galaxy]]''

* The city of Jubbulpore in RobertHeinlein's novel ''Citizen of the Galaxy''.

* Usually, real black markets are not nearly as dark or as fantastic as fiction makes it out. Usually, it involves goods that are not available in the country being sold in small, privately owned shops. While they are usually technically illegal, the local law enforcement rarely, if ever prosecutes them. Often, this takes the form of anime conventions which sells undistributed anime or area where foreign military/business men can smuggle goods from their home countries and sell them for twice the price.
* Asian countries are known to have bootleg vendors that operate out in the open. In Seoul, South Korea, a lot of the market places will have bootleg DVD's being sold on the streets. These vendors are often gracious enough to have a small TV and DVD player operating the DVD's to ensure their quality.
* During the Prohibition Era, alchol was brought into the US from other countries and sold in secret bars called speak-easies.
* Then there is the darker side of black markets where drugs, weapons, and even forced prostitution is sold.

* Robert Lynn Asprin's ''MythAdventures'' novels features the Bazaar, which fills the entire dimension of Deva, and serves as the Black Market for all the other dimensions. People go to Deva to buy things that are illegal in other places, usually for a good reason.

* The Infrared Market in the RPG ''{{Paranoia}}''. The secret society Free Enterprise has a major hand in it.
* In the RPG ''{{Shadowrun}}'', the players must usually turn to this to unload any loot they acquire.

* In ''{{City of Villains}}'', the player-driven marketplace is called the Black Market. Imagine that.

* The browser game ''VideoGame/BlackMarket'' unsurprisingly features a black market or two.

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* One-Eyed Sam's in the ''NetHack'' variant Slash'EM.

* Robert Lynn Asprin's ''Myth Adventure'' novels features the Bazaar, which fills the entire dimension of Deva, and serves as the Black Market for all the other dimensions. People go to Deva to buy things that are illegal in other places, usually for a good reason.

* The Mammago Garage in ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil'' is a place that sells rare and illegal modifications for various vehicles, such as jumpers (for hopping over government laser barriers) and space engines. Of course, they only accept [[YourMoneyIsNoGoodHere illegal pearls]].

* 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.

* The Omar in ''[[DeusExInvisibleWar Deus Ex: Invisible War]]'' use their HiveMind to run a global black market.

* A black market is the beginning point of the NeroWolfe story "Before I Die", published in the {{omnibus}} volume ''Trouble In Triplicate''. 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 browser game ''VideoGame/Black Market'' unsurprisingly features a black market or two.

* The browser game ''Black Market'' unsurprisingly features a black market or two.

* In {{Traveller}} ''Interstaller Wars'', the Vilani ''duraag'' serves this purpose. This is a generic term for all black-market activities in the Vilani Imperium. Theoretically all trade in the Vilani Imperium is dominated by the three Shangarim (major castes). However it is common enough to secretly trade in the duraag. Marginalized people trade there. Sometimes as well important grandees, when short of supplies will arrange to make exchanges there. So in a sense it is "another branch of the empire". When a Terran IntrepidMerchant vessel arrives carrying the swashbuckling PCs to smuggle, raid, and gain glory and gold in the Vilani Imperium they will tend to go here.

* ''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.

* The Mammago Garage in ''BeyondGoodAndEvil'' is a place that sells rare and illegal modifications for various vehicles, such as jumpers (for hopping over government laser barriers) and space engines. Of course, they only accept [[YourMoneyIsNoGoodHere illegal pearls]].

* The Infrared Market in the RPG ''{{Paranoia}}''.

* In {{Traveller}} ''Intersteller Wars'' the Vilani ''duraag'' serves this purposes. This is a generic term for all black-market activities in the Vilani Imperium. Theoretically all trade in the Vilani Imperium is dominated by the three Shangarim(major castes). However it is common enough to secretly trade in the duraag. Marginalized people trade there. Sometimes as well important grandees, when short of supplies will arrange to make exchanges there. So in a sense it is "another branch of the empire". When a Terran IntrepidMerchant vessel arrives carrying the swashbuckling PCs to smuggle, raid, and gain glory and gold in the Vilani Imperium they will tend to go here.

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]]. Or send someone who [[FriendInTheBlackMarket who knows what they are doing.]]

* In ''{{Thundercats 2011}}'' Young Prince Lion-O apparently makes a habit of traveling [[KingIncognito incognito]] in [[InTheHood cloak and hood]] through Thundera's [[TheCityNarrows City Narrows]] 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]].