History Main / FriendInTheBlackMarket

* Al Capp's ''[=~Li'l Abner~=]'' had Available Jones, who could provide anything from a safety pin to a battleship, for a price.

* Sid Carter in ''{{Carry On Matron}}''.

* Recurring character Bubba Rogowski of DennisLehane's [[GoneBabyGone Kenzie and Gennaro series]] is a former Marine who specializes in obtaining lots of illegal weapons and tech, and has put lives mines through his entire warehouse apartment to deter unwelcome guests. He's also something of a PsychoForHire and a ManChild who can barely read, but he's been friends with Patrick since they were kids and will kill anyone who messes with him.

* In ''{{The Order of the Stick}}'', Haley was able to arm LaResistance in Azure city by [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0531.html purchasing smuggled weapons through the black market]].

Compare and Contrast [=~Honest John's Dealership~=] who also sells products at a premium... except theirs are of [[{{Understatement}} lesser quality]]. TheScrounger is likely to either be this trope or to have dealings with him.

* G'kar deals with... not really a friend, but a man he knows who deals in black market weaponry, which he needs for the [[LaResistance resistance on Narn]]. The dealer is selling him for far more than the weapons are worth. G'Kar should know, because he sold many of those very weapons to Earth during the Earth Minbari War fifteen years earlier. In this case, the quality of the merchandise is guaranteed with the understanding that what G'kar will do to the dealer if it isn't will be... [[{{understatement}} unpleasant]].

* Recurring character Bubba Rogowski of DennisLehane's [[GoneBabyGone Kenzie and Gennaro series]] is a former Marine who specializes in obtaining lots of illegal weapons and tech, and has mined his entire warehouse apartment. He's also something of a PsychoForHire and a ManChild who can barely read, but he's been friends with Patrick since they were kids and will kill anyone who messes with him.

* Dorium in the ''DoctorWho'' episode "A Good Man Goes to War". He starts out working for the villains, then learns that they've kidnapped [[spoiler: one of the Doctor's companions and her child]] and decides to run for it before the Doctor turns up, knowing how many people owe him favours. As it turns out, ''he's'' one of those people, and is drafted into the GondorCallsForAid scenario.

* Recurring character Bubba Rogowski of Dennis Lehane's [[GoneBabyGone Kenzie and Gennaro series]] is a former Marine who specializes in obtaining lots of illegal weapons and tech, and has mined his entire warehouse apartment. He's also something of a PsychoForHire and a ManChild who can barely read, but he's been friends with Patrick since they were kids and will kill anyone who messes with him.

* Recurring character Bubba Rogowski of Dennis Lehane's [[GoneBabyGone Kenzie and Gennaro series]] specializes in obtaining lots of illegal weapons and tech, and has mined his entire warehouse apartment. He's also something of a PsychoForHire and a ManChild who can barely read, but he's been friends with Patrick since they were kids and will kill anyone who messes with him.

* Hustler Kid in ''{{Recess}}''. In [[StatusQuoIsGod one episode]] Gus became the "Gusler Kid" and did even better than him. TJ also went a bit [[CorruptCorporateExecutive mad]] when a copy of ''[=~Pokémon~=]'' cards was adopted as a currency of sorts.

Compare and Contrast [=~Honest John's Dealership~=] who also sells products at a premium... except theirs are of [[{{Understatement}} lesser quality]].

Personality wise, like Honest John, they can fit anywhere into the spectrum. (Although the fact they deal in quality products usually puts them at least chaotic neutral.) If the character is part of the main cast, then they'll usually be Chaotic or Neutral Good. In a war situation, they also tend to [[ScrewTheWarWerePartying screw it and party]], unless the action is centered on the military in which case they'll be [[TheScrounger doing this work on the side]].

* The Penguin could fit into this trope; while his main merchandise is information for {{Batman}}, he also does a ''lot'' of shady business. Because Batman's a poor [[AWorldwidePunomenon tipper]].

->"It's hard to get the things, besides there's a war on."

* Flash Harry in the ''{{St Trinian}}'' series.

* Sgt. Bilko in ''{{Sgt. Bilko}}''

* Flash Harry in the ''{{St. Trinian}}'' series.

* In one episode of ''SpaceAboveAndBeyond'', Captain Vansen is forced to deal with this guy aboard the ''[[CoolStarship Saratoga]]'', trading him a key to the Officers' Lavatory (presumably much nicer than what the enlisted guys normally get to use), in exchange for a bowl of strawberries that she needed to trade with someone ''else'' to get his spot in line to make a call home.

You're in a sticky situation; you need to get something and there doesn't seem to be a legal way of getting it. (It could be banned, rationed, from overseas or possibly just made in extremely limited quantities). If you're lucky, you'll have a [[TropeNamer Friend in the Black Market]]