History Main / NotRareOverThere

* During the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, there was a vast range of consumer goods whose equivalents in the West were almost universally regarded as better, shinier, more enjoyable and more durable than their Eastern counterparts. However, trade was strongly restricted, so few of those "Western goodies" could reach people of the East. Countries like Bulgaria had the so-called "Intershops" in which a select few could trade in Western "hard" currency (domestic currency was extremely volatile due to frequent "amendment" of prices) and only at those places (outside of the black market, that is) could people get their hands on such goods. Western currency was, however, hard to find, not to mention illegal for most of the population (if you had somehow converted some money into dollars, you had to give them to a high-ranking official (if you knew someone you could bribe) or a ''foreigner'' so they would buy you the item you want). To top it off, those shops ''only'' used Western currency and domestic currency was not accepted there. Cue the surprise of many Eastern Europeans when they could venture West after the fall of the Iron Curtain and see previously unavailable goods for sale at local convenience stores. Reportedly, Boris Yeltsin was heard at a (stocked) supermarket asking if it was reserved for politicians, or the goods were sufficient and available for anyone.

* In one ''Franchise/{{Archie|Comics}}'' comic, Jughead loses his hat and is none too concerned, telling Archie not to worry about it and going home. Archie, believing it to be an irreplaceable staple of Jughead's personality, goes to great lengths to retrieve it. When he returns it to Jughead at home, Jughead thanks him, but shows him that he has a cupboard full of them since they tend to get lost or damaged over the years.

* In ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 2'', one NPC asks to be payed in "Guard * chips". Talk to another NPC, and she'll give you 30 of them.

* In ''VideoGame/Fallout2'', Vault City has an entire apartment full of water chips, the object that half the first game is spent trying to obtain[[note]]Even worse, they were ''intended'' for Vault 13 - the vault in the original game that needs it - but were sent to Vault 8 (Vault City) due to a shipping error[[/note]].

* Used as part of a rant by [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Ash]] in ''Webcomic/VGCats 252''. He has plenty of Pokemon because he's been catching them, or to be more precise: [[http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=258 Bitch be tripping balls!]]

* During the ColdWar, there was a vast range of consumer goods whose equivalents in the West were almost universally regarded as better, shinier, more enjoyable and more durable than their Eastern counterparts. However, trade was strongly restricted, so few of those "Western goodies" could reach people of the East. Countries like Bulgaria had the so-called "Intershops" in which a select few could trade in Western "hard" currency (domestic currency was extremely volatile due to frequent "amendment" of prices) and only at those places (outside of the black market, that is) could people get their hands on such goods. Western currency was, however, hard to find, not to mention illegal for most of the population (if you had somehow converted some money into dollars, you had to give them to a high-ranking official (if you knew someone you could bribe) or a ''foreigner'' so they would buy you the item you want). To top it off, those shops ''only'' used Western currency and domestic currency was not accepted there. Cue the surprise of many Eastern Europeans when they could venture West after the fall of the Iron Curtain and see previously unavailable goods for sale at local convenience stores. Reportedly, Boris Yeltsin was heard at a (stocked) supermarket asking if it was reserved for politicians, or the goods were sufficient and available for anyone.

** And when Rincewind first encountered Twoflower in [[WretchedHive The Broken Drum]] and saw his Luggage made of sapient pearwood, he estimated it was worth more than the drinks, the bar and all its inhabitants combined. In ''Discworld/InterestingTimes'' we learn that, while they're not common, many Counterweight nobles own one. The luggage is still a unique example, being much more proactive and aggressive.

* During the ColdWar, there was a vast range of consumer goods whose equivalents in the West were almost universally regarded as better, shinier, more enjoyable and more durable than their Eastern counterparts. However, trade was strongly restricted, so few of those "Western goodies" could reach people of the East. Countries like Bulgaria had the so-called "Intershops" in which a select few could trade in Western "hard" currency (domestic currency was extremely volatile due to frequent "amendment" of prices) and only at those places (outside of the black market, that is) could people get their hands on such goods. Western currency was, however, hard to find, not to mention illegal for most of the population (if you had somehow converted some money into dollars, you had to give them to a high-ranking official or a ''foreigner'' so they would buy you the item you want). To top it off, those shops ''only'' used Western currency and domestic currency was not accepted there. Cue the surprise of many Eastern Europeans when they could venture West after the fall of the Iron Curtain and see previously unavailable goods for sale at local convenience stores. Reportedly, Boris Yeltsin was heard at a (stocked) supermarket asking if it was reserved for politicians, or the goods were sufficient and available for anyone.

* During the ColdWar, there was a vast range of consumer goods whose equivalents in the West were almost universally regarded as better, shinier, more enjoyable and more durable than their Eastern counterparts. However, trade was strongly restricted, so few of those "Western goodies" could reach people of the East. Countries like Bulgaria had the so-called "Intershops" in which a select few could trade in Western "hard" currency (domestic currency was extremely volatile due to frequent "amendment" of prices) and only at those places (outside of the black market, that is) could people get their hands on such goods. Western currency was, however, hard to find, not to mention illegal for most of the population. Cue the surprise of many Eastern Europeans when they could venture West after the fall of the Iron Curtain and see previously unavailable goods for sale at local convenience stores. Reportedly, Boris Yeltsin was heard at a (stocked) supermarket asking if it was reserved for politicians, or the goods were sufficient and available for anyone.

* During the ColdWar, there was a vast range of consumer goods whose equivalents in the West were almost universally regarded as better, shinier, more enjoyable and more durable than their Eastern counterparts. However, trade was strongly restricted, so few of those "Western goodies" could reach people of the East. Countries like Bulgaria had the so-called "Intershops" in which a select few could trade in Western "hard" currency (domestic currency was extremely volatile due to frequent "amendment" of prices) and only at those places (outside of the black market, that is) could people get their hands on such goods. Western currency was, however, hard to find, not to mention illegal for most of the population. Cue the surprise of many Eastern Europeans when they could venture West after the fall of the Iron Curtain and see previously unavailable goods for sale at local convenience stores.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' universe, iron is actually rare outside of the Earth.

* Titanium is an interesting case. It's not getting the ore that's the issue, it's the complex industrial processes required to extract and shape it that are the issue. In any case, the Soviet Union thought it would need copious amounts of titanium to make super sonic aircraft, ''solid'' titanium super sonic aircraft in fact, thousands of them. So the the USSR became the first nation to be able to produce titanium on a truly industrial scale. However prototype super sonic bomber designs ended up using far less titanium than had been thought needed, and it was eventually discovered they did not really need titanium at all (the math had been really off). This ended with a scenario where the Soviets commonly made solid titanium crow bars where other countries were struggling to make any at all. Eventually the others caught up, but Titanium prices in Russia are still substantially cheaper than elsewhere and solid titanium products are still relatively common.

* Titanium is an interesting case. It's not getting the ore that's the issue, it's the complex industrial processes required to extract and shape it that are the issue. In any case, the Soviet Union thought it would need copious amounts of titanium to make super sonic aircraft, ''solid'' titanium super sonic aircraft in fact, thousands of them. So the the USSR became the first nation to be able to produce titanium on a truly industrial scale. However prototype super sonic bomber designs ended up using far less titanium than had been thought needed, and it was eventually discovered they did not really need titanium at all (there math had been really off). This ended with a scenario where the Soviets commonly made solid titanium crow bars where other countries were struggling to make any at all. Eventually the others caught up, but Titanium prices in Russia are still substantially cheaper than elsewhere and solid titanium products are still relatively common.

* Gold was so common on pre-ComicBook/{{Crisis|on Infinite Earths}} [[{{Superman}} Krypton]] that it was considered a cheap metal. When Jor-El first tried building a spaceship[[note]]''(Not'' the little one that would eventually carry baby [[{{Superman}} Kal-El)]][[/note]]:, he was mocked for using something as heavy as gold; but the ship used anti-gravity, so the weight didn't matter. He had made it out of gold as a cost-saving measure.

* In ''[[Literature/SkylarkSeries The Skylark of Space]]'', the only known chemical that can properly treat the formation of the setting’s superweapons is sodium chloride, that is, common table salt, which happens to be so rare on the planet which builds the weapons that there is more of it in a single salt shaker than has been mined over the entire history of said planet. Since Seaton is from Earth and gave some salt to the planet’s natives who expressed curiosity, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero he ends up escalating a war]].

* In ''Series/StargateSG1'', [[GreenRocks naquadah]] is initially treated as {{unobtainium}}, as it can't be found anywhere in the Solar System. Then, as the series goes on, it turns out to be, while not as common as dirt, common enough that the Tau'ri can eventually get a steady supply. Weapons-grade naquadah is quite a bit rarer, though, and naquadria is damn difficult to find.

* ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheNatural20'': Salt, in Milo's home world, is a trade good with a fixed and unchanging price in of five gold pieces per pound. In the Potterverse, salt is plentiful and cheap — but it doesn't matter how much Milo ''pays'' for it; when he's using it to craft magic items, it's worth five gold pieces per pound.

** Played straight with Mega Evolution. While rare in the anime and the games (in the latter, there's usually five or less outside of the Elite Four and Champion who can use it), apparently most gym leaders have a Pokémon that can Mega Evolve and according to Winona, Mega Evolution is basically required to compete at League level.