We all had ’em…
Certain kids in our schools growing up who knew how to get jus about anything and everything…and then they sold those goods for a handsome profit to other kids who were willing to pay just about anything to get their hands on some contraband.
What was the black market at your school?
AskReddit users shared their stories.
1. Who needs an Otter Pop?
“I sold Otter Pops two for a dollar in high school. I had to unload them all before first period or they’d melt.
I was consistently making enough to pay for my lunch every day before the man shut me down.”
2. Let’s play a game.
“In high school there was this game/fad where people would try to stealth zip tie other people’s bags to their desks, shoes together, whatever so they’d be stuck when the bell rang.
One guy sold the heavy duty zip ties and another sold mini scissors for easy escape.”
3. Take me back.
“In elementary school, it was flavored toothpicks. The most popular were soaked in cinnamon oil.
First time I tasted Fireball whiskey took me right back to first grade.”
4. Contraband.
“I went to like 9 different schools, but the one that stands out is marbles.
Marbles were banned at the school, because kids were getting into arguments over them, as well as digging up the gardens making marbles tracks.”
5. The pusher.
“All the teachers thought I sold drugs.
When I was caught they found out I was actually selling gummy worms soaked in Kool-Aid and soda.
The kids loved them.”
6. Whoa.
“Beating kids up.
In grade 8 (so 13 years old) there were a few “hit men” – huge b**ly type kids that would beat up anyone you wanted. Price started at $20. Within a few weeks it was up to $50.
The “hit men” were all independent so you could pay one to beat up another. Lasted about 3 months when everyone came to school looking like hell.
Fun fact – I missed getting beat up because the guy hired was too busy so he kept the money and told me to tell everyone I was beat up – win win.”
7. Entrepreneur.
“In middle school I always had a Jansport bookbag full of Warheads, Reese’s, Now-or-Laters, and Snickers. Also always kept 3-5 SNES games on me that I beat to trade or rent out.
I made about 5-8 dollars daily. Mostly spent on upgrading my lawn-mowing business in the trailer park or for more SNES games.”
8. We called them “V-bombs”.
“Paper hornets. You’d load one up with a rubber band on the inner edge and launch them at other people. Could often leave a lil bruise wherever it hit.
Thing was, some people were good at making them, and some people were s**t at making them. So the people who were bad at it would buy them off people who were good at it.
I was very good at it, creating ones that would hit hard as f**k but fly like a dream. I routinely would get dimes for the simpler ones… but the crazier ones I’d sell for a quarter…”
9. You got the stuff?
“Soft drinks became black market in my final year, as the health department had passed guidelines about selling them in schools.
One of the teachers initially was selling them from his office but got shut down pretty quickly. So I decided to take it up.
I’d get up early and drive past the supermarket on the way in and grab a 30 pack of Coke/Fanta/Sprite etc. Then I’d sell them from my car at lunch breaks.
That got shut down too, so I shift my approach; ended up coming in early to school and dropping the cans off in various empty lockers around the school and padlocking them shut. Then at lunch I’d walk around with a bunch in my pockets and sell them, stocking up at the drop points as I continued my walk.”
10. The black bag.
“This kid sold Hot cheetos and candy in the bathrooms before and after lunch.
He brought a black duffle bag full of them every day.”
11. I’m in!
“Anime bootlegs, back in the early 2000s.
One friend went to visit family in Hong Kong every summer and would always come back with only the freshest of badly-subbed pirated DVDs.
He made a k**ling burning those. I think I still have the Cowboy Bebop bootlegs around somewhere.”
12. Sugar high.
“Smarties, after the administration banned them.
One of my classmates found out that crushing up smarties into powder, dumping it all into his mouth, and blowing it looked like smoke. Suddenly half of the student body is “smoking” Smarties.
The administration freaked out trying to control the “situation”, attempted to prevent over 900 middle-schoolers from possessing smarties. Letters were sent to parents. Local news stations were interviewing people in the parking lot. It was asinine to say the least.
One classic entrepreneurial type started buying bulk smarties by the pound and selling them for $1 a piece during lunch. Did so for about a month. He made over a grand, and was eventually suspended.”
What was the black market at your school?
Let us know in the comments.
And be sure not to mention any names…
