Space prices: scarce goods are massively resold in Russia

After the introduction of Western sanctions against Russia, international companies began to leave the market of the aggressor country en masse. While analysts predict an imminent default, the Russians are faced with a shortage of some goods.

Editorial “Today” I monitored a Russian online service with ads and offers to find out what familiar goods enterprising users sell at sky-high prices.

McDonald’s

A popular American fast food chain has suspended the operation of 850 restaurants in Russia. Cheeseburgers, french fries and nuggets are now in short supply, so users have decided to sell the rest of the fast food on the Internet.

The usual price in the institution for products ranged from 150-350 rubles, which is equivalent to approximately 100 hryvnia per unit. Now burgers, sauces and even sugar from McDonald’s are sold for several thousand rubles (500-800 hryvnias).

The Russians resell the order from “McDonald’s” / Photo: screenshot

Resale orders from “McDonald’s” / Photo: screenshot

In Russia they sell burgers for 100 thousand / Photo: screenshot

Separately, they offer to buy bags of branded sugar for crazy money. You can also find offers of sauces for a million rubles or more, which in terms of more than 275 thousand hryvnia. Sellers explain this not only by the desire to have fun, but also by the rarity of the products.

A bag of sugar for 100 thousand / Photo: screenshot

Priceless Sauce / Photo: screenshot

space proposal / Photo: screenshot

Phones

After Apple exited the market, Russians began to sell their iPhones en masse. It is interesting that for a used phone they ask for almost the same, and sometimes more, than for a new model in the store.

Used iPhone for the price of a new one / Photo: screenshot

The Russians massively sell smartphones from Apple / Photo: screenshot

Among the offers you can find other brands – Redmi, Xiaomi, Samsung, also at space prices. There are smartphones for 100-200 thousand rubles (27-54 thousand hryvnias), and there are also for a billion rubles and more.

Phones are sold at space prices / Photo: screenshot

Sell ​​and exotic “Canadians” from “the British” – Mobiado and Vertu for several hundred thousand rubles. But “cherry on the cake” – these are 30-year-old push-button models from Nokia, Motorolla, Samsung at a price with 12 zeros.

Selling old phones for the price of new ones / Photo: screenshot

Alternative “apples” / Photo: screenshot

Rarity at the right price / Photo: screenshot

Shark from IKEA

A small soft toy in the form of a shark has long gained popularity in the Russian market. However, when IKEA left Russia, toothy “flea” became scarce. If earlier it could be purchased for 1.5 thousand rubles (approximately 400 hryvnia), now a used toy is sold several times more expensive by hand.

Legendary toy shark / Photo: screenshot

Every day the price of a shark is getting higher. Now there are already offers at a price of 10, 25, 60 and 150 thousand rubles (from 2.7 to 41 thousand hryvnias). And despite the conviction of sellers in “originality” toys, some product photos make you doubt it.

Entrepreneurial Russians do business on a toy shark / Photo: screenshot

Soft toy for 150 thousand / Photo: screenshot

Sanctions against Russia

Due to the invasion of Ukraine, a series of tough sanctions were applied against Russia. This prompted large companies to leave the Russian market.

Among hundreds of other brands, Apple refused to sponsor the killers. Since March 10, neither the App Store nor Apple Pay has been available in Russia, respectively, the much-desired iPhones have become just pieces of metal. At the same time, back in early March, prices for new models in Russian stores were quite high.

Earlier we said that Ukraine is going to collect reparations from Russia for the damage caused during the war. These will be both monetary and in-kind compensation.