It's actually a rookie!
Anderson, who has been wandering the streets for more than 20 years, understood everything from the other party's confused face.
At that moment, Anderson wanted to slap himself.
Gold watch, what kind of gold watch do you have to take?
Gold watch is very valuable!
That's why things like gold watches can buy everything in the market, including the extremely tight "gasoline coupons".
Looking at this guy's constantly changing expression, although he didn't understand what was going on with this guy, George still took the initiative to invite him.
"Can I buy you a drink?"
"A drink? The quota of wine is not much."
Anderson said in an uncertain tone.
"Even if it's a diplomat, it's the same."
"Is there a bar nearby?"
Why should I buy this guy a drink?
George certainly had his plans. The existence of the black market meant profit and wealth. Anyone who had bought a vegetable bag knew that. For him, who was thinking about how to make a fortune, this was like discovering a new world.
However, he also needed to find someone to inquire about the new world. The middleman in front of him was the best candidate. It was always right to understand some market conditions.
"... Gasoline coupons, among all the tickets, the most precious are gasoline coupons, because almost everyone needs gasoline. It was even regulated earlier than food. Because of the regulation, fuel and food, which were regulated, appeared in the black market, and the trading was very active. After all, everyone needs it, and "gasoline coupons" are "hard currency". It can be exchanged for everything, food, expensive watches, gold coins..."
After two glasses of long-lost whiskey, Anderson knew everything and told George about the black market transactions in London.
It also gave him a basic understanding of all this. For some "smart" people, material shortages and rationing are also great opportunities for illegal profit. Shop owners can often get scarce goods and sell them at a higher price privately. Black market merchants sell everything that is in short supply in certain streets, and buyers know that the goods are not legitimate.
"...Meat, hundreds of tons of meat are lost at the port every day, and the lost meat naturally goes to the black market, where it is sold to those who need it at several times the price, sir,"
Anderson said in a serious tone.
"I know that the quotas of your diplomats are much higher than those of ordinary people. You even have a ration of 10 packs of cigarettes per week, but in many cases, you don't need these, because they will send you food, cigarettes, and alcohol cards to the embassy every week. If we cooperate, I guarantee that you can earn at least ten pounds a week."
In Anderson's opinion, the gentleman standing in line may just be a small figure in the embassy. For such a small figure, a dozen pounds must be tempting to him.
"Like this bag of food, you probably spent 2 pounds, but I can sell it for 4 or even 5 pounds."
"So what's the best-selling product?"
"Cigarettes and candy."
Anderson said directly.
"Cigarettes must first be supplied to the army, so there are always not enough cigarettes on the market, and they need to be purchased with cigarette coupons, and those cigarette coupons can only buy a few packs, I mean a month, so cigarettes are the best-selling product. As for candy, who doesn't need candy?"
While speaking, Anderson shouted directly to the person behind the counter.
"Billy, does your wife need sugar?"
"Do you have any?"
"You see, every kitchen needs sugar. Although we have sugar coupons, we can never buy enough sugar."
"Why?"
"According to the newspaper, it's because of German submarines, they keep sinking merchant ships, but what's the truth? It's because for Downing Street, sugar, milk, meat and tobacco are not as important as tanks, planes and cannons. They won't spend precious foreign exchange on these things, so they push everything to the Germans and let ordinary people overcome the so-called difficulties."
Anderson took a sip of whiskey and then said.
"So, everyone can't live without the black market. Everyone needs the black market. Even the guys who fly mail planes at the airport will load boxes of cigarettes on the planes from the United States. In the United States, a pack of Lucky Strike or Camel cigarettes only costs a dozen or twenty cents, but here it can be sold for at least one pound."
"The profit is so high? Then can't they make a lot of money on one trip?"
Anderson finally figured it out. The guy in front of him knew nothing about the black market.
"Sir, from your look, you don't understand the market at all! Britain has controls, and the United States also has controls, but the degree of control is not as strict as here, but there are also quotas. Although the pilots who fly mail planes can smuggle some, it's just a little. They can't buy more. Otherwise, let alone the pilots, even the crew at the port will smuggle boxes. You know, the ship is much more spacious than the plane. Even if the pilots want to bring, there may not be so much space, but the ship is different. As long as they want, they can definitely load a lot, but the problem is not that they can buy as much as they want." Quota. It turns out that there is a quota for buying cigarettes in the United States! You can't buy whatever you want, no wonder the price is so strong. Li Yian, who was popularized with market information, also got a message from this black market dealer, "Are you saying that there are planes flying from Britain to the United States?" "Mail planes." Anderson explained. "Early before the war, there were mail planes flying between Britain and the United States. They were specially used to transport mail parcels. They were flying large planes, and they could even fly directly from Britain to the United States. However, at that time, who could have thought that a pack of cigarettes could make ten times the profit? It's a pity that they couldn't buy enough cigarettes, otherwise, they would definitely fill the whole plane."
Anderson's sigh made George's eyes light up. He immediately realized that this might be his opportunity, and it was even very likely that this was the new world.
After thinking about it in his mind, George took the initiative to refill him with a glass of whiskey, spending a full 7 ration coupons. Only after the wine came did he ask.
"So do you know where these mail planes land?"
"It's at the seaplane terminal on the Thames River. Who knows? Compared to those guys, the big guys prefer to buy things from the ship crew. You can never imagine what the crew will smuggle, cigarettes, sugar, coffee, etc., everything, but..."
After eating someone's mouth soft, Anderson, who drank another glass of whiskey, continued to popularize science.
"They don't want pounds, because pounds can't buy anything in the United States. They want dollars, which of course they don't have, but watches, cameras and even antique furniture are their favorites. There are such stores everywhere in the port. Those things can sell for a good price in the United States, especially watches and cameras. You know, those country bumpkins in the United States can't take good watches and cameras at all. German and Swiss products have always been their favorites, but now because of the war, of course they can't buy those things."
Finally, after two glasses of whiskey, Anderson asked about the business again.
"Sir, do you have any gas coupons? I can pay a high price..."