High-Fi: A Black Market Mini (History)

Another mini knowledge drop in tribute to our new Black Market minis. 


In the 1980s in East Berlin, Western electronics – from portable music players to personal computers – were leaps ahead of Eastern technology. The GDR strictly regulated imports of these devices. Ordinary East Berliners could not walk into a store and buy a Sony Walkman or a VCR. A few Western gadgets could be purchased at Intershops (using Western currency), but prices were exorbitant and access limited. More often, such items entered via visitors, smuggling, or diplomats. ⁠