A Soviet Riddle

In the late 1980s – early 1990s, post-Soviet people sold burned out lightbulbs in the market because they were in high demand.

Can anybody guess why?

11 responses to “A Soviet Riddle”

  1. Stille Avatar
    Stille

    Fuck me if I know. Can’t generalize from Romania. Time period is interesting though, late 80s and early 90s were very different times.

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  2. Ol Avatar
    Ol

    I am dying to know why!

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    1. Clarissa Avatar

      Hint: it was an era of enormous shortages. A complete economic collapse. People stole everything that wasn’t bolted down.

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  3. Alex the Physicist Avatar
    Alex the Physicist

    Resell tungsten for scrap? Or melt down the glass?

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    1. Clarissa Avatar

      Nah, that would be boring. Think stealing. Inventive stealing.

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      1. Alex the Physicist Avatar
        Alex the Physicist

        Attach a power cord to it, then plug it into someone else’s porch light and steal electricity?

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        1. Clarissa Avatar

          You are a true scientist, my friend. 🙂

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  4. blackbeard2391 Avatar

    They would take the dead bulbs to work and swap them for working bulbs.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Clarissa Avatar

      Ah, I see a fellow Soviet person. 🙂

      Yes, this is the correct answer, thank you.

      If you never lived in the USSR, then you must have an uncommonly developed imagination.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. blackbeard2391 Avatar

        I am a native of NYC. But I read a lot.

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Clarissa Avatar

          Truly impressive.

          Like

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