Spiv

"Spivs" redirects here. For the 2004 British film, see Spivs (film).
An actor performing the role of a spiv selling goods "from the back of a lorry" at a 2011 historical re-enactment, complete with a look-out watching for the law

In the United Kingdom, a spiv is a petty criminal who deals in illicit, typically black market, goods. Spivs were particularly active during the Second World War and in the post-war period when many goods were rationed due to shortages.

According to Peter Wollen, "the crucial difference between the spiv and the classic Hollywood gangster was the degree of sympathy the spiv gained as an intermediary in the transfer of black market goods to ... a grateful mass of consumers."[1]

  1. ^ Peter Wollen (2002) Paris Hollywood - Writings on Film pp185–6