Abstract: The paper traces the genesis and development of the phenomenon, ,,suitcase trade” among the Roma community from the end of the last century until the present. The majority of fieldwork material is obtained due to the co-operation of the ,,suitcase traders” from Plovdiv. The paper is an attempt to give answers to several basic questions: is the suitcase trade a phenomenon of the transition or is it rooted in the past; what is considered suitcase trade; who does it; what types of products are smuggled; how is it done?
Keywords: suitcase trade, smuggling, Roma community, cultural tradition.
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