There were two main sources of purchase of fartsa: from foreigners visiting the Soviet Union, and from contrabandists. Fartsovshchiki were mainly young people, as well as people who had the opportunity to closely communicate with foreigners, such as guides, translators, taxi drivers, and prostitutes.

The vast majority of buyers in the market for goods sold on the black market in the 1950s and 1960s were the so-called stilyagi.