# Drug dealer baggies **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2016, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459 "2016-01-08T00:14:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/1 "2016-01-08T00:14:10Z")
What are those things actually called, who manufactures them, and what are they really supposed to be used for? I’m talking about the good, thick ones with the red line on top. I read somewhere once that they were invented for stamp collectors, but they have other uses for hobbyists who need them to store buttons and stuff like that in them. I need some, but for the life of me I can’t think of any search term other than “drug dealer baggie” to type into the amazon search box. I found a Quora post suggesting that they’re called jewelry bags, and typing that term into the search box brings up several choices very similar to what I’m looking for, but I really want the thick ones with the red line. Are they still being manufactured? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/2 "2016-01-08T00:15:52Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > What are those things actually called, who manufactures them, and what are they really supposed to be used for? I’m talking about the good, thick ones with the red line on top. I read somewhere once that they were invented for stamp collectors, but they have other uses for hobbyists who need them to store buttons and stuff like that in them. I need some, but for the life of me I can’t think of any search term other than “drug dealer baggie” to type into the amazon search box. I found a Quora post suggesting that they’re called jewelry bags, and typing that term into the search box brings up several choices very similar to what I’m looking for, but I really want the thick ones with the red line. Are they still being manufactured? You can probably find them in your friendly neighborhood head shop…or so I’ve been told…by…friends… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/3 "2016-01-08T00:20:11Z")
What kind of drugs are you selling? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/4 "2016-01-08T00:22:50Z")
[Recloseable bags.](http://www.uline.com/BL_205/Minigrip-Reclosable-Bags?keywords=plastic%20resealable%20bag) All the way down to 2" x 2". ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/5 "2016-01-08T00:28:50Z")
I don’t do drugs myself but I had the opportunity to talk to some ex-drug dealers frankly and I asked them this question. They said they buy them in bulk from companies that make them for industrial companies that distribute very small parts like specialty screws. I work in a manufacturing facility and we use them there as well. We have huge industrial catalogs with everything under the sun and there are whole sections of some of them devoted to containers and any type of bag you could think of. You will usually have to buy them in large quantities but even 1000 or more small bags doesn’t cost that much. Here is one supplier of them with a massive selection. > **[Small Plastic Bags, Reclosable Bags, Zip Bags in Stock - ULINE - Uline](https://www.uline.com/Grp_5/Poly-Bags-Reclosable?pricode=WG66&AdKeyword=%2Breclosable%20%2Bbags&AdMatchtype=b&gclid=CPqng777mMoCFdCPHwod1DIL7Q&gclsrc=aw.ds)** > > Uline stocks a wide selection of small plastic bags, reclosable bags and clear zip bags. Order by 6 pm for same day shipping. Huge Catalog! 13 locations across USA, Canada and Mexico for fast delivery of small plastic bags. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/6 "2016-01-08T00:32:07Z")
Many people call them “ziploc[k]” bags, even if they weren’t made by Ziploc, and just press shut rather than having a zipper-like pull on them. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/7 "2016-01-08T00:36:11Z")
Since you said heavy duty with a red line at the top, these may be the specific ones you are looking for. I have never bought drugs so I can’t say for sure but they match your general description. > **[Minigrip® Bags, Minigrip® Reclosable Plastic Bags in Stock - ULINE](https://www.uline.com/BL_205/Minigrip-Reclosable-Bags)** > > Uline stocks a wide selection of Minigrip® Reclosable Bags. Order by 6 p.m. for same day shipping. Huge Catalog! Over 41,000 products in stock. 13 Locations across USA, Canada and Mexico for fast delivery of Minigrip® Reclosable Bags. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/8 "2016-01-08T01:14:10Z")
Pill pouches. I use them when hiking to store first aid meds, water purification tabs, and small amounts of other miscellaneous items. Some drugstore chains carry them. [ETA: I have no idea if these are robust enough to be acceptable to drug dealers, but when I have asked for them in a store, I have been greeted with blank looks until I identified what I’m looking for as “drug dealer baggies”.] > **[Rite Aid Pharmacy Pill Pouches, Airtight - 50 ct](https://www.riteaid.com/shop/rite-aid-pharmacy-pill-pouches-airtight-50-pouches-0302073)** > > Rite Aid Pharmacy Pill Pouches, Airtight - 50 ctPill Pouchmoisture resistanceWhite writing block for labeling and instructionThis item may be eligible for FSA and HSA reimbursement. For any questions you may have regarding FSAs or HSAs, please browse... ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/9 "2016-01-08T01:20:56Z")
I bought [these](http://www.amazon.com/Clear-Lock-Bags-Case-1000/dp/B003ZZUKQ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452215413&sr=8-1&keywords=2x3+4+mil+bags) on Amazon to store small items in. They were so cheap that I got 1000 and I think I’ll have to start selling drugs just to use them all up. They aren’t the red lined ones and a 6 mil bag would be stronger, but these 4 mil bags are more than strong enough. For reference, Ziploc sandwich bags are 1.5 mil and their freezer bags are 3 mil. I have seen these bags in Hobby Lobby in the jewelry and beads section. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/10 "2016-01-08T01:22:55Z")
Back when I was in college I think some people got them from hobby\* shops. They were anti static bags for computer/electronics parts. But Associated Bag will probably have them. \*Errr, not hobby, but like Radio Shack/American Science and Surplus etc. Computer stores. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/11 "2016-01-08T01:53:20Z")
I’m not sure what leads you to believe the premise that there’s some sort of “standard” drug dealer baggie (Hollywood?), but back when I actually sold drugs (a long time ago), I used clear cellophane bags that basically looked [like this](http://www.ribboncanada.com/wp-content/uploads/5x7-Cello-Bag.jpg). That is the kind I saw most often with others as well. They weren’t resealable or Ziplocs, though I’m sure some people do use Ziploc-type bags; they work just as well (maybe better? To lock in that freshness). It also depends on the type of drug, of course. For a loose powder like cocaine you’d almost certainly want something with a firm seal. But I was dealing mainly with marijuana, and these bags kinda clung to themselves so you could just roll them up and they would hold the contents just fine. ---
**Author:** ![herman\_and\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@herman\_and\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herman_and_bill)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/12 "2016-01-08T02:06:37Z")
ULINE will likely have what you want. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/13 "2016-01-08T02:41:39Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > I’m not sure what leads you to believe the premise that there’s some sort of “standard” drug dealer baggie (Hollywood?), but back when I actually sold drugs (a long time ago), I used clear cellophane bags that basically looked [like this](http://www.ribboncanada.com/wp-content/uploads/5x7-Cello-Bag.jpg). That is the kind I saw most often with others as well. They weren’t resealable or Ziplocs, though I’m sure some people do use Ziploc-type bags; they work just as well (maybe better? To lock in that freshness). > > It also depends on the type of drug, of course. For a loose powder like cocaine you’d almost certainly want something with a firm seal. But I was dealing mainly with marijuana, and these bags kinda clung to themselves so you could just roll them up and they would hold the contents just fine. The Straight Dope finally lives up to its name :). ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/14 "2016-01-08T02:52:50Z")
I believe that the international standard for drug dealer baggies is ISO-420, but there may be variations. Bob ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/15 "2016-01-08T03:09:09Z")
> [@urban1a](#): > > I believe that the international standard for drug dealer baggies is ISO-420, but there may be variations. > > Bob There actually is an ISO 420 standard, and it’s about chemical purity and methods for verifying chemical purity. The chemical in question is photographic-grade potassium bromide, but still… > **[ISO 420:1994](https://www.iso.org/standard/20280.html)** > > Photography — Processing chemicals — Specifications for potassium bromide — ---
**Author:** ![bubba001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f17d59/32.png) [@bubba001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubba001)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/16 "2016-01-08T04:29:29Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I don’t do drugs myself but I had the opportunity to talk to some ex-drug dealers frankly and I asked them this question. They said they buy them in bulk from companies that make them for industrial companies that distribute very small parts like specialty screws. I work in a manufacturing facility and we use them there as well. We have huge industrial catalogs with everything under the sun and there are whole sections of some of them devoted to containers and any type of bag you could think of. You will usually have to buy them in large quantities but even 1000 or more small bags doesn’t cost that much. > > Here is one supplier of them with a massive selection. > > [Small Plastic Bags, Reclosable Bags, Zip Bags in Stock - ULINE - Uline](http://www.uline.com/Grp_5/Poly-Bags-Reclosable?pricode=WG66&AdKeyword=%2Breclosable%20%2Bbags&AdMatchtype=b&gclid=CPqng777mMoCFdCPHwod1DIL7Q&gclsrc=aw.ds) I worked in a manufacturing plant, dealing with gaging, QC work. We had thousands of small gages, and parts in plastic bags. We had a whole cabinet of different sizes, whatever we needed. Basically, anything we could pick up with one hand got put in a bag. Anything bigger, sprayed with oil, wrapped in plastic, then in a marked box. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/17 "2016-01-08T04:52:33Z")
Here’s a place that sells them… totally SFW link. They’ve quite a line of products, i’m surprised to see. > [@](#): > > …medical grade, durable, reusable and exceed USDA standards for storage food items and are made with sturdy locking zippers. The products are liquid, moisture & puncture resistant and are far and away tougher than what you will find at your local grocery store. They are made to last and can even be washed and used again. > **[SMELLY PROOF | Smell Proof Ziplock Bags Reusable Multi-Use](https://smellyproof.com/)** > > Smell proof ziplock bags made in the USA reusable with unbreakable seals. Consumer tested Smelly Proof multi-use odor proof ziplock bags are 100% BPA and Phthalates free. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/18 "2016-01-08T05:17:19Z")
Someone I know, gets their weed in various child intended, (Dora, Care Bears etc) baggies. Hereabouts whatever is at hand, seems to be the choice, it seems! ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/19 "2016-01-08T05:26:21Z")
A lot of people just take a ziplock bag and cut off the corner, it makes a little triangle, ideal for cocaine, it sits in the bottom of the upside down triangle and then you just cross the two top sides across and tie it in a knot. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459/20 "2016-01-08T06:40:02Z")
> [@somepumpkin](#): > > Here’s a place that sells them… totally SFW link. They’ve quite a line of products, i’m surprised to see. > > [http://www.smellyproof.com/](http://www.smellyproof.com/) May I ask if they sell razor blades? Or disposable razors? I once went to a Cardiologist for a checkup and they had the most fabulous disposable razors. They were much sharper than anything I have ever been able to buy. They use them to shave body hair (I’m guessing). I’d love to be able to buy those kinds of razors. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-dealer-baggies/742459.md?page=2)