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In 1927, the newspaper Economic Life published a Commodity Encyclopedia, the first major reference book on goods under the Soviet regime. Intended for use by" anyone needing information about one or another commodity," the Encyclopedia purported to provide a comprehensive survey of" all the goods that have trading significance" in modern society, and especially in Soviet Russia. According to its editors, the volume attempted to address the following questions:" What does the given commodity represent in essence, which of its qualities merit attention, what does it derive from, how can it be falsified?" 1 A perusal of the encyclopedia confirms these basic concerns. Its tone is technical and dry. Its alphabetical entries catalogue the basic physical and chemical properties of each commodity; describe the process of production and the requirements for storage or preservation; enumerate the uses of the commodity; and indicate its geographical sources and wholesale price range. In their selections as well as the amount of space devoted to each entry, the editors exhibited a marked preference for producers' over consumer commodities, for bulk commodities and raw materials over finished goods.

Thirty years later, a second major reference work on the subject of goods appeared. Published by the Ministry of Trade in nine volumes over the course of 1956-61, with contributions from a long list of" major specialists in trade and industry, Ph. Ds, professors, and lecturers," the new Commodity Dictionary was intended more narrowly for store managers and other trade personnel. Again, its stated aim was to provide the critical information about all of the …