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Message: <blockquote data-quote="sevo" data-source="post: 3326709" data-attributes="member: 135663">There was a difference. In the Soviet era, there could be two separate assembly lines making the same product, but for two different markets: the domestic one and for export. The domestic market could often get an inferior quality product simply due to lack of competition or product shortages, so its consumers were happy to get their hands on whatever they could. However, the export product had to be produced at utmost quality, because it was a source of 'hard' currency for the Comecon countries that badly needed it.Granted, some of the products still required a certain level of quality, but differences between domestic and exported versions would still be apparent in little details, such as nicer cases, better packaging, or more features.</blockquote>