Not true! USSR produced germanium transistors much longer than the west. Large quantities are available on eBay. For example here they are being used for rad

Not true! USSR produced germanium transistors much longer than the west. Large quantities are available on eBay. For example here they are being used for radio repair: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wet7QameYc4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wet7QameYc4 The main annoyance is the shipping delay. One interesting thing I learned is that the metal can germanium transistors are often more reliable than the first generation of silicon transistors: those domed-top epoxy ones are all terrible.