hard-to-come-by

Both can be successful, but I prefer the latter as it can telegraph intimacy and informality, which are hard-to-come-by commodities at bigger parties.

The Host's Secret Weapon: Merciless Perfection Sara Ruffin Costello 2011

Many of the new people regarded the tattoos as badges of honor, hard-to-come-by authenticity in an ersatz era.

The Lampshade Mark Jacobson 2010

In fact, so much so that my incredibly hard-to-come-by copy I had to go all the way up to 114th street was stolen off my chaise lounge in Miami!

Decorating's Titans of Style Duke It Out Sara Ruffin Costello 2010

It even has hard-to-come-by items like a complete Braille dictionary that it jokingly refers to as “the pocket edition.” It is 72 volumes.

The Braille crisis - Arts & Culture - Macleans.ca 2010

I have aneighbor's kid stick them onto car windows for a few hard-to-come-by Dollars.

Help yourself revolution 2009

If successful, hard-to-come-by dollars will flow to Korea; investors will take note and put Korean assets back on the shopping list; and Korea should finally be able to put to bed the notion that it is just a step away from a currency crisis.

Korea's Debt Junkies 2009

Toothbrushes, toothpaste, and tampons are also very useful and hard-to-come-by items.

Twitters for 9-8-08 maryrobinette 2008

Randy Foye offered one of the hard-to-come-by highlights when he blocked Jerry Stackhouse's shot at the top of the key, started a fast break and swished a tricky reverse layup from underneath the basket that went almost straight up in the air.

USATODAY.com - Basketball - Dallas vs. Minnesota 2006

I run a Middle East News Service of hard-to-come-by material based on chiefly Israeli sources

Arab-Jewish Protest at Gaza 2008

Journalists without hard-to-come-by government accreditation find it hard to operate.

ANC Daily News Briefing 2008