Why Scalping Is Bad

1510 Words4 Pages

Ticket scalping has been around for many years and is defined as ‘an unsanctioned ticket investor who purchases tickets to an event and resells them at raised prices.’ The action to ‘scalp’ has been referenced as early as 1869 in American English to theater tickets but mostly to that of the 19th century referencing railway tickets. A scalper was a common utterance for “con man or cheater” in the late 19th century. (Scalper) The second-hand market grew exponentially as opportunists realized they could sell tickets at a higher price. The secondary market thrived underground for the majority of the 20th century, no federal laws restricted scalping, however, many states had laws limiting how and where tickets could be resold. The internet made …show more content…

(Ticket Masters) Ticket Scalpers have a bad reputation when it comes to public opinion. Ticket scalpers are just individuals who purchased their ticket early and have the idea to make a profit off their inability to attend the event. The secondary market determines what the ticket’s value is rather than what management says it is worth. Scalping also successfully benefits our economy. The increased prices are a result of the reduced amount of tickets available to the public. For that reason, the resale of tickets should be allowed because the ticket’s market prices are gradually increasing as time passes and buying tickets early reduces the chances of overpriced …show more content…

“Ninety-five per cent of all downloaded music is stolen,” (Seabrook) so as a result, scalping is beneficial to the economy. AEG, a leading sports and entertainment presenter, has partnered with eBay-owned StubHub. The live entertainment company now gets a share of the total revenue. AEG, second to Live Nation (owner of TicketMaster) in concert promotion, has introduced a cyber-waiting room. The waiting room allows fans to purchase tickets in the order they arrive. Bryan Perez, AEG president of digital ticketing and media, states waiting rooms “ensure more fans get fair access to every seat in the house.” (Peoples) With greater profits available, the artists can share in the benefits. Money is circulation helps the economy strive. Overpriced tickets may not be ideal, but the profits benefit society. Our economy stays afloat because of the money we spend. Economics teaches that charging extra makes a profit. To successfully scalp tickets, the ticket price selected by management has to be less than the ‘market clearing price.’ Management saves money on advertisement when long lines bring in publicity. Big ticket events are where scalpers get the most business. Scalping would no longer be an issue if the box office sold them at prices each individual was willing to pay. Lower prices draw a larger audience. When tickets are inexpensive and in high-demand, audiences are drawn to that event, thus creating a

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