4 ms·

I do not understand this logic. What original ticket purchaser? Scalpers aren't like eBay. They have bought up the tickets from the venue at certain amount, de

by neumann 12y ago

I do not understand this logic. What original ticket purchaser? Scalpers aren't like eBay. They have bought up the tickets from the venue at certain amount, depriving others of a limited resource at that same value, and now offering it a higher value to people who didn't have the means to buy it as fast as the scalper. The disruption the scalper is introducing into an existing system benefits nobody but themselves.

rahimnathwani 12y ago
I'm not willing to pay more than face value for tickets so, if scalpers didn't exist, I would be better off. I'd have an x% chance (where x<100) of getting tickets at face value. There are rich people who are willing to pay up to 4x face value. They are very happy to pay 2x face value and get to go to every show they want. Without scalpers, they would pay less per show, but would totally miss out on some shows. The scalper benefits those guys, at the expense of guys like me. It's not true that the scalper benefits nobody but themselves.
- neumann 12y ago
  That's a good point I had (subconcisouly refused) to consider as value. Value is added to the rich. Further offending my socialist dream. ;)
lmm 12y ago
Yesterday I bought a ticket at >2x face value for a concert on Monday. That's value for me - I'd like to be able to go to things without having to plan my life months in advance, and I'm willing to pay for the privilege. Supply isn't set in stone. If scalpers buy up tickets early on then they take on the risk that a show won't sell out, and that allows the promoters to move to a bigger venue (as happened in this case), add more nights, or even raise prices. So the promoter benefits too. It's no different from any other middleman: find someone who's selling at price x, find someone who's buying at y > x, connect them together and take your cut. Which is what makes capitalism works.
- wpietri 12y ago
  You're missing the negative externality: the person who couldn't get in because you're paying some scalping dick. And let's not forget the performers, who are interested in performing for their best fans, and who try to set ticket prices accordingly.

by neumann 12y ago

rahimnathwani 12y ago

I'm not willing to pay more than face value for tickets so, if scalpers didn't exist, I would be better off. I'd have an x% chance (where x<100) of getting tickets at face value. There are rich people who are willing to pay up to 4x face value. They are very happy to pay 2x face value and get to go to every show they want. Without scalpers, they would pay less per show, but would totally miss out on some shows. The scalper benefits those guys, at the expense of guys like me. It's not true that the scalper benefits nobody but themselves.

neumann 12y ago
That's a good point I had (subconcisouly refused) to consider as value. Value is added to the rich. Further offending my socialist dream. ;)

lmm 12y ago

Yesterday I bought a ticket at >2x face value for a concert on Monday. That's value for me - I'd like to be able to go to things without having to plan my life months in advance, and I'm willing to pay for the privilege. Supply isn't set in stone. If scalpers buy up tickets early on then they take on the risk that a show won't sell out, and that allows the promoters to move to a bigger venue (as happened in this case), add more nights, or even raise prices. So the promoter benefits too. It's no different from any other middleman: find someone who's selling at price x, find someone who's buying at y > x, connect them together and take your cut. Which is what makes capitalism works.

wpietri 12y ago
You're missing the negative externality: the person who couldn't get in because you're paying some scalping dick. And let's not forget the performers, who are interested in performing for their best fans, and who try to set ticket prices accordingly.