Scalping

Last night I picked up a middle-aged fella at Fox Studios, leaving the Oasis concert early. 'Had enough ?', I inquired. 'Nah, I didn't go', he replied. 'I was working there'. 'Doing what ?'. He paused. 'Well, I'm a ticket scalper', he said somewhat sheepishly. 'Don't you get hassled doing that ?'. 'Not nearly enough', was his strange response.

He explained he bought unwanted tickets below face value and applied a mark-up. 'Make any money ?', I asked. 'Aw, it was allright', he shrugged, 'Just average'. 'Enough to make a living though ?', I ventured. 'Well, I'm supporting a wife and two kids, so yeah I do alright'. 'How far do you travel', I asked. 'The world over', he said. 'Next year will be huge with the World Cup. I'll be in Germany for a month or so'.

I dropped him off at a Coogee hotel thinking, well, he's having a go. Yet couldn't decide if his service was welcome or not. It was that sort of night, couldn't think of much except the constant rain and traffic.

Comments

[James]

Thank God for people like him...I hate when rich sanctimonious rock stars act like they can control the market price for a good, aided and abetted by the state. No one has a right to cheap and affordable top-name rock concerts or sporting events, no matter what Coldplay says!

[Splat Guy]

Testify, James, testify! Sometimes you can't get tickets to a popular event even if you desperately want them. The promoters are getting their tickets sold at the price they set, and people like me (scalper-purchaser-offers) get to see the event, satisfied to be paying the scalper's markup for the service.

It's really no different from a hotel concierge arranging to buy tickets to big events, except that you don't have to be staying at the Hyatt to benefit.

You've gotta love free markets.