Thanks for supporting Marketplace this Giving Tuesday. If you missed it - you can still contribute to powering public media! Donate Now!

Ticket scalping: markets vs. mark-ups

Marketplace Staff Jun 1, 2007

MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: Ticket scalping has always been kind of a shady business — people on street corners, lurking like drug dealers. But times are changing. Today, New York’s governor may sign a bill that gets rid of most scalping restrictions. So, people can re-sell tickets to the Yankees-Red Sox or Rent on Broadway for whatever price they want.That’s on the Internet — and at least 1,500 feet from big arenas. Russ Haven of New York’s Public Interest Research Group says this move is bad for fans.

RUSS HAVEN: You’re gonna see a lot of fans who are gonna either dig very deep into their pockets or they’re just gonna walk away, and only the corporate expense accounts will be able to pay for tickets.

But, of course, online ticket re-sellers disagree. Sean Pate is with StubHub.com.

SEAN PATE: People will sell what they have at a fair-market value. And that’s really what will only sell, are tickets that are fairly priced.

New York isn’t the first state to roll back it’s scalping laws. Minnesota, Illinois and Florida have already done so, and other states are considering it.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.