Seattle Scalpers: From 'Cell'ing to Selling

Seattle never used to have a problem with scalpers.  In fact, the scalper community could not even give away tickets to the Seattle Mariners of years past. [1]  The Major League Baseball team was so bad, even the players did not want to be there.  However, as the Seattle baseball and football teams got better, the prices of tickets climbed higher, and the scalping market began to boom. [2]

A law was placed on the books in Seattle, forbidding anyone to sell tickets to games, such as a Mariners baseball contest, for any price above face value.  Further, the tickets that were sold above that price could not be sold by ticket holders living in Seattle.  However, the Seattle Mariners baseball club soon found a way to make a little profit on re-selling tickets while the scalping community faced legal persecution for their acts. [3]  The Mariners, as well as a few other baseball teams who had anti-scalping law in effect in their city, set up an internet site where season ticket holders not living in Seattle could re-sell their tickets that they were not using.  The Mariners, of course, charged a small service fee, and thus gained profit on the re-selling of their own tickets. [4]

Since this story came out in mid 2004, the scalping communities around the nation have been growing more and more irritated with the injustice of it all.   Further, many sportswriters have wondered why the law was even on the books. [5] Ticket prices were already rising, and with internet ticket sites growing in popularity, the scalpers seemed to be the only persecuted bunch, and the only local one.  It was clear: since the unchecked free market economy dictated ticket resale prices upwards anyway, why not allow the scalpers to run free in Seattle?

Luckily, legislators caught on and by mid 2005 the law was off the books, and the scalpers were finally allowed to sell tickets without fear of arrest.  Since then, the Seattle Pi reports, the ticket scalping business has been booming and scalpers now have the freedom to charge any price they choose for their tickets, whether above face value or below. [6]  Many have remarked that since the taxes are collected only on the original sale of the ticket, it makes no difference to have these laws regulating the resale. [7]  Furthermore, the outside players such as the internet ticket hubs and club-related sites have already done the job of raising prices.

I, for one, am happy the scalpers have gotten a piece of the action.  If I am going to pay double the price for my Seattle Mariners ticket, I may as well pay a local scalper than some internet hub headquartered in Arlington, Texas …can’t stand those Rangers.

[1] All Hail Ticket Scalpers! http://espn.go.com/page2/s/caple/010821.html

[2] Id.

[3] Judge Rules in Favor of Ticket Scalpers (Feb. 1, 2004), http://www.spokesmanreview.com/local/story_txt.asp?date=020104&ID=s1481734

[4] Id.

[5] All Hail Ticket Scalpers! http://espn.go.com/page2/s/caple/010821.html

[6] Ticket Scalpers Enjoy Free Rein (Sept. 17, 2005), http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/241115_scalpers17.html

[7] Id.

Comments

[seattle personal injury attorney]

Great post. I will have to bookmark your site for later reading.