A Win for Consumers
Fans of free markets are doing the wave. Starting today, it’s legal in Missouri to sell tickets at prices above their face value. The Kansas City Star has the story:
The development comes courtesy of a new state law that says no county or city regulation can prohibit “the sale or resale of an admission ticket to any legal event at any price.”
According to Wagner, “There are a million reasons why people in Missouri benefit from having legalized ticket brokering.”
You can sell an out-of-print book or a rare antique for more than the original price. As a matter of fact, prices are allowed to change for just about every other item sold in our economy. Tickets shouldn’t be any different.
The article notes that people have always engaged in "ticket scalping," but that the law was rarely enforced because police have better priorities:
Violation was punishable by up to a $500 fine and/or six months in jail, but police spokesman Capt. Rich Lockhart said police only went after “a few” violators over the years.
“For us, the focus on game day is about getting people in and out of the complex in a safe manner,” he said.