Real-life MMD: Should I sell gig tickets for a profit?

Talent

This is definitely a 'two-faced' dilemma!
However, sell them for what you can get and don't ever gripe about ticket touts again!

Whitefield74

I am amazed so many people say sell them for a profit. I don't think you should whatever your reason for buying and subsequently selling them on.

Eleanory

No! Absolutely not! The reason touts get away with it is that so many people are willing to pay extortionate prices. Touts are scum. Anyone who sells tickets for more than they paid for them is a thief!

rhavern

In a happy, fantasy world, there would be no touts. In the real world there are. Typically you are limited on the number of tickets you are permitted to purchase based on payment card, address or whatever. Yes, it is an imperfect solution, however it it better than tickets being non-transferable.

Those who suggest not profiting from the sale are living in that happy, fantasy world with no touts. Unless you sell at face value to someone you know isn't going to resell the tickets, someone is going to profit along the line. No, it isn't theft as you are not taking another person's property without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it.

If your morality is stinging from making a profit, do as others have suggested and donate to charity. Better you choose where the profit goes instead of a tout, as you know it won't go to charity.

mr.omneo

As someone else said the simple solution is list them on scarletmist which is an ethical, face value ticket listing site.

Or, as someone else said, list them on StubHub for the price you paid for them plus whatever StubHub's fees are. You can work that out when you go to list.

Otherwise just accept that you're going to sell them for more than you paid because people want to see the band.

bare_foot_hippy

https://www.scarletmist.com

Not just about selling at face value - it's about making sure you're selling to a genuine fan. Users have accounts/profiles so if they are touts they'll soon be spotted and booted off. You can arrange a meet up in public, either before the event or on the day - imo if you sell to someone from your immediate town/area they are less likely to be professional touts and you can ask questions about the band/event to see if they seem fan-like!

I'm firmly against selling tickets above face value - I've been priced out of so many events by people and professionals swooping in and buying all the tickets on release then selling them on immediately at inflated prices. You can argue market economics all you like but it is cynical exploitation and quite frankly, mean.

Mind you the bands are just as bad - I believe the Stones promoters have been found guilty of keeping swathes back so they can sell them on 'secondhand' sites at 3+ times the original price...

fitshase

Why not do a raffle? Sell x amount of tickets at £y each and when you reach the amount you'd like (initial ticket cost + postage + listing fee + time/profit) then have a draw.

For example, you have £318 tied up in the tickets (does that include booking fees?). Sell 65 raffle tickets at £5 each making you £325. Once all tickets have been sold, have a draw and award the concert tickets to the winner.

Most fans would pay for a chance to win tickets. Some people might buy all of the tickets so you could limit the amount of tickets per person to keep it fair and open.

That way, some happy person gets the tickets and you get your money back.

sugargurlie

In short yes.

In the past I've asked friends if they want them and been willing to sell them for what I've paid. Once I had a T in the Park ticket I couldn't use at short notice and a family friend paid me twice what I had as they had been just about to buy a ticket for even more than that so was happy to make a 'saving'.

So ask around and you might be able to help someone out who is desperate to go, but don't be ashamed to make a bit of money out of it.

PegasusPJ

I NEVER sell for profit or to touts (even at face, I've lost tickets rather than sell to a tout), and neither do I ever buy above face or from touts.

I go to concert a fair bit, I often buy spare tickets for friends who sometimes then can't attend so have spares.. I either find a friend to sell it to, or offer them on www.scarletmist.com (you can quite easily tell if someone is a tout or not when meeting them to give the ticket). Another good place to get rid of spares is a band's forum, where the genuine fans will be.

The most annoying is when I have to try sell it at the door, because the bloody touts won't let you (I have been threatened by them.. supposedly for 'stealing their business'.. yeah the one they don't even pay any tax on!).

To me its' simple: if you don't want to have to pay inflated prices for events you want to attend, then don't sell at inflated price. what goes around comes around.

you didn't buy with intend to make a profit then don't make one... the RS tickets are expensive enough!!

btw, I have a spare ticket for The Who on 16/06, face of course! ;-)

mooneill

You can still at the moment sell tickets on E-Bay. If you are bothered about selling for a profit the easy thing to do is a Buy It Now for the face value & then there is no auction to push the price over, simply someone buys them for that fixed price:idea: