Isn't Ticket Scalping Illegal?

Is Ticket Scalping illegal? There are two sides to this question. First, is that the individual or business that buys the tickets in advance is taking the risk that there will be enough interest in the tickets to make a profit later. This is simply disambiguation or the supply and demand model, which regulates all commerce in the Free World. Secondly, other people state that the only reason the events are sold out in the first place is because the ticket brokers bought up all the tickets when they went on sale making it sold out and ticket brokers shouldn’t be allowed to do this.

Well, to the second point they are not. There is usually a limit on the number of tickets that can be purchased from a given address, person, email address or credit card. Also, many of the presales require a Fan Club membership to purchase tickets in advance with added costs and limits also.

The first point of supply and demand like any other speculative endeavor has its prices. The Ticket Brokering business has a tremendous number of applications with eBay being the most used in that at any given time there are approximately 65,000 plus sales for tickets listed. Most of these are listings in which people are either trying to unload their tickets for events that they cannot attend but more often someone has purchased the tickets and wishes to resell them at a profit.

There is no assurance that number one the tickets that are listed on eBay will sell at all and number two that the expected sales price can be obtained, The downside of using eBay is that if the tickets don’t sell the seller still generates expenses in the form of listing fees.

However, eBay is a great venue for new brokers to use to sell tickets who don’t have a customer base, have no website and thus no exposure or simply want to test if this business model can work for them. The key to success as in any retail or wholesale business is to buy low and sell high.

But how low is low enough and how high is too high?

One can purchase tickets from different sources, Ticketmaster, Craigslist or even eBay itself in advance of the event and then turn around and list your tickets back on eBay. This can be profitable but is very risky, particularly if one is not experienced in the buying and selling process.

Just today, tickets went on sale on Ticketmaster for Miami Dolphins Playoff Home Game 1. The only tickets available with fees cost $90.25 each. These in Section 418 Row 29 which is almost at the top of Dolphins Stadium. Comparable tickets are selling on eBay for about $40-$50. So this is not a viable means to acquire those tickets. It would be much more advantageous to buy those on eBay to begin with.

Thus, one can purchase tickets for below face value on eBay and speculate that as the event gets closer they will appreciate in value and one be able to sell at a premium to the original purchase price. As was mentioned, there is no guarantee that this will occur. As with any business that depends on a physical inventory, the key is to buy the product wholesale and sell later for more. This is true whether it is jewelry, clothing, home improvement products or event tickets. The problem with the ticket business is that the inventory is time sensitive. The products will expire after the event and then be worthless.

The ticket brokering business is not extremely difficult but it is a tricky business to be able to be profitable at. Things maybe going great one day, profits rolling in, all of your inventory being turned and your customers happy. Then the next day can be wrought with all kinds of troubles. “Customers” giving you bogus credit cards over the internet, events being undersold and your tickets not selling at all, Express Mail not being delivered on time before that “Big Game”. Bye the way, guaranteed deliver by 3:00 PM only guarantees against the postage paid and the $500 automatic insurance is not automatic. I’m not a FedEx stockholder but I definitely believe in them now.

Nevertheless, the ticket brokering business if approached systematically can be very rewarding, both mentally and financially. Treating your customers right is a good first step. Get them the tickets they want at a reasonable price. Don’t buy General Admission tickets, they’ll probably be available at the door and watch the venues you’re considering. The resell market is a lot better for The Eagles and Britney Spears in Dallas and NYC than for Ryan Cabrera or Mudvayne in Corpus Christi, Texas or Des Moines, Iowa. Sorry, Corpus and Des Moines but that’s the facts. Same goes to Ryan and Mudvayne.

Ticket Scalping in its purest sense is standing out in front of a venue and selling tickets to would be attendees at an inflated price. This is illegal and most municipalities have ordnances against this. However, the ticket brokering business is legal in most states with a few exceptions in which thirteen states have laws that prohibit ticket scalping. These being Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and South Carolina but this can usually be circumvented by sellers in other states using the internet or imposing a service charge to supply the tickets.

So ticket brokering is not illegal but it is also not guaranteed profitable.

Michael Davis is the President of EZ-Ticket.com, an independent ticket brokerage located in Dallas, Texas which has been in operation since 2002.

The Ticket Brokering Business

So you want to be a ticket broker? This can be a fun and exciting business but can be wrought with stress, worry and disappointment. It can also be very rewarding both financially and emotionally.

The ticket brokering business gets a bad rap from many people in that most believe that it is a business with no product being offered to customers but simply inflating the price of event tickets. Many believe that the ticket broker simply hoards up available tickets to different events and then automatically resells them to the public with no risk to themselves. This is far from the case.

A ticket broker will purchase tickets in advance to a sporting event or concert with the "HOPE" that they will be able to sell at a profit. In actuality this is far from the case. Many times a ticket broker will purchase these tickets in advance and either sell at a loss just to get some of their money back or at worse be stuck with the tickets that go unsold. Many a ticket broker looks at his inventory Monday morning with a stack of useless, expired tickets from the weekend.

The Ticket Broker thus must buy tickets he knows he can sell at a profit in order to continue in this business. There is no sure thing in the ticket broker business. As in any speculative endeavor whether it be real estate, the stock market, gold coins or ticket brokering the key is buy low and sell high. Now how does one do this?

The only way to do this is with experience and some luck. The ticket broker to be successful must devote a lot of time and effort to his business and he must have the wherewithal to weather some lean times and mistakes in buying tickets. If you only have a bankroll of a couple hundred dollars and you make one mistake in a ticket purchase you can be out of the business quickly.

Finding good seats to sold out events is a good start. Scouring eBay or Craig's list for fan's excess tickets they would not use is a good means to find tickets for resell. It is key to have the exposure for your business in order to resell any tickets you do have. The Ticket Broker to be successful is usually the result of word of mouth and referrals. Treating your customers right as in any business leads to success.

The Ticket Broker serves a useful purpose for the sporting and concert industries. He allows fans to easily purchase tickets to an event and he serves as a method for fans that have bought tickets but cannot use them to unload them easily.

Also remember if you find yourself wanting to get some tickets to a sold out event or if you are looking to unload your excess tickets you should use a reputable source such as a ticket broker that is a member of the Better Business Bureau, Member of the Better Ticketing Association or The National Association of Ticket Brokers. DON'T GET RIPPED OFF!

Michael Davis is the President and Founder of EZ-Ticket.com, an independent ticket broker based in Addison, Texas. EZ-Ticket was established in 2002 and has provided 1000s of event tickets for fans of almost any sporting or concert event over the years. Michael is EZ-Ticket Mike and can be heard every Wednesday giving his sports commentary with Kate Delaney on America Tonight Radio.

Texas - Home of the Outlaw Movement in Country Music

Back in the early 1970s several country music recording artists moved from Nashville to Texas and created the Outlaw movement in country music.

Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings were the leaders of the Outlaw revolution, but there were also some great singers songwriters who helped make Texas Music stand out. Artists like Billy Joe Shaver, who wrote most of Waylon's Honky Tonk Heroes LP and Steven Fromholtz, who gained recognition for writing Willie Nelson's Number 2 single "I'd Have To Be Crazy".

At the same time Jerry Jeff Walker moved from New York to Texas and joined the outlaw movement, writing such songs as Mr. Bo Jangles and recording the million selling LP "A Man Must Carry On". Jerry Jeff was helped when Waylon and Willie included him in their song about Luckenbach, Texas.

Another Texas artist who received some recognition in the 1970s is Joe Ely. While not receiving the radio airplay of Willie and Waylon and the boys, he has over the years gone from a "rocker" to a balladeer with songs such as Gallo Del Cielo.

There are a number of Texas artists who claim a loyal following both in Texas and also Outside of Texas thanks to the satellite radio stations playing alternative country. These artists include:

James McMurty, who is considered one of the strongest songwriters of his generation.

Cory Morrow, has sold over 200,000 cds and currently tours over 150 dates. He has recorded a duet CD with Pat Green, who began as a Texas icon and has made some inroads in Music City with a major record company deal.

Roger Creager has left his own musical mark throughout the south and Texas over the past seven years.

Robert Earl Keen has filled dance halls throughout Texas for years and wrote the classic song "The Road Goes on Forever", which has been covered by The Highwaymen and Joe Ely.

Ray Wylie Hubbard, known best for his theme song "Redneck Mothers", continues touring and producing high quality Texas sounds.

Texas has several newer artists making a name for themselves, Jack Ingram being foremost among them. There is also Max Stalling, Stoney Larue and Aaron Watson.

Dale Watson, known as the Texas Troubadour remains popular in Europe and Texas playing traditional country music.

Gary P Nunn, former lead guitarist for Jerry Jeff and the leader of the Lost Gonzo Band continues to tour throughout Texas as does "The Anti-Garth" Tommy Alverson.

The Randy Rogers Band and Cross Canadian Ragweed are two of the more popular bands in Texas music today.

If you'd like to hear the great Texas Songs you'll need the internet to find this great music, but it's certainly worth the effort.

Enjoy!

Elements of Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking has been around for many years as a hobby. Unlike albums, scrapbooking can include more than just memorable photos. For more creative scrapbook hobbyists, their scrapbooks can include pieces of memorabilia: a rose petal from their first date, movie tickets to their first date, a poem written on a diner tissue, so on and so forth. Scrapbooking is an excellent way to preserve memories as well as a creative and positive outlet to channel emotions such as love, joy, gratitude and even longing. Scrapbooking is a form of collecting and compiling fond memories creatively.

Scrapbooks can have various purposes: for keepsake, as a going-away token for a best friend or a favorite teacher, or as a means of chronicling a part of your life in which you find the most significant memories with someone you love.

However, not all people take readily to scrapbooking. They hesitate at the thought of having to put things together for fear that it might not be what their recipients expect. But even the most non-creative person can put a scrapbook together if they follow these simple steps in starting with scrapbooking.

1. Choose Your Theme - What is the purpose of your scrapbook? Answering the question can make a lot of difference and can start you on the right track on scrapbooking. Themes can either be individual themes such as for a painter, for a teacher, for a friend, for a sister, for a new-born baby, or it can also be a group theme such as for an entire graduating class, for a family, for a group of friends. If you are making a scrapbook, it is important to keep that individual or group in mind while making the whole scrapbook: his or her favorite color, his or her favorite sport, his or her favorite line in a poem, etc.

2. Choose Your Photos - Photos are one of the major elements of a scrapbook. Photos capture memories and events in time and present them again and again in scrapbooks in different views. Choose photos that capture the emotion you want to evoke in your scrapbook. Photos that are clear and with up-close shots work best. Photos can be sporadically arranged in a single page or on two open pages of your scrapbook. Keeping them in odd numbers add variety and can subconsciously pique the interest rather than displaying photos in even numbers. As much as possible, use photos with people in them rather than exclusively displaying landscape photos without people all in one page.

3. Choose Your Colors - If you are using the scrapbook as a going away present, it would be thoughtful to use the recipient's favorite color. However, the one making the scrapbook must keep in mind that each page should be decorated unique and different from the other pages. If you are displaying a photo, your whole page color theme may be built around a dominant color in the picture. For example, when making a concert scrapbook of your friend playing the violin in a dark green gown, use the color dark green to build your color scheme around for that particular page. Different color themes for each page adds variety and keeps your scrapbook interesting.

4. Choose a Focus Point - Each page should contain a focal point where the viewer's attention may be drawn to the moment the page is opened. A good focal point need not necessarily be a photo; it can be a concert ticket stub, a dried leaf or dried petals, or it can also be a poem written on a tissue paper from the local diner. The thing is, anything ordinary can be transformed into something beautiful and meaningful with the right colors, the right set-up or arrangement and the right page decorations. Focal points are not only for visual purposes. They also give sentimental value.

5. Choose Your Texture - Scrapbook textures add interest, variety and layer to your scrapbook composition. Texture may be attained by bordering and layering colored materials one on top of the other. Texture can also be attained by methods of folding or crumpling art materials or using corrugated paper for decorations.

Scrapbooking is both a science and an art. It is a science in a way that it requires the organized and systematic, chronological collection of important event photos, and memorabilia. But it is also an art in such a way that it takes creativity and ingenuity to arrange these memories that can take its viewers back in time. It takes creativity and art to arrange these memories and make them worth reminiscing again and again.

Fun and Functional Gift Ideas for Men - Playoff Tickets

All men love gadgets, toys, and things for tinkering. The search is over. Try these fun, yet out of the ordinary gift ideas that are great for the executive man, for dads, for grandfathers, or just that special man in your life. Below are the answers to all those special gift idea needs that you may have.

For the fisherman in your life, a great gift idea is an Underwater Fishing Camera. It allows the fisherman to see his hook, which in turn allows him to target specific species and not just aimlessly attempt to lure in the species he is trying to catch. Underwater cameras also allow the fisherman to see the contour of the land below, giving added benefits to the fishing experience, whether in a pond, in a river, or at sea. Underwater cameras can be found in varied price ranges and with other varied features such as water depth, temperature, etc. No one wants to give the same boring gift time after time. This is a great alternative to the standard rods, reels, and lures so often given.

For the backyard grill master in your life, here is an unusual gift that gives him the ability to say to all of his family and friends, "I am the grill artist master". A branding iron with the initials of your recipient is a relatively inexpensive, unique and much appreciated gift!

Looking for that special gift for the sports lover on your list? Surprise him with those tickets he's been wanting, but refusing to buy for himself. There are many offers available and you'll find lots of deals no matter what the sport. Don't settle for yet another box of golf balls; get the tickets to the tournament he's always wanted to attend. Don't let him miss the event he's been talking about for a month. Get him tickets. He'll have lots to share with his buddies because of your thoughtful gift.

Now for the more traditional type of gift you can always fall back on the ever so "manly" pocket knife. With such a wide varity available, it can be difficult to decide which kind of knife would suit him best. Personalize it. Make it specific to your man. Whether it is a collector's item or your run of the mill pocketknife, have a small inscription or his name put on the blade or the handle. The man in your life will cherish it forever.

These few ideas will have the man in your life bragging to his buddies about the great gift he received. When you find that perfect gift, don't hesitate. Grab it, and let the appreciation for your special someone show.

The Golden Rules of Buying a Gift for Your Personal Assistant - Event Tickets

It is that time of year again, and you are stuck for gift ideas for your personal assistant. It is their birthday, or the holidays are looming or an important work anniversary is nearly upon you. Perhaps they reached down deep and went to extraordinary lengths on that last project and you need something special to thank them for their efforts. Well by the time you are through with this article you will not only have some great gift ideas beyond fruit baskets, you'll also leave with the golden rules for generating great ideas of your own.

Let us start with the first golden rule: a gift should be for the sole good of your Personal Assistant. A genuine gift should be something that is a treat for them. So steer clear of things that could be seen as self-serving. If they need a Blackberry for your convenience, that is not a gift - that is a prison sentence! The same goes for fancy day planners, productivity software or paying for a trip that happens to coincide with a work conference. Your gift should be something given for their benefit. Now let us think about which category of gift you should be considering: things vs. experiences.

Clearly your PA makes your life easier, so perhaps it is time to return the favor. Simply giving the gift of a thing can be the safe bet. Especially if you are not that familiar with your PA yet. A smart new pen, gift vouchers, those dreaded fruit baskets are all predictable staples of the PA gift bag. But if you plan to make a special gesture, you should plan an experience for your PA. Arrange an evening with paid professional babysitting services and a dinner for two at their favorite restaurant and tickets to a concert. Perhaps something wild like a helicopter ride, or even wilder still, how about a parachuting course? Always include their partners. On the more practical side, perhaps hire someone to help them finish a D.I.Y. project they've been putting off because they're been stuck in the office.

So to recap: make sure your PA gift is for their benefit, experiences make more thoughtful gifts, and always include their significant other. Oh yes, and one final suggestion. Always keep in mind that any gift you make is probably the beginning of something of a tradition. So get something in your price range that you're prepared to match next year. Keep the golden rules and you'll be a classy gift buyer for years to come.