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The Golden Ticket


Question:

My university is in the playoffs and tickets are sold-out. But some people are selling their tickets for double or triple the regular price – or more. Scalping is against school policy. What does Judaism advise?



AskTheRabbi.org answered:

First of all, “Mazel Tov” on your team making the playoffs. But hold on to your money. Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg once told me that scalping tickets is “geneiva” – i.e. theft.

As you said, scalping is against school policy. The school offers inexpensive student tickets not for investment purposes, but so that the students get an opportunity to attend the game. When students scalp their tickets the school loses, since the school could easily have sold the ticket for a higher price.

I’ve heard of many cases where the seller sells a “special pencil” for $100 and gives the buyer a free ticket. This tricky seller is just trying to “clean his scalp” with the pricy pencil. The school would never agree to this and it therefore violates the terms of sale. Moral of the story: for a clean scalp, use shampoo.

Speaking of inflated prices, a guy goes into a deli: "Ten dollars for Pastrami?" he exclaims. "Across the street they sell it for $5.99!"

"So why don't you go over there!" says the owner.

"Well at the moment, they've run out of pastrami."

"Trust me," says the owner, "When I run out of pastrami, I also sell it for $5.99!"


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