The term “ticket scalper” refers to someone who resells tickets, usually for concerts, shows, and sporting events, at prices higher than the original face value. Ticket scalping has a long history, with the practice dating back to at least the 19th century. But where exactly did the term “ticket scalper” originate?
The early days of ticket scalping
There is evidence of tickets being resold at inflated prices as early as the 1830s. During this time, ticket scalping tended to center around theaters and opera houses in major cities like New York and Philadelphia. Wealthy citizens would purchase tickets to popular shows and then resell them at a premium to those eager to gain access.
This practice grew more organized by the late 1800s, as professional “ticket speculators” emerged. These ticket scalpers would acquire large blocks of tickets to resell at a profit. They became a common sight hanging around theater entrances. Ticket speculation was largely viewed as unsavory but tolerated as theaters themselves sometimes engaged in early forms of variable pricing.
Anti-scalping laws emerge
As ticket scalping grew in scope and sophistication into the early 20th century, there was a public backlash against the practice. Critics viewed scalpers as unethically profiting off scarcity and denying ordinary folks affordable access to entertainment. New York passed the first anti-scalping law in 1920, banning the resale of theater tickets at prices above the box office rate.
Other cities and states followed suit over the next few decades. These anti-scalping laws tried to curb or outlaw the practice, though they were unevenly enforced. And some ticket brokers found creative workarounds like technically selling a pencil with a “free” ticket included.
The origin of “ticket scalper”
The earliest known printed usage of the term “ticket scalper” appeared in the December 28, 1916 edition of the Wall Street Journal. An article on theater ticket speculation stated:
Ticket “scalpers” or speculators are the bane of the average theater manager’s life.
This brief mention reveals that the term was already in circulation at the time. Where exactly did “ticket scalper” come from before this printed usage? We can’t know for certain, but there are a few theories on the term’s origin:
Native American connotations
One common theory is that “ticket scalper” arose as a reference to the practice of scalping enemies among some Native American tribes. Just as scalpers took the scalps of their victims, so too did ticket scalpers “scalp” or profit from reselling tickets. This connection likely gave “ticket scalping” its rather violent connotation.
“Cut-rate” ticket sellers
Another possible origin comes from early ticket brokers describing themselves as “cut-rate” ticket sellers. “Scalper” may have evolved as a description of sellers who bought tickets at cut rates and then resold them for profit.
Shaving metal coins
“Scalping” was also 19th century slang for shaving small amounts off the edges of metal coins for profit. Ticket scalpers may have been seen as unethically “shaving” value from tickets in a similar manner.
Price gouging
There is also a theory that “scalper” simply came about as a way to compare ticket brokers to those who engage in price gouging or other unfair economic practices. Calling resellers “scalpers” likened them to swindlers and cheats.
While the precise origin is unknown, what does seem clear is that “ticket scalper” emerged as a distinctly American term in the late 19th and early 20th century. It encapsulated the public’s negative perceptions of ticket brokers as shady or unethical operators enriching themselves through artificial scarcity.
The rise of the modern ticket broker
Despite anti-scalping laws, ticket brokers continued to find ways to resell tickets, now expanding into other major events like college football games. They began to gain a kind of begrudging acceptance, with the name “ticket broker” replacing “scalper” as a more neutral alternative.
In the late 20th century, states began repealing strict anti-scalping laws, under a recognition that a secondary market would exist with or without legislation. This allowed online secondary ticket marketplaces like StubHub to emerge. While scalping has long been viewed negatively, these marketplaces argue they provide greater price transparency and flexibility to buyers and sellers.
Scalping today
Ticket scalping and the term “scalper” are still very much with us today. Concerts and sporting events with great demand but limited ticket supplies tend to attract significant scalping activity. Demand for the hottest events allows scalpers to resell at sometimes outrageous prices compared to face value. For example, tickets for Adele’s recent “Weekends With Adele” Las Vegas show routinely sold on secondary sites for thousands of dollars above face value.
Fans, entertainers and officials remain divided on the ethics of scalping. Critics argue rampant scalping makes events unaffordable for the average fan. Defenders counter that it gives more flexibility and obtains a truer market price for the most coveted tickets. But one thing remains clear – the word scalper, despite its unsavory origins, is here to stay.
Key facts on ticket scalping origins
- Earliest evidence of ticket scalping dates to 1800s theater ticket speculation
- Term “ticket scalper” first appears in print in a 1916 Wall Street Journal article
- May have derived from Native American scalping, “cut-rate” sellers, coin shaving or price gouging
- Reflected negative public perception of early ticket brokers
- Scalping persists today, especially for hot concerts and events
Conclusion
Ticket scalping has a long and colorful history, as does the term “ticket scalper” itself. The word emerged in the early 20th century, likely from a conflation of associations with Native American scalping, ticket discounters, coin shavers and price gougers. It captured the public’s dim view of early ticket brokers profiting through dubious means. Though anti-scalping laws tried to curb the practice, it persists today in a more sophisticated, albeit still controversial, form. The word scalper remains part of the vernacular, a reminder of scalping’s questionable ethics.
