Staff Edit: Baseball’s scalping tradition

Fans go to ballgames for more reasons than just to watch the game. They go to be among cheering crowds. They go for hot dogs. And sometimes, the only way to get in is by buying a last-minute ticket from a scalper.

Though the practice is illegal, Boston Police well aware of the presence of scalpers at Red Sox games choose not to enforce the rule, seemingly respecting a tradition that for so many decades has been a part of baseball – and all sports.

And in a free-market economy, the public is well aware that scalped tickets are often pricier than at the box office. They know that purchasing a scalped ticket will come at their own risk.

Game prices are already high to begin with, and allowing scalpers to continue with their business only gives those who are willing to pay a last-minute chance to cheer on their team.

Though a scalped ticket can often cost many times its initial value, if someone is willing to pay that price, a scalper has no reason to sell it to him for less. The process operates on standard economic principles, and as unconventionally as it does so, it may even help the economy by creating jobs and increasing the flow of money.

Of course the practice should not get out of control to the point where not enough tickets are available for people who prefer to buy tickets at the box office weeks or months in advance, but the government should not strictly regulate a practice that for decades has not been enforced.

Though counterfeit tickets exist, they are few in Boston, according to people at last week’s game. Customers should still exert caution when buying a scalped ticket, and request to see the actual ticket first before buying it.

Customers are responsible themselves for determining whether to trust a scalper’s intent, not the police, who are there primarily to provide security and prevent any violence from taking place. As far as police should be concerned, scalping tickets should be business as usual.