AOL Autos -- Do you want a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro? You'd better be prepared to offer the dealer more money than the MSRP requires, and you'd better be willing to wait. Various reports have indicated that General Motors can't build the reborn bow tie pony car fast enough to quench public demand. The Camaro was originally built from 1967 to 2002; the 2010 model marks the brand's rebirth.

Dealers have already booked about 25,000 orders for the Camaro, yet only half have been delivered to date. Analysts reportedly told Bloomberg that dealers are getting $500 over sticker on average, too, and at least one dealer is guessing that he won't have a Camaro to sell in stock for at least a year.

MP: If selling a ticket to a concert or sporting event at a price above face value is "ticket scalping" and potentially either illegal or unethical, why isn't selling a Camaro above sticker price considered to be "car scalping," and potentially either illegal and/or unethical? In other words, is there really any significant difference between a concert ticket and a car that would make any material difference when one or both sell above the stated "face value" or "sticker price?"

Update: NoWhining's comment is exactly correct and worth reprinting here: "MP's intent wasn't to discourage the right of car dealers and car buyers to set the price that each is willing to accept for the transaction to take place. The post pointed to the hypocrisy of decrying Ticket Scalpers as being unethical for freely exchanging something they own and therefore have the right to sell, at a price that a buyer wishes to freely give allowing a transaction to take place. Same principle."

And see related CD post here on "coin scalping."

Posted @ 7:10 PM Post Link 20 Comments links to this post

Good thing the government is forcing them to make hybrids instead of those gas guzzlers that nobody wants.

I guess MP doesn't attend many concerts, every independent ticket agency sells tickes above the face value. How do you think they make their money?

It isn't illegal and/or unethical because the politicians haven't made it so/told us it should be so.

They need that money to make campaign contributions to keep their dealerships from getting shut down. It's how "capitalism" works now.

Sticker Price? Do you mean MSRP? The "S" stands for suggested. Most current state franchising laws don't allow wholesalers to set retail prices.

I don't know much about ticket pricing laws. Are those 'anti scalping" laws state laws or local ordinances? Maybe they should not print a price on the tickets. That works for U.S. stamps.

If you can't get a Chevrolet Camaro, you could always purchase another superb GM product when you are at the dealership.

I think you guys are missing the point. MP's intent wasn't to discourage the right of car dealers and car buyers to set the price that each is willing to accept for the transaction to take place. The post pointed to the hypocrisy of decrying Ticket Scalpers as being unethical for freely exchanging something they own and therefore have the right to sell, at a price that a buyer wishes to freely give allowing a transaction to take place. Same principle.

"I guess MP doesn't attend many concerts, every independent ticket agency sells tickes above the face value"...

Obviously YOU anon haven't been paying much attention to this site...

Professor Mark has covered ticket scalping and wasn't condemning it...

I remember when the Viper first rolled out, people where paying for a place in line (there was scalping for those place holder also) to buy those vehicles and if memory serves those place holders weren't cheap...

Ticket scalpers? You know when you are compared to car dealers and you lose, you have low job stature :) Maybe we should call them ticket revenue enhancers.

People want to buy muscle cars before 0bama bans them.

No political/economic statement but simply this car is really cool.

People are just willing to pay more to get ahead of everybody else.

"People are just willing to pay more to get ahead of everybody else"...

Which begs the question who would pay what for one of these?

From Autoblog: VIDEO: The Quick and the Dead - Bugatti Veyron vs. Nissan GT-R

"People want to buy muscle cars before 0bama bans"...

Then maybe you might want to snatch up one of these Ultimate Aero Twin Turbo while you still can...

YouTube video: SSC Ultimate Aero:the worlds fastest production car @ 255.83

@1

You still haven't learned what Begging the Question means. You're a smart guy and you sound so foolish saying it.

Back to topic:

Years ago when I was considering buying a Harley Davidson, the wait list for a new bike was 13 months long. If you ordered a Harley, there were people willing to give you (depending on the model) up to $3000 over purchase price on your day of delivery. They were merely buying your place in line.

This is an indication that perhaps H-D was pricing their bikes too low or not producing enough. I think the company stated that they wanted to have an artificial shortage to maintain the allure of the motorcycle over the long run. Too many Harley's on the road would have made it an "everyman's" bike. In fact, when lots of yuppies started buying Harleys, the traditional Harley type guys were quite put out.

Perhaps Walt can tell us more about that. If I recall, he rides a motorcycle and I assume it's a Harley (or maybe an Indian). :)

"You still haven't learned what Begging the Question means"...

Ahhh, Robert!, Robert!, Robert!...

My man you are still under the misimpression that I mean it...

Its basically for that one particular anon and that other hearty lad SS who post those ever so clever but thoroughly comments...

Its called baiting bear...:-)

Its fallacy playtime is all...