[theDarkSide]

So here it is...late Friday afternoon before the start of my vacation.  I figure might as well post on the AHA Forum.  What else am I going to do?  Work? 

I read today how Ebay is going to ban sales of certain intangible items ( spells, hexes and the sort ).  I was then thinking about how fast the GABF Members only session sold out and how shortly after, these tickets were being listed on ebay, stubhub, etc.

Do you think a ban on these beer related items is a good idea?  How about the people who go to the limited releases and buy bottles just to sell them on ebay for a 1000% markup?

I am not for anymore "nanny-state" items, like banning soda, greasy food, etc., but I can't stand it when people do these things just to make a profit, especially when that profit isn't shared with the brewers or organizers of an event.  What's next?  Ebay listing for NHC entries for the people who didn't get in on time?

Your thoughts?  Or not...again, I'm just bored before vacation starts in  T-01:03:30.

[gsandel]

no, Ebay is free market, and should remain....sell away.

The AHA/BA should reduce the membership buy to 1 ticket per member, and require you show your membership card and id at the door....in fact, this should hold for any member purchased ticket on any day....(a ticket you got before anyone else could).

I also believe that the GABF should increase its days to 5 days with 2 members (daytime). sessions.  If anything, reduce the number of booths per day....entice people to come back on multiple days.  Beer fans will, mere consumers will not.

[Slowbrew]

no, Ebay is free market, and should remain....sell away.

The AHA/BA should reduce the membership buy to 1 ticket per member, and require you show your membership card and id at the door....in fact, this should hold for any member purchased ticket on any day....(a ticket you got before anyone else could).

I also believe that the GABF should increase its days to 5 days with 2 members (daytime). sessions.  If anything, reduce the number of booths per day....entice people to come back on multiple days.  Beer fans will, mere consumers will not.

I agree.

The problem with limiting any "type" of item is where does the limit stop?  Does beer related mean CO2 tanks and regulators?  How about bottles or hops, yeast, bottle caps?  The only way to stop a scalper is to not buy from him/her.  Supply and demand will drive the market, just the way you learned in econ class.  If someone is willing to pay 2X or 5X the retail price of a ticket, that isn't your (or my) problem.  The event organizers got all the $$ they were looking for so it's all good.  The AHA could limit the number of tickets per purchase but that is about where it stops.

YMMV

Paul