Guess that confirms the economic reality that "face value" isn't the same as "market value," and/or that "face value" increases when demand is high. Also confirms the reality that if venues and stadiums set ticket prices according to fan demand and market forces, they can reduce or eliminate the secondary market for tickets being sold above face value. There can only be a secondary market for tickets being sold above face value if the tickets in the primary market are priced below market value.
For an artist, promoter, venue or sports team to complain about "ticket scalping" in the secondary market is really an admission that the tickets were under-priced and/or under-supplied in the first place in the primary market. Eliminating "ticket scalping" has always been very simple: raise ticket prices and/or increase the supply of tickets (for concerts). Looks like the Orioles have finally figured this out by charging higher ticket prices when fan demand is high for Yankees and Red Sox games. It's basic ECON 101.
Update: To avoid the controversy about whether the Orioles' differential pricing qualifies as "price discrimination," I refer to it now as "market-based pricing." The main point is that the Orioles differential ticket pricing demonstrates the economic reality that a ticket's "face value" is often much different (higher or lower) than its true market value. With a uniform ticket pricing strategy, the Yankees and Red Sox games would frequently sell out, which would then create a secondary market where tickets would sell above face value. By charging a ticket premium for prime games, the Orioles organization can effectively eliminate or reduce "ticket scalping." It's a step forward in the right direction that a professional sports team demonstrates some understanding of basic economics, and prices some of its tickets according to fan demand.
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