The Guilt That Comes With Selling ‘Hamilton’ Tickets on the Secondary Market
“I am not for this world … of CAPITALISM.”
Last month, Mike and Logan had the pleasure of seeing “Hamilton” thanks to Mike’s foresight of buying tickets eight months in advance.
Mike: Logan.
Logan: Hi!
Mike: I have a shameful Hamilton confession.
Logan: Omg, what, tell me!!!!
Mike: Okay so last summer when I contemplated going to see Hamilton, I kept thinking about how expensive it was, even if I got tickets at face value. And then I got an American Express pre-sale offer, which gave me the opportunity to buy them at face value. So this is my secret shame: When I bought our two tickets, I decided to buy four tickets so I could sell two of them to cover the cost of our tickets. The tickets were about $185 each.
Average ticket prices to Hamilton pass the $1000 mark
But what this story really is about is how I am not a good person of CAPITALISM. Because when I put the two tickets up for sale through Ticketmaster, I suddenly found myself feeling disgusted with myself. I could not bring myself to sell them at the crazy high prices everyone else was selling them for, so I sold the two tickets for $275 each — enough to cover the cost of your ticket, but not mine. That is how I got you your ticket. THE END.
Logan: Ohmygod Mike, I love you, you are the purest soul we have in this world.
Mike: People are selling these tickets for $1,000 each and I could not bring myself to do it. I could not LIVE with myself.
Logan: I understand. I’m not sure how I would have felt! I guess what is important is: Are you mad now?
Mike: Oh my god no, I am not mad. I hope the two people who bought my tickets were overjoyed to find relatively reasonably-priced tickets on the resale market, enjoyed the show, and went on to have their lives changed.
Logan: I’m sure they did!
Mike: But I am still even a little ashamed that I even did it in the first place.
Logan: Bought the extra tickets you mean?
Mike: I am not usually the kind of person to scalp tickets like this.
Logan: Is the guilt about taking the money from the show, or from the buyers? Because the buyers are obviously willing to pay?
Mike: I mean, the show is doing very well and everyone attached to the show is doing very well. It’s definitely more about the buyers, yes. Historically, when I’ve bought tickets for a concert or something and couldn’t go anymore, I’ve always sold the tickets at face value on Craigslist, or whatever. Or tried to give them to a friend.
Logan: How did you decide on $100 over?
Mike: I basically decided that I wanted to sell them both to cover the cost of your ticket, so that was how I arrived at that number.
Logan: It was really, really generous of you to invite me! I’m sorry this was stressful!!! So you should have no qualms about this phantom money. You’re not greedy, is the thing. I’m greedy!!! I’m mourning your lost money a little bit.
Ha, what could Mike Dang have done with that Hamilton money? WCMDHDWTLHM
It doesn’t matter!! We went to the show, it was soooooo gooooood, we had a lovely dinner before. It was the best night!
Mike: We had the best night! To be honest, I wasn’t really thinking about it too much until after the show and I read all this news about how many awards the show has won and how many Tony nominations it’s getting, and the insane amount of money people have been paying for tickets. And how so many of them have been swindled or sold fake tickets. The secondary market can be such a scam!
Logan: I think the most important thing is that you feel OK about it.
Mike: If I had lost my mind and sold them for a lot I would be feeling really bad about myself, and probably given the money away to a charity by now. I am not for this world … of CAPITALISM.
Logan: Hahaha, I wonder if you would have been distracted during the show, wondering who you’d swindled. Though I guess you knew since they were beside us maybe????? Did you check them out? Were they worthy?
Mike: They were on the other side of the theater!
Logan: OK, that’s for the best. What if they were horrible, Mike? I think you did the right thing for you.
Mike: The tickets got snapped up quickly. If I had held on to them up to the date, I would probably have changed my mind and thought of two other people we could have invited.
Logan: Yes, I was wondering about that — if you considered selling them to people you knew.
Mike: Or just giving them to some pals. But my pals who are theater people and love the show have already gone or saw it when it was off-Broadway. I’m just thinking of me briefly losing my mind last year and buying those four tickets. I remember that night, I just might regret that night for the rest of my days…
Logan: L O L
Mike: But I feel better now that I’ve told you, and I guess the internet now, about my secret Hamilton shame.
Logan: You are absolved!!!!!! Also Mike, I love you.
Mike: I love you too, Logan. Now we can both sit under our own vines and fig trees.
Logan: At home in this blog that we made.
My secret shame is that I fell asleep during Hamilton. NOT BECAUSE IT WASN’T INCREDIBLE but because I fall asleep everywhere now #thanksbaby
Mike Dang and Logan Sachon are the co-founders of this website.
Support The Billfold
The Billfold continues to exist thanks to support from our readers. Help us continue to do our work by making a monthly pledge on Patreon or a one-time-only contribution through PayPal.
Comments