It’s a true story.
Once upon a time early in my side hustle career, I used to flip tickets online.
Scalping I believe is the colloquial term.
Basically, you buy tickets for popular events and then mark them up and cash in on the demand…
Not especially proud of it but hey it taught me about supply and demand and at the time I figured if there was money to be laid it might as well be me.
But it’s not as easy as it sounds.
You see it’s a bit of a gamble spending money on tickets that don’t have a whole lot of value after the event has passed.
But that’s all part of the fun.
You have to sort of “read the crowd” (aka demand) and then decide what you will put money into.
Well when sir Elton John went on his final tour ( which lasted 3 years and may actually still be going )
I figured this was the big payoff.
I copped a ticket dead center in the one hundred level for 340 bucks off Facebook marketplace.
Crazy I know but those same tickets were retailing on stub hub for twice that amount.
An easy 300 bucks I figured.
Not so fast.
I never sold that ticket.
And long story short no one ended up sitting in that seat.
Sorry, Elton.
You see it turns out singles don’t sell well.
Not even my brother would go when I offered him the seat for free.( I was in a different city)
So I lost that one and the 340 bucks.
I’ve moved on from this hustle but it was pretty fun while it lasted ( and I did hit strike it pretty good with the likes of Luke Combs and Billie Eilish).
But I learned a pretty important thing and that was to work on projects that lasted and had some innate value, instead of just trying to scrape somthing off the top.
There’s nothing wrong with being a middleman here and there but it just doesn’t feel as good as something you can really stand behind.
Something you can really look people in the eye with when they ask what you are up to.
So if you’re looking to make a quick buck then im the first one to say go for it.
But if you’re able to think a little longer term then I have found it’s much better ( financially and psychologically) to work on something you can do with pride.
Pride may cometh before the fall but it also cometh before the fulfillment.
So put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Hustle on,
Ben
P.S. buying and selling is still a great way to make extra cash and it doesn’t have to be ticket scalping. This is a great way to learn about “commerce” in general and dabble your toes in entrepreneurship. So if the idea interests you then give it a try! I think anyone can make an extra 3-500 per month hitting up flea markets or thrift stores and selling stuff on eBay (just google it). So if you’re desperate or bored it’s a fun way to get the ole creative and financial wheels turning.