This week’s fast and furious sell-out for the nine-show “residency” run of Smashing Pumpkins at Asheville’s now-more-renowned-than-ever music club, the Orange Peel, saw 8,500 tickets snatched up in five online minutes. And, in the American way, a few aspiring capitalists began an immediate resale market via eBay, asking as much as $1,299 for two tickets, according to eBay listings reviewed today.
But even if you’re planning to shell out that much money to see one of the shows, there’s a slight hitch: According to Liz Whalen, manager at the Peel, original ticket sales were based on a limit of two tickets per person, and sold on a “will call” basis — meaning that the purchaser must pick them up at the door and must provide identification. So if you’re buying outside that original contract, you may be signing on for a blind date for the evening, because the club expects the original purchaser to be by your side when you pick the tickets up.
“We’ve been monitoring eBay,” says Whalen, and she has been in touch with the company regarding both their sales policies and the North Carolina scalping law. Single tickets listed there would mean the purchaser must attend with the original buyer to gain access to the ticket. Pairs of tickets listed on eBay, Whalen said, would mean some friends bought pairs originally and are pooling their second tickets for the eBay market. Again — the club would only honor purchases according to the original reservation, so an eBay purchaser would have to attend in the company of the person holding the original reservation.
“We’re very upset about the scalping ourselves,” says Whalen, “and we’re doing everything we can to thwart it.”
— Nelda Holder, news and opinion editor
It’ll be interesting to watch ebay feedback for the people selling tix.
What is the Orange Peel going to do when all the scalpers don’t show up at the show? Those guys never inteded to attend.