Here's a ticket broker story for you. Back in the '80s I had a boss whose brother ran one of the largest brokers in LA, a family business since the 1930's. When the Angels made the postseason in 1986, my boss announces one day that his brother is stopping by the office, because he'll be in the area picking up "his" Angels postseason tickets. So he shows up and brings "his" tickets in to show off to us. He had HUNDREDS of them, packaged in bank bags. Stacks and stacks and stacks of 4-accross sheets. Somebody internally at the Angels sold them to him. No idea what he paid, or if this was done under the table, or in the light of day. I suspect the latter - those tickets were super-valuable, and the team can normally only make face value for them - if they can sell them at a higher price, why wouldn't they (other than it might be illegal or against MLB rules or something - no idea). Maybe he paid face value to make it a "legit" transaction? NFW. They'd have sold them to the public first I gotta believe, if all else were equal.
Our broker problem isn't the same, as there's no way that brokers are paying above face value - I'd bet they're paying substantially below in fact. I don't think there's nearly enough demand to sell out season tickets without these guys absorbing a significant number. If there were, or eventually is, the team will sell less (if any) to these guys. Or, they'll jack up the price to them, if the market will bear it.
I don't have a problem with people selling their seats, though I'd certainly prefer that they not sell them, and show up in RED, loud and proud each week, supporting our Cardinals. That's what we do, and this year will be no different - Green Bay, Seattle, and hopefully a couple of home playoff games.
