The Washington herald., 1916-10-31
Seen and Heard by George Miner.

New York, Oct 3o-Theater ticket speculation
has evolved itself into an out-and-out legitimate
business in this city. l don't know that the pub
lie is benefited by its except that it permitted to
buy theater tickets at an advanced rate in rather
more reputable way than formerly. In the old
days, many campaign was waged against the
ticket speculator. He was considered a pest and
something of commercial pirate. His standing
as business man was of the lowest. The mana
gers denounced him and used all sorts of schemes
to drive him away. The public derided him but
still bought his wares. Those were the days
when the ticket speculator bought his tickets in
the theater in any underhand way he could and
stood around on the sidewalk before the entrance
to the lobby holding up everybody as he went into
the theater.
There is OF that sort of thing going on
now. The law prevents it. But ticket speculation
goes on to bigger extent than ever. There arc
some half dozen firms in New York who conduct
this business and call themselves ticket brokers.
They have regular Offices where tickets-the best
in the theaters-can be bought for any perform
ance at an advance of so cents each Large sums
aore invested in this business and it is carried on
in perfectly legitimate way Take Leo Newman,
for instance, who is perhaps as we'll known as any
OF the ticket brokers. In the old days, he one
of the most conspicuous of the sidewalk specula-
tors and president of their union. Today he has
a large and commodious Office on Broadway near
Forty-second street, and does thriving business.
He tells me he has about $4,000 constantly invest
ed in theater tickets. He has to buy absolutely
on his own judgment He sees the first perform
ance Of play and if it strikes him that it will
be success he invests largely in tickets for that
show. His average purchase he tells me, is
twenty-five or thirty for each performance and gen.
orally for period of two months in advance. He
goes to the box Office and buys these outright pay
ing cash for them. There is no need for subter-
fuge, for ticket speculation is longer disgrace
full occupation.
"A good many of the theaters," said Mr. New
man, in explaining his business to me- ALLOW US to
return certain amount Of the tickets bought that
we have been unable to sell 1t is usually ten per
cent that returnable and these tickets must be
delivered back to the theaters by half past seven
OF the evening of the performance. Usually we pay
the ordinary price for the tickets. Sometimes when
the show promises to be great success we have
to pay the theater premium, even when we are
buying for weeks in advance The largest numbel
of tickets l ever bought for any one performance
was for the opening of the Hippodrome This
theater seats 5000 people I bought 7Ioo tickets
and wasn't stuck with one
when VIC are stuck with tickets beyond the
amount VIC can return and it gets close to the
time of the performance we sell them at a very
great reduction Not here in the Office, but W.
turn them over to men-generally cigar dealers
who make business of doing that sort of work
For instance if have ten tickets left on my hands
that l paid s. apiece for and it's within an hour
of the performances beginning, l give them to
certain man for 50, IS cents or 81 apiece, the
case may be. He takes his chance on selling them
for 81 $I.25 apiece in the next quarter of an
hour. This is how many people brag about being
able to buy good s. seats for dollar. They fire.
quently are"