In a recently published article on Bigmoney.com, author Mark Gimein adroitly examines the economic factors behind ticket scalping.

In “Is Ticket Scalping All That Bad,” Gimein analyzes the complex issue without the sentimentality of the ardent fan. The same fan who assumes that because they own every album and operate a fan-site they’re entitled to the best seats in the venue. He tackles the issue without the duplicity of the artist. The same artist who wants to publicly appear as one of the people while secretly taking as much of their money as possible.

Instead, Gimein intelligently and cogently explains ticket scalping while drawing from his years writing for such publications as Fortune, New York Magazine, Slate.com, and the New York Times. Whether you’re for or against ticket scalping his piece is both thoughtful and thought provoking.

Ultimately though, Gimein has no use for ticket scalpers. He believes the ticket industry can fill venues, maintain fan satisfaction, and allow the market to determine ticket prices without their services.

To begin his argument, Gimein uses an antidote from the Beijing Olympics. A sports writer wants to buy a ticket to a sold out boxing match from a scalper but he doesn’t want to pay more than face value price. The scalper responds to the writer’s request by saying, “I’d rather tear the tickets up.”

According to Gimein, this desire to destroy tickets rather than sell them at face value price is a problem because it keeps venues empty. Concert promoters and theater producers want seats full of eager fans, even if all the tickets have been sold. Packed houses create buzz while empty venues do not.

In addition, scalpers, in order to make a profit, must make tickets scarce or at least create the perception that tickets are scarce. That’s why the Beijing scalper was more than willing to tear up his tickets. However, a dearth of tickets makes fans very unhappy.

Gimein asked readers to imagine a wealthy person desperate to see a Broadway show. All of the show’s 1,000 tickets, each of which sold for $100, have been purchased by a scalper. The wealthy person buys one ticket from the scalper for $150,000. The curtain rises on a show with a sold out theater of one. Outside, the scalper cheerfully pockets a profit of $50,000.

While this is an extreme and simple example it does demonstrate another major problem with the primary ticket market. That problem is the “price at which every seat is filled and the profit-maximizing price are not the same.” In other words, tickets are underpriced.

Underpriced tickets mean someone is willing to pay more. It is these people who put the scalper in business. It is these people who allow the scalper to dictate market prices.

The traditional reason for underpriced tickets is the desire for promoters and producers to fill seats. Gimein also postulates, with help of economist Eric Crampton and Nine Inch Nails’ front man Trent Reznor, that tickets are underpriced due to a conspiracy by venue operators in cahoots with scalpers.

Reznor’s argument is if venues wanted scalping to end they would print the name of the purchaser on the ticket (or use some sort of electronic ticketing). Since they don’t currently do this, they therefore must wish for scalping to continue and therefore have no incentive to correctly value their tickets.

To solve the problems created by scalping, Gimein suggests the industry adopt two measures. First, venues begin using electronic ticketing similar to what Miley Cyrus is using for her latest tour. Reznor goes so far as to suggest this alone will end scalping.

Gimein also recommends that certain tickets be sold at higher than normal prices. Basically, artists should scalp their own tickets. Artists are reluctant to charge hundreds of dollars for premium seats because it casts them in a bad light (music and greed don’t mix).

Still, dynamic ticket pricing is a quality the current over-simplified ticket industry is lacking. For an example of this type of ticket pricing we can once again look at Cyrus’ tour. Premium seats for her concerts are selling for $295.

Gimein believes these two provisions are the best ways to combat ticket scalping. As long as the ticket scalper would rather tear up tickets than sell them, the ticket industry will be unable to keep fans happy, fill seats and allow the market to dictate ticket prices. Only when the scalper is gone will the primary ticket market be transparent and efficient enough for fans.

While Gimein’s article is solid, he fails to address a few issues. It’s illogical to expect a ticket scalper to sell a ticket at or near face value price. The scalper is in business to make money.

When you buy a ticket from a scalper you’re not only gaining entrance into the event but you’re paying the person who actually spent the time to acquire the ticket in the first place.

Blaming the scalper for empty paid seats is like blaming the public for not buying tickets in the first place. Does anyone really feel sorry for concert promoters and theater producers who’ve sold every ticket but have empty seats? After all, they are in business to make money too. If they were in the business of enriching lives and enlightening souls then seats would be free.

While this is not so much Gimein’s fault but Reznor’s, it’s illogical to assume that just because venues don’t print names on tickets they are somehow involved with scalping. There could be several reasons why venues don’t use electronic ticketing. For instance it’s takes a long time to usher fans into an event.

Finally, Gimein seems to put too much of a premium on fan happiness or rather indicates a large majority of fans are currently extremely unhappy with ticket scalpers. Fans are still flocking to concerts by the thousands and Broadway is coming off its best year ever. Furthermore, all this success is coming during a down economy.

The fan’s happiness will only become a factor if 1,000 people show up to a U2 concert at Giants Stadium or 500 people attend a Brittney Spears show at Staples Center. If that ever happens, the industry, including scalpers, will quickly make the proper adjustments and correct itself.

Scalpers only seem to be a problem to the unhappy few who believe the breadth of one’s passion should be the sole determinate for ticket accessibility. Unfortunately for them, enthusiasm isn’t currency.