There are a few lines of fine print on the back of Harvard football tickets which, if anyone took them seriously, would put an end to one of the biggest booms in Boston's economic history: ticket scalping.

"Under Massachusetts laws," the fine print reads, "this ticket is a revocable license. If sold or offered for sale at a premium it becomes void." During most of the year, this warning is about as relevant as the Nineteenth Amendment. As the Yale game approaches, ticket scalping becomes hysteric, and nothing can stop it.

This year, according to seasoned observers, the ticket situation is tighter than ever. People at the Harvard Ticket Office, who (seem to) sigh with longing for a return of the bad old days, point out that the team is good this year and alumni want to see it. Yale tickets are not made available to the non-alumni Boston public, but the local newspapers have built up hometown boys Leo and Gatto into the heroes of the Hub.

Search for Tickets

The search for tickets, on bulletin boards, in the CRIMSON, by the grapevine, began early this year. "Feel free to think in terms of $15," one classified said optimistically. There was no surprise when a reporter masquerading as a scalper called and offered a pair for $45.

One classified, which promised only a "good price," got more than 40 offers. The average for seats on the 50 yard line was $30 a pair. Scalping gets progressively less lucrative down field, and you're lucky to get away with a 100 per cent mark up behind the goal posts.