So what does this mean for you, the casual ticketholder who doesn't plan to sell your tickets? It means that your tickets are no longer just physical assets that are safe as long as they are within your possession. If you leave your tickets in public view prior to the event, they are at risk of being stolen, even if they don't move an inch.
This all sounds very paranoid, but we have entered a new age of ticketing where hard tickets are no longer required to enter sporting events. If someone wants to sell a ticket for 29 of the 30 MLB stadiums on Stubhub this year (Boston excluded - they didn't sign the deal), all they have to do is enter the barcode from their tickets and Stubhub takes care of the rest. They are able to hold on to the original ticket as a keepsake,or just throw it away - a buyer of MLB tickets on Stubhub will never see the hard copy.
This also affects sellers of tickets. Many times, people post photos of their tickets on internet forums, or more likely on websites such as Craigslist and Ebay. Most savvy ticket sellers will understand the importance of barcode protection, but there are also many casual ticket salesman, ignorant to the new Stubhub policies. Below is an example of what you need to do to protect your tickets, if you do post a photo of them in a public domain:
It is obvious from the above photo that you do not need any graphic design skills in order to do what is necessary. You simply need to open the .jpeg in "Paint" or any simple drawing program located on your computer. It is important to blur out the barcode and scratch out the numbers below the barcode. We also recommend blocking out your ticket account number and your seat location as well. This will protect the privacy of your account, and the privacy of the seat location for whoever purchases the tickets.
There are plenty of scammers lurking the internet, just waiting for the next get rich quick scheme. Especially in these times of economic upheaval, it is important to be vigilant and protect your assets.
