$10,858: That's the price someone was willing to pay for each of two tickets to Barack Obama's inauguration, according to a StubHub ticket broker. Parade tickets are going for $495 and on up to $1,419, though, to be perfectly technical about it, there are no tickets yet. Says the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies web site (phew), "The public should also be aware that no website or other ticket outlet actually has inaugural swearing-in tickets to sell, regardless of what they may claim."

Tickets to the swearing-in ceremony on January 20th are distributed, for free, through members of Congress, so it is theoretically possible that some cash-strapped senators or representatives are looking to cash in on the once-in-a-lifetime perk. (Do we need another ethics committee investigation? Hmmm?) But it seems that the economic recovery we're looking for could be rooted in Barack Obama, the icon: what with sales of Obama Wins! newspaper front pages, phantom inaugural festivities tickets, and everything from t-shirts to mugs selling so well that it's clear the new "hotcakes" will be "Obama stuff," I think the key to the economy is Obama himself.

No news yet on tickets to the Inaugural Ball, which may not have the tear-jerking, history-making quality of a swearing-in ceremony, but is a lot more fun. What would you pay for tickets?