Ticketing is a blind auction system used in mining districts to sell bulk copper and tin ores to smelters. Mining companies lay out samples of their dressed ore, and prospective buyers evaluate the assay before writing their highest price per ton on a ticket. The highest written bid wins the lot, ensuring competitive pricing without a public outcry auction.
Heard on the job
The ticketing brought in a much lower price per ton due to the high arsenic content in the sample.