SOLVED. Man buys ticket to alien paradise planet but believes he's been duped and leaves just before a dimensional door opens. [s]

[Brian]

Short story I read in the early 1990s. A man sick of his urban life is chatted up by a man who claims to be an alien in disguise. He shows him photos of a paradise planet where there is no hardship, and sells him a ticket for whatever cash he happened to have on him (that is always the price). He takes the man to an abandoned barn in the woods with other hopefuls and leaves him. After a few hours the man thinks he's been duped and storms out, only to see a dimensional gate to the paradise planet open, and engulf the others. He blew his chance.

[Kris]

Brian, did you find this short story in an anthology book for adults? (What was the common theme? Single or multiple authors?)

[Brian]

That's in, Canvan! Thank you.

[Kris]

Glad you found your book, Brian. Link for Canavan's find: the short story Of Missing Persons by Jack Finney.