The Art & Science of Buying from Ticket Resellers
| 16
|
by Sparty
[NOTE: There are risks associated with buying tickets from scalpers who may be peddling counterfeit tickets. Please be sure to check the laws and local statutes regarding the purchase of resold tickets as penalties can be severe.]
I have seen 30 or 40 Carolina Hurricanes games in the past 2 years hardly ever buying a ticket for face value or ahead of time from the box office. Let me share some observations, and tips for purchasing tickets from the many resellers outside different venues that can help you get the best price for the seats you want.
If you're looking to get into a sold out event or one that you ABSOLUTELY have to see this article isn't for you. If you're shy about dealing with strangers and money this article isn't for you. If you're looking for some tips to help you score better seats at a better price than you would have imagined read on.
Here are some general rules:
1 - Know the arena. If you don't know the section numbers and where they are in relation to the game you're already at a disadvantage. When a reseller says, "I've got great seats in the 5th row." You better ask about the section, and then know where that is in the arena. Not all seats are created equal and in some MLB ballparks, for example, not knowing can mean obstructed views or worse.
2 - Have a gameplan & a maximum price in mind. Resellers will often get you to come over with the promise of cheap seats if you just ask ,"What do you have?" Once they are talking to you any good reseller will have a number of different options and try to get the most for the tickets they paid the least for on the front end. It helps to know things like how much tickets cost at the ticket window and what season ticket holders pay for seats (many resellers are season ticket holders who sell off the games they don't want to see). It's easy to get talked up 15 bucks a ticket and in no time you've dropped an extra $45 for 3 seats that you may not have really wanted or needed.
3 - NEVER show off your cash. If you are going to haggle it has to look honest on your part. If you brought $80 and your gameplan says you only want to spend $40. You better have a $20 dollar bill, a $10, a $5, and some singles so you can make a show out of ONLY having $40 bucks to spend. I cannot tell you how many times I've seen some guy haggle in the parking lot for tickets and then whip out a giant wad of cash. Generally the deal goes sour as the reseller feels like he was cheated.
4 - Keep the reseller's motivation in mind. If you pick your games well you have a huge bargaining chip...The ticket window. Here it REALLY pays to know the prices for seats off the top of your head and have an idea about where you want to be seated. Resellers generally have many sets of tickets to sell, as game time gets closer they want to unload tickets and the prices go down. If a reseller is holding up more than 1 set of tickets, they probably have A LOT of tickets left in their pocket. I've never offered to pay anything more than $25 for seats to start working with a reseller. On a night when the game isn't sold out and there aren't a lot of people bouncing between resellers you can easily work a reseller down by asking lots of questions about the seats, talking to your friends about prices at the ticket window, etc. You will have to be persistent, but you'll wear the reseller down eventually.
5 - Don't think a reseller is working alone ever. Don't burn your bridges with resellers. You will see them at most events at the arena. If you yell at a guy or get into an argument...forget about it. You'll never get a decent transaction with the resellers. Similarly, if one reseller doesn't have the tickets you want, don't worry! There are more, sometimes you might have to walk around to find them, but there are more. Generally the guys in the parking lot by the cars have the worst deals and the best deals are guys closer to the venue. TIP: Always know your local venue's layout and where you can and cannot purchase tickets. There is no excuse for not knowing the laws.
6 - You may not get a ticket. If you REALLY wanted to the see the event...you should have planned ahead. If a reseller smells desperation, they will take advantage of it. Always be willing to walk away from tickets and a reseller if you don't feel like you're getting a good deal.
Okay so those are my general rules that have served me really well. I've never paid anything more than $5 less than face value for seats using these strategies. In fact, my best score was paying $35 for $90 seats to sit center ice 5 rows back. The seats weren't great because, as you die-hard hockey fans know, center ice is a pretty bad place to sit to watch the game. That said, it's a lot of fun to be right behind the bench and you get a sense of the speed and physicality of the game from that close.
Here are some opening tips when talking to resellers:
- "What do you have? I'm not sure you'll want what I can pay, but let's see anyway." Resellers love this...you approach them and they have the feeling that they can talk you up. Most people who approach a reseller are suckers that don't have any plan or strategy in mind. Just be sure when the pressure is on to hold fast to your plan!
- "Got any tickets in section 123?" Generally resellers will look to see and if they know other resellers will attempt to get you the tickets you want. This will give you a chance to find the seats that YOU want and get a feel for how much resellers are asking for that section. Generally you can use this if you know the face value of the seats, and those in the sections around it as they can sometimes vary by $10-$15.
- "Those tickets I got from you last time were awesome!" This is a great way to get a reseller feeling like he's go repeat business. As long as you aren't around every night this will work. A number of the resellers know me and my buddy on sight so this only works with guys we've actually bought from. Consider the ticket prices and pick a fair price and use that as your starting point. So if your seats would normally be $48 seats, say something like, "Have any more of those $30 SE corner seats?" They'll immediately start working with you.
When things aren't going your way:
- Be polite and excuse yourself. Don't get belligerent. Ever. If you make a scene, you just ensured that you'll be buying from the ticket window or leaving having wasted your money for parking. Enjoy the game at your favorite bar!
Closing:
A lot of people really have a hard time with this part. Haggling forever is going to annoy a reseller because they want to keep selling tickets. They don't want some cheapskate preventing them from making a sale. If you've talked for a minute or two you need to make a choice to leave and thank the reseller or to make your final offer.
- State your final offer: "Gee, I really like those seats, and I'll take em if you can go to $40 bucks a seat for me" Sometimes, rather than stating how much per seat give the total price number. Human nature...$120 bucks for "those tickets" sounds better than $40 dollars a seat for 3 tickets!
- "Sounds great...let's do it..." Then fish through your money...maybe you're a little shy of the ticket price, see if the reseller will go for it? Like I said earlier...have a strategy and DO NOT show your money if it is going to work against you.
Those tips have really worked well for me and I've enjoyed A LOT of great games without ever paying face value or higher for seats. There is a great bar just around the corner from the arena and when I've missed out on tickets I've never had a bad time at the bar watching with other fans. Go into it with a great attitude and things will generally go your way!
