Tickets from ebay,stubhub,scalpers

[peterstastny]

This is just something I have realised lately with the devils playoffs tickets, yankees stadium, and citi field opening. Teams are making their tickets higher because of what they are seeing their seats sell for on stubhub, especially teams with new buildings/stadiums.

Something it seems they didn't take into account is that, they rely on scalpers selling tickets over face value to sell all their tickets from the box office. When i want to go to a devils game now-a-days i don't even check the official box office, because everything on ebay, stubhub, etc is cheaper then the face value. The teams did succeed in cutting down on the scalpers market, however it also cuts down on their market. Instead of say 5,000 fans tonight buying face value tickets from the box office, they are going to those other outlets to buy tickets for less then face value. And then in return the arena has to sell tickets for less then face value as well with their family 4 pack deals, college night deals, 20$ ticket line, etc

[NJDevs26]

When i want to go to a devils game now-a-days i don't even check the official box office, because everything on ebay, stubhub, etc is cheaper then the face value.

That depends on the game. For rivalry games like Rangers, Flyers, Pens and special promos and events (Opening Night, Fan Appreciation, Marty's #552) StubHub and ebay prices go right through the roof. For midweek games against Toronto and Florida or weekend games against Ottawa you can generally find tickets at or below face in a lot of sections.

As far as the playoffs, you're never getting anything below upper deck face on the broker sites other than Game 1 of this series. The Devils have to offer discounts because a couple of their sections are ridiculously priced.

What the Mets do is different, first of all I think they're actually partnered with StubHub and thus I think get a cut of their sales as well, so really they're selling tickets twice (once at face, once for a little extra tip). Plus they have tier pricing as well, jack up the prices for the most sought-after games like the home opener or the Yankee games.

Edited April 28, 2009 by NJDevs26

[peterstastny]

That depends on the game. For rivalry games like Rangers, Flyers, Pens and special promos and events (Opening Night, Fan Appreciation, Marty's #552) StubHub and ebay prices go right through the roof. For midweek games against Toronto and Florida or weekend games against Ottawa you can generally find tickets at or below face in a lot of sections.

As far as the playoffs, you're never getting anything below upper deck face on the broker sites other than Game 1 of this series. The Devils have to offer discounts because a couple of their sections are ridiculously priced.

What the Mets do is different, first of all I think they're actually partnered with StubHub and thus I think get a cut of their sales as well, so really they're selling tickets twice (once at face, once for a little extra tip). Plus they have tier pricing as well, jack up the prices for the most sought-after games like the home opener or the Yankee games.

That is totally untrue. Right now I can sit anywhere on the lower level ends for 55$ off all broker sites. they are 95$ face value tickets. Any ticket that is not upstairs corners is below face value on all broker sites. And the upstairs corners are going for 45$. Basically anything thing that is not a club seat can be found for around 50$ right now.

So my point exactly is; why do i go pay 95$ for a lower end seat (they are still available in the box office) if i can get them for 55$ from a broker?

and this is GAME 7 doesn't get much more of must have ticket then that.

That is totally untrue. Right now I can sit anywhere on the lower level ends for 55$ off all broker sites. they are 95$ face value tickets. Any ticket that is not upstairs corners is below face value on all broker sites. And the upstairs corners are going for 45$. Basically anything thing that is not a club seat can be found for around 50$ right now.

So my point exactly is; why do i go pay 95$ for a lower end seat (they are still available in the box office) if i can get them for 55$ from a broker?

and this is GAME 7 doesn't get much more of must have ticket then that.

and if you search, i have seen upper deck for 26$, 35$, etc. these are all 40$+ seats.

[Triumph]

because, as i understand it, the broker bought it for $95, so the team makes that money anyway. the brokers bought it in anticipation of a series with the flyers or rangers where the ticket would for sell for double face at least.

[peterstastny]

because, as i understand it, the broker bought it for $95, so the team makes that money anyway. the brokers bought it in anticipation of a series with the flyers or rangers where the ticket would for sell for double face at least.

yes correct.. however, the fans just end up ciricling the same # of tickets, instead of people just going to buy a ticket from the box office.

example: I just bought 2 lower level seats in section 5 off some joe schmoe website for 109$ with service charges.

the box office has the same seats available for 95$ EACH.

So instead of the box office selling 4 tickets and making say $120 ($60 each). They only sold 2 tickets, which in return were rebought, and they lost the sale and the extra fans.

[KidRobot]

yes correct.. however, the fans just end up ciricling the same # of tickets, instead of people just going to buy a ticket from the box office.

example: I just bought 2 lower level seats in section 5 off some joe schmoe website for 109$ with service charges.

the box office has the same seats available for 95$ EACH.

So instead of the box office selling 4 tickets and making say $120 ($60 each). They only sold 2 tickets, which in return were rebought, and they lost the sale and the extra fans.

Huh?

The ticket broker never intended to go to the game. He bought them so he could resell it for a profit. They're not losing fans.

They still made $170 selling 2 tickets vs selling 4 tickets for $240. In reality 90% of the seats are sold night in and night out. They don't care who the tickets are sold to, they still make the money.

[peterstastny]

eh.. you aren't understanding.

yes the scalper is not going to go to the game, but he will sell his tickets, either for profit or to get rid of them before the game, so someone is going to the game with those tickets.

now.. if the seats actually cost 60$; the scalper would have bought them for 60$ from the box office and so would I = 4 tickets sold from the box office

the way it is now; the tickets cost 95$; the scalper bought 2 tickets for 95$ and then i bought them from him rather then the box office for less = 2 tickets from the box office.

those 2 tickets circulated amongst postbox office buyers, rather then me going to the box office to buy new ones. the same tix are for sale right now from the arena.

[Triumph]

yes correct.. however, the fans just end up ciricling the same # of tickets, instead of people just going to buy a ticket from the box office.

example: I just bought 2 lower level seats in section 5 off some joe schmoe website for 109$ with service charges.

the box office has the same seats available for 95$ EACH.

So instead of the box office selling 4 tickets and making say $120 ($60 each). They only sold 2 tickets, which in return were rebought, and they lost the sale and the extra fans.

you're not understanding economics. the market has spoken - those tickets are overpriced. the ticket brokers who bought them are now selling them at a loss because there's still tickets available from the box office. if this were a game 7 against the rangers those two tickets would probably be $200 per ticket.

the devils' ticket model should be like that of clay davis: 'i'll take any motherf'rs money if he givin' it away' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QpWKu98h3I (NSFW, explicit language)

[KidRobot]

eh.. you aren't understanding.

yes the scalper is not going to go to the game, but he will sell his tickets, either for profit or to get rid of them before the game, so someone is going to the game with those tickets.

now.. if the seats actually cost 60$; the scalper would have bought them for 60$ from the box office and so would I = 4 tickets sold from the box office

the way it is now; the tickets cost 95$; the scalper bought 2 tickets for 95$ and then i bought them from him rather then the box office for less = 2 tickets from the box office.

those 2 tickets circulated amongst postbox office buyers, rather then me going to the box office to buy new ones. the same tix are for sale right now from the arena.

It's really not like we're dying on attendance. We had several sell outs this season and every single playoff game has been so far. The Devils would lose money if they dropped the ticket prices. (though the balcony should be $45-$50, not $65). The Yankees overpriced their low tickets way too much. The most tickets are at Devil games are $250 and you get free food with that so it's not bad. No average fan will ever pay $2,500 for a seat at one regular season game out of 162. It's just dumb.

[peterstastny]

pretty sure thats waht i am saying

the tickets from the box office are over priced.

so i guess i do understand them.

[KidRobot]

To say they're all overpriced is just dumb.

All of the 100 level sections are. The rest are pretty decent.

[peterstastny]

To say they're all overpriced is just dumb.

All of the 100 level sections are. The rest are pretty decent.

i would agree with that.

[SegaDevil]

It's only over priced if you can't afford it.

Regardless of who buys the tickets, the team is making the money, it's the middle man that takes the hit on this series.

[peterstastny]

It's only over priced if you can't afford it.

Regardless of who buys the tickets, the team is making the money, it's the middle man that takes the hit on this series.

oh lord oh mighty. people dont understand how 2 tickets circulating between a scalper and a would be box office buyer is hurting the box office.

I was at the first 3 games, i don't care what they announced, those 95$ seats on the lower ends did not sell out. i check 20 mins before game time and they were available from the box office, and they were scattered at the game.

[Devils731]

oh lord oh mighty. people dont understand how 2 tickets circulating between a scalper and a would be box office buyer is hurting the box office.

I was at the first 3 games, i don't care what they announced, those 95$ seats on the lower ends did not sell out. i check 20 mins before game time and they were available from the box office, and they were scattered at the game.

The Devils aren't allowed to sell all their tickets though. They have to hold some back until right before gametime because the league has the option for a bunch of them until right before gametime, at least that's how it was at the meadowlands.

Also, if there were just a scattering of 95 available, even assuming they weren't the ones held back for the league, would the Devils have been better selling them all out at 45 dollars or selling the majority of them at 95?

I've been at all 3 games and I think they were all sellouts. The last 2 definitely were and the first one I think had a lot of sold empties, but that's just an assumption on my part.

[peterstastny]

The Devils aren't allowed to sell all their tickets though. They have to hold some back until right before gametime because the league has the option for a bunch of them until right before gametime, at least that's how it was at the meadowlands.

Also, if there were just a scattering of 95 available, even assuming they weren't the ones held back for the league, would the Devils have been better selling them all out at 45 dollars or selling the majority of them at 95?

I've been at all 3 games and I think they were all sellouts. The last 2 definitely were and the first one I think had a lot of sold empties, but that's just an assumption on my part.

http://www.ticketsplus.com/ResultsTicket.a...++-+Home+Game+4

case closed to the replier that said "no way you can find playoff upperdeck lower then face". EVERY TICKET IS BELOW FACE UPPER LEVEL AS WE SPEAK

[Devils731]

http://www.ticketsplus.com/ResultsTicket.a...++-+Home+Game+4

case closed to the replier that said "no way you can find playoff upperdeck lower then face". EVERY TICKET IS BELOW FACE UPPER LEVEL AS WE SPEAK

So? Those tickets are still sold. I still fail to see how the Devils are hurt by scalpers taking a loss on their tickets.

I also don't know how that response had anything to do with what I wrote.

[peterstastny]

So? Those tickets are still sold. I still fail to see how the Devils are hurt by scalpers taking a loss on their tickets.

I also don't know how that response had anything to do with what I wrote.

b/c right now 5000 people are buying tickets from scalpers rather then the box office. and the box office has plenty of tickets left.

[Devils731]

b/c right now 5000 people are buying tickets from scalpers rather then the box office. and the box office has plenty of tickets left.

So you're basis for this hurting the Devils can't be proven for the first 3 games so you'll guess at the future attendance for tonight to show how bad it's hurting the team?

[peterstastny]

So you're basis for this hurting the Devils can't be proven for the first 3 games so you'll guess at the future attendance for tonight to show how bad it's hurting the team?

you are in a dream land if you think games 1,2,3 were sell outs. tickets were available 10 mins before game time. i have gone to all devils final home games. those are sell outs. not 3000 empty seats.

[Triumph]

i sat in the lower end at game 2 and at absolute most there were 1000 unsold tickets for the game (and it's impossible to tell how many of those were unsold at the box office), it's obvious the devils made way more money by pricing them at $95 because the brokers had to gamble.

[peterstastny]

you are in a dream land if you think games 1,2,3 were sell outs. tickets were available 10 mins before game time. i have gone to all devils final home games. those are sell outs. not 3000 empty seats.

the straight fact that the box office has tickets, and i am searching on scalper sites is what hurting the devils.

[Devils731]

you are in a dream land if you think games 1,2,3 were sell outs. tickets were available 10 mins before game time. i have gone to all devils final home games. those are sell outs. not 3000 empty seats.

I don't know, I've only been going to pretty much every game since '87 so trying to play the "I go to the game" cards isn't going to fly. The last 2 home games were easy sell outs. Even TG, who had no problem saying the first game had empty seats, said the last 2 were fully seated sell out.

I'm not the only one who apparently missing the nuances of your arguments. You also fail to answer questions posed to you, which suggests you don't have good answers for them.

[maxpower]

because, as i understand it, the broker bought it for $95, so the team makes that money anyway. the brokers bought it in anticipation of a series with the flyers or rangers where the ticket would for sell for double face at least.

the broker likely bought it for $49, the STH face. If they turn and sell it for $50+, they still turn a small profit.

edit: and I sorta agree with the premise here that they find themselves trapped by selling tickets to brokers, which then have to resell before they can sell their own. but it really hasn't panned out this series, Game 1 was much busier than I expected. Maybe if they have to turn around and play the Pens on Friday with only 3 days to sell, then you might see it.

Edited April 28, 2009 by maxpower

[peterstastny]

I don't know, I've only been going to pretty much every game since '87 so trying to play the "I go to the game" cards isn't going to fly. The last 2 home games were easy sell outs. Even TG, who had no problem saying the first game had empty seats, said the last 2 were fully seated sell out.

I'm not the only one who apparently missing the nuances of your arguments. You also fail to answer questions posed to you, which suggests you don't have good answers for them.

wow.. that's pretty funny how you try to disprove my "i have been going to games" argument by saying "i have been going to the games since '87" - LMAO that was pretty comical, borderline insane (literally)

either way I have been going to the games b4 '87 for whatever it is worth.