Stuff that does not yet have a home.
Used to be that ticket prices would consistently fall in the days leading up to a concert event. As paper ticketing has become more prevalent, there are signs that ticket pricing patterns are more volatile as events grow near. I propose that those changes are a direct consequence of paperless ticketing, the device that was intended to curb ticket resale (what?).
This post is in reply to a message from my email bag. Elie asks the question, “How late may I show up after the face-off of an NHL game and be able to grab cheap tickets?” This question was asked in follow up to my article titled “Buying from a Scalper”. This question is a bit tricky. The best time to buy a ticket from a scalper at any event – regardless of the kind of event – is dependent…
This past week, TicketMaster reported it’s second quarter earnings were down seventy percent (70%!). This news combined with recent reports that resold ticket prices for popular acts are selling well below face value means it is ‘super value ticket’ time for fans. Here are a couple of pointers for playing into these market dynamics. First, if you prefer to buy from Ticketmaster or Live Nation and do not see the seats you want onsale right away, return to the site…
In the July 2009 issue of Rolling Stone, Steve Knopper points out that average concert ticket prices have more than doubled in ten years from $32 to $67. While the increase in ticket prices is not always pleasing to concert goers, the more pressing issue is that of ticket mis-pricing. Simply stated, concert tickets traditionally have a face value that is based on a guess, and a poor one at that. This means that some tickets are priced too low…
Last week, Mark Gimein wrote an article titled “Is Scalping All That Bad?” that touched on both the politics and economics of ticket scalping. While the article raised new thoughts about old issues, it failed to address the question posed by the title. I argue that the question is not the right one. It is not about whether scalping is “good” or “bad” ; that is one of those questions they ask in business school that has no right or wrong answer. The more interesting question to ask is: if ticket scalping is a problem, why are primary ticket sellers (such as Live Nation and Ticketmaster) supporting and engaging in the practice?
Just bought two tickets to see Keane at the Aragon in Chicago for $42 – total! Yay eBay!