To borrow a line from the Tiger Woods playbook, hello world.
Today is my first attempt at becoming a writer. I have pondered trying this for some time now, and away I go.
The focus of this blog, is to give different and alternative opinions or takes, on a topic which merits discussion.
My first blog will discuss the purchase of NBA playoff tickets by alternative methods.. This discussion can be applied to any big entertainment event.
As the Lakers prepare to meet the Spurs on May 21, 2008 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, I am looking for tickets for the first 2 games of the series.
Unless you have season tickets, know someone who does, has access to corporate seats or got lucky and was able to get tickets through Ticketmaster, you most likely will have to purchase tickets from a ticket broker if you want to see any remaining Laker playoff games.
The first thing that should be noted is, that the ticket brokers basically are in collusion with one another. You can find tickets for the same seats posted on many different ticket broker websites. By simply checking as many different brokers as possible, you can get a good idea of which brokers offer you the best prices.
So by doing a little homework, you can reduce the price you pay for your tickets in a major way. The more times that you buy tickets from brokers, the better you will get at finding the best price for your tickets.
You should only use StubHub as a last resort. Due to the 10% commission you pay on top of the ticket price and the shipping charge, you can usually do better from local ticket brokers.
You've probably heard those commercials a million times, but the only one really making out big time is StubHub. They also charge a 15% commission on the seller side of the transaction. They make a whopping 25% on all ticket sales.
You can also buy tickets from scalpers on the street, but you should be very careful not to get ripped off. You risk the chance of buying counterfeit tickets. If you get ripped off you have no recourse. The scalper will vanish into thin air and the cops will be of no help.
In order to protect yourself from fake tickets, familiarize yourself with what the actual game ticket looks like, so that you will not get ripped off.
When dealing with the scalper examine the tickets closely, verify they are bonafide tickets, then negotiate a price, and then and only then do you produce the cash.
Don't let the scalper rush you. If you are feeling pressured, just walk away. Don't engage the scalper in any further discussion, it will only get you nowhere.
Many times you can get tickets from fans who have extra tickets and just want to unload them. In this situation, this is where you will get the best deals. Many times you can get tickets for face value or below. The more important the game, the less the chance that this will happen. However, I have picked up NBA playoff tickets at face value or below a few times.
And if you are at the right place at the right time, you might get a free ticket. I have gotten free tickets at least 20 times over the years.
So if you exercise due diligence you can see the event that you want and not break the bank!
