Hey, there! Log in / Register

Why you can't get Sox tickets at face value

The New England Center for Investigative Reporting analyzes Sox ticket sales:

Ticket resellers play a double role. First, ticket brokers like Ace Tickets regularly resell season tickets and luxury perches controlled by companies or wealthy individuals, often for double or more their face value depending on interest in the game.

But the resellers even compete aggressively for the bleacher, grandstand and other seats that are some of the remaining havens for those fans without corporate connections or deep pockets.

Fans, however, may recall what happened toward the end of last year's season: Tickets began selling at below face value as desperate brokers sought to recoup some of their investment.

Neighborhoods: 
Topics: 
Free tagging: 


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

The Red Sox keep perpetuating the myth that they have an ongoing streak of consecutive sellouts. In fact, some of the "sellouts" have been accomplished via the expedient of giving away the remaining tickets not sold by game time.

The end result, insofar as the casual fan is concerned, is that tickets take on an unearned aura of unavailability. This tends to make them appear more valuable than they rightly should be considered, and thus they tend to fetch higher prices.

(Credit where due: Jon Keller made this point on "Beat The Press" this past Friday. As he said at the time, part of the term "sellout" is "sell", so if tickets were given away...)

Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com

up
Voting closed 0

But of course the article states that you can get tickets at face value.

It's been many years since you could walk up to a game and expect to get tickets. For those who just want to go to a game, I recommend a minor league team. You can't just walk up and get Springsteen tickets either. If you want to see a major league baseball team play whenever you want to, move to Pittsburg - they'll take care of you.

up
Voting closed 0

Agreed, except that the Pirates aren't a real major league team. ;)

(speaking as a former 'burgh resident)

I managed to pick up tickets 40% below face-value on a reseller site last May. Yes there were surcharges. But there are also surcharges if you purchase directly from the Red Sox website. It should go without saying, but don't be surprised if you can't get tickets for Yankees games at Fenway Park, the demand is too high.

up
Voting closed 0

I've often wondered why the state hasn't stepped in. This is a clear case of nepotism when it comes to these games. Then again, as others have posted, you can't get springteen tickets this way either.

But the Red Sox come off as a 'family' organization (or try to at least), wouldn't it make sense to make the games more 'family affordable'. I'm sorry even some of the face value priced tickets aren't very afforable. Sigh, its just a game of smoke and mirrors for the Sox.

I've often wondered how Ace Tickets and these places get their tickets. If it was in true fairness, tickets would only be avaliable online, and same as you or I, Ace and the like would need to go online and purchase these tickets just like we do.

But No, its obvious that the GOOD seats are handed over to the Red Sox's 'partners' long before they would ever hit the ticket window. So in typical MA fashion, someone has their hands in the cookie jar, long before there even cookies to give away.

I just find it hard to believe that many games decent tickets are sucked up in the minutes they go on sale in Feburary.

I also feel the same way about TicketGouger erm TicketMaster. So you want to charge me 10 dollars to print my own ticket?!? really?

The bottom line, its all about the green and not the game or the fans, as much as MLB's marketing machine would like to push this not-so-true image on to us. I wonder why I stopped following baseball years ago..

up
Voting closed 0

There are plenty of people out there sick of the same crap with the Pats. No matter how the current court battle in the NFL pans out, these things have a way of working themselves out. All it will take is one crappy season by the Pats and/or Sox (the sox are on their way already) and you'll suddenly see seats available for both.

up
Voting closed 0

These ticket resellers should be outlawed if they aren't already. In 2007, Judge Mark Coven essentially ruled that the ticket re-selling business with its outrageous markups was illegal. Ace Ticket honcho Jim Holzman was (in the Globe and the legal filing linked below) reportedly very concerned about the effects of the ruling. Why then are Ace and the others allowed to continue operating today? Has the law changed?
http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007...

The following document sheds a tawdry light on Ace Ticket, Holzman, the indicted Richard Vitale and Sal DeMasi as Holzman and fellow brokers paid an unregistered lobbyist (Vitale) in an effort to customize the law to their benefit. Sickening.
http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Original_PDF/20...

up
Voting closed 0

because of that POS Jim Holzman. Never in my life have I ever encountered a more sleazy individual. I look forward to being a spectator at Sal's trial just to look at ole Jimmy scared shitless. Expect Jim to take the stand for the prosecution in this one.

He's been skating on the service charge loophole in the anti scalping law for years and he's doled out prime seats to any and every pol that has helped preserve that loophole. He's as low as they come. My favorite line of Jim's;

"He said free competition would help drive down the price of tickets offered for resale."

That's it Jim, pull the old "Free Market" excuse...scumbag.

up
Voting closed 0

Red Sox tickets are exactly a case of free markets. I purchased a Box Seat for Tonto last season for $200 LESS than face. To thinbk that a Yankee game will be available for les than 3X face is wishful thinking at best.

I'm sure readers of a certain age will remember when Bruins tickets were expensive.

up
Voting closed 0

Bruins tickets WERE expensive? Have you tried to actually buy tickets to a game this season? The "cheap" seats start around $40 a pop, when they were half that (or less) a couple of years ago.

up
Voting closed 0

I am speaking of scalped tickets.

up
Voting closed 0

In the case of Toronto, if they keep up their current level of play (at the time of this writing they're 3-1 and AHEAD of the Yankees!) then they might not be such cheap .....oh my god I just realized I was about to type the word "Scalping" just after referring to a Native American character. TOTALLY UNINTENTIOAL!

up
Voting closed 0

Ever wonder how Ace can be "the official ticket reseller of the red sox"? What kind of scam is going on there that they can essentially be the official scalpers?

Not to mention Ace has half the stadium up for sale before tickets even go on sale for the year.

the whole "system" is such a joke.

up
Voting closed 0