Stubhub Watch 2014

[batmagadanleadoff]

Just when I thought tickets would be going for a third or more less, a random and very casual review of the next home game next week against the A's shows that a good # of Mets tix on Stubhub are going for higher than face value. Explain that one.

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/ticketing/pricing.jsp?c_id=nym&layout=gameflow

http://www.stubhub.com/new-york-mets-tickets/mets-vs-athletics-6-24-2014-4402862/

Caesar's Gold $94fv -- stub hub -- sec 316 $106.50 -- sec.318 $145.00
Metro Box $125fv -- stubhub sec 112 $128.50
Baseline Silver $49fv -- stubhub sec 129 $61.40 -- sec 128 $58.65 -- sec 107 $57.55

LF reserved $33fv -- stubhub -- sec 136 $220.90 -- sec 134 $48.20

[Frayed Knot]

People like to attend baseball games?

[seawolf17]

Honestly, I've been surprised by this too, but I wonder if this is because less people bought season tickets this year, and therefore, less people are looking to dump them. (I expected to find cheaper tickets by now too.)

[Guest d'Kong76]

Guaranteed to have the time of your life

[Ceetar]

Less season tickets, and less by pure scalpers means less supply.

It's a somewhat appealing interleague matchup (The A's are good, and I'd much rather see the A's than say the Diamondbacks or Pirates again)

The mid-range tickets are usually the ones that are cheaper though, so it is a little surprising.

I suspect there is a large portion of the mostly dormant fanbase that figures "Let's get to at least a game this year" and "why not pick good seats if it's just the once and the team sucks?" that drives up the value a bit.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Meanwhile, I think I spotted "Ticket Oak" on the season finale of Game of Thrones the other night.

[Edgy MD]

I feel sleezy even checking the prices on Caesar's Gold.

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Meanwhile, I think I spotted "Ticket Oak" on the season finale of Game of Thrones the other night.

Those ticket oak commercials are almost as bad as the tristate honda ads.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: I feel sleezy even checking the prices on Caesar's Gold.

Caesar's gold are the cheapest section where you get Delta Club access. Not that the club itself is really anything special of course. You can get a nice view of the indoor batting cage though.

[Edgy MD]

I feel sleazy contemplating "Delta Club Access" too.

Immediately invokes a strip club where street-level drug kingpins have their dancers entertain their suppliers in upstairs lounges.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: I feel sleazy contemplating "Delta Club Access" too. Immediately invokes a strip club where street-level drug kingpins have their dancers entertain their suppliers in upstairs lounges.

no, that's the Delta Lounge I think.

or something.

Delta Club has a couple of nice murals too. Hey, if you're gonna come all the way up here for a game, might as well see it all right? Indoor batting cage, Pat LaFrieda's Steakhouse, the Porn Room...

[Benjamin Grimm]

If you really want to feel sleazy, check out the BJ's Clubhouse.

[seawolf17]

I think the Ticket Oak commercials are hilarious. ("Well, I was going to go horseback riding.")

[batmagadanleadoff]

Ceetar wrote: Less season tickets, and less by pure scalpers means less supply.

I don't know about that. Less tickets sold means a greater supply of tickets at the box office. As supply increases, prices come down. In other words, why would I pay above face value at Stubhub when I can buy tickets at Citi Field without risk of being shut out since, as you say, the Mets are selling less tickets?

There may be less tickets in the hands of resellers, but if the Mets themselves aren't selling enough tickets, that has to drive down the price of resold tickets. The only reason scalpers/stubhubers can sell their tickets above face value is because those tickets are no longer available at face value (i.e., directly from the Mets).

There's something unnatural about the number of Mets tickets that are going for above face value on Stubhub. Of course, those listings are only offers, not completed transactions.

[Guest d'Kong76]

One would have to guess that not too many people are
buying tickets on Stubhub at a premium these days. Why
they are at a premium is because that's what the sellers
think they can get. They likely thought wrong.

[batmagadanleadoff]

d'Kong76 wrote: One would have to guess that not too many people are buying tickets on Stubhub at a premium these days.

I would totally agree. I guess that was my point. Why pay a scalpers higher price when there are still plenty of tickets to be had at the gate? Scalpers sell their tickets for higher than face value because the event sold out at the gate. There aren't any other options for an interested buyer. Think World Series or Super Bowl tickets, or a U2 Concert.

If the Mets haven't sold enough tickets, that means demand is low. That should lower prices. Low demand means less interest. Nobody increases demand by raising prices.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Dummies do.

You know, dummies? Like, people holding Mets tickets as a financial investment?

[Ceetar]

Also it's possible some of those prices were dynamically hire to begin with. (Beginning of summer, etc.) on Mets.com and that a lot of the StubHub volume was listed months ago when it was more comparable.

Or people listed them at roughly face (for them). StubHub takes a rather rich cut, and the price you see is the price to you, not the price the seller is getting. Perhaps they're banking on the game suddenly becoming a rich pitching matchup or something and just put it up and forget about it.

There's also the idea that people suck at listing tickets for sale. There is 'comparable' sales listed up there somewhere. Are tickets selling at those rates?

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

Do you guys generally use Stubhub?

I'm thinking of going to Wrigley on Sunday, and I'm debating whether to get tickets at the door or buy a pair off Stubhub. I'm reluctant to buy tickets from the team website after getting hit with a boatload of service charges. Are there a lot of extra chrges for Stubhub too?

[Guest themetfairy]

I've used StubHub. There are fees, but not a lot, and you can get a real bargain on tickets. I've been happy with them.

[Ceetar]

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: Do you guys generally use Stubhub? I'm thinking of going to Wrigley on Sunday, and I'm debating whether to get tickets at the door or buy a pair off Stubhub. I'm reluctant to buy tickets from the team website after getting hit with a boatload of service charges. Are there a lot of extra chrges for Stubhub too?

The price you see on Stubhub is what you pay.

I have no idea what Wrigley's like these days. I assume it doesn't sell out and at the park will save you fees, but if Stubhub is less than what cubs.com says just do that. Might be able to get a better seat for only slightly more too.