For people with an interest in local sporting events, concerts or theater, the feeling of being left out may be all too familiar. When it comes to seeing the hottest musical act or a successful sports team, supply and demand rarely match.
But those desperate for tickets may still make it to the front row–long after seeing the sold-out sign–by working with a broker.
Brokers offer hard-to-find tickets largely through buying and selling them from the same sources the public does.
“We buy blocks of tickets from Ticketmaster just like everyone else,” said Dan Finkel, vice president of Gold Coast Tickets in Chicago. “The good sports tickets are bought by season-ticket holders, but most people don’t have $2,000 to put out each year to buy them. Even if they did, the good tickets were bought years ago, and most people aren’t willing to give them up.”
Radio, television and newspaper promotions, plus tickets given by sponsors to charities, are other sources brokers may tap to meet demand.
Brokers network with other brokers as well as with people who sometimes offer to sell tickets that can’t be used.
Mike Bee, office manager of Ticket Heaven in Wheaton, says conflicts in an individual’s schedule or an unexpected event often triggers transactions.
“People with season tickets will call and say they have Cubs’ tickets for the weekend and can’t go, and we know the game is sold out,” Bee said. “We’ll buy the tickets, or if the game isn’t that big, we might offer to buy the tickets if the person agrees to sell us others to a game later on we know will be big.”
Corinne Cifone, a ticket sales broker for Best Seats Tickets & Travel, Inc. in Streamwood, says her business will sell tickets on consignment as a favor to regular customers.
“We’ll agree to sell tickets for people we regularly deal with,” Cifone said. “We’ll add a small service charge to the price of the tickets, sell them and then give the original ticket holder back his money.”
Brokers say finding a reliable service involves checking out business credentials and relying on friends’ recommendations.
“We’re licensed and registered with the state,” Bee said. “Anyone you deal with should be a member of the NATB, National Association of Ticket Brokers. We’re also bonded up to $100,000. We guarantee the tickets we sell are good. Any transaction here requires a driver’s license.”
“We’re just like a store or professional person you deal with,” said Dan Worlund, another sales broker with Best Seats Tickets & Travel. “You want to work with someone you’re comfortable with who’ll give you good service. We also keep track of our sales using a driver’s license. We can tell you where we got our tickets from, and whom we sold them to.”
Buying from scalpers is a risky business, brokers say, because tickets may be forged and double sold, leaving you with seats that are already occupied–an embarrassing situation that can lead to an ejection from the stadium.
“Any tickets should always be examined carefully,” Worlund says. “I’ve seen people hawking Cubs’ tickets saying they’re for the bleachers and they’re actually marked `SRO’–standing room only–and folks think they’re going to get a seat.”
Ticketmaster, the leading ticket service in Chicago, is still the first source most people turn to for major entertainment events.
“People come to us for the convenience of being able to buy tickets by phone, through the Web or at the variety of outlets we offer,” said company spokesman Larry Solters. “Tickets are sent right to your home so you don’t have to drive to a box office. . . . And unlike brokers, our prices aren’t determined by supply and demand. A $60 ticket remains a $60 ticket.”
Brokers say frustrations with phone sales and ticket outlets, or learning just released tickets are sold out, brings customers to their door.
“Theater events seem to be the hardest tickets to get, even more so than concerts,” Worlund said. “Some plays may only run two weeks, and you’re not talking about 15,000 to 20,000 seating capacity like a concert offers. It’s true a concert may be just one or two nights, but with plays there’s word-of-mouth that leads to more people wanting to see it.”
Solters says frustration over performances selling out is a function of the promotion and advertising campaigns used to market them, plus the number of outlets where tickets are sold.
“Tickets are like anything else–gas, food –it doesn’t matter,” Solters said. “When demand is greater than supply, people are going to be unhappy. If you had a venue that sat 100,000 people, 85 percent of them would be unhappy. Think about it: Tickets go on sale, and people are buying them through Web sites, phones, box offices. Someone who is third or fourth in line somewhere probably figures he’ll get good seats, when in fact thousands of seats are being sold at all those outlets in the first five minutes. By the time he gets to the front of the line, they’re gone.”
Here are some tips to help you secure the best seats, regardless of where you buy them:
– Follow a sports team or musical group through their Web sites, so you’ll know when they’ll be in your area.
“Most bands have a Web site that tells you their concert schedule, and sporting events are usually announced way in advance,” Bee said. “For tickets available only at a box office, you can work with a broker if you’d rather not stand in line.”
– If you’re using a broker and time permits, shop around for the best deal, but make sure comparison of ticket prices and location are fair.
“You can haggle prices if you want to, and make someone an offer,” Finkel said. “We work with people we know if we find out from them someone is offering tickets at a better price. This is a service business, and we try to make people happy.”
“If you’ve got more than one option for buying tickets, make sure you’re talking about the same section and row,” Bee adds. “There’s a big difference from one section to another.”
– Buying tickets from brokers just before the event may save you money.
“Tickets are sometimes sold for a concert at the last minute. Maybe an event was supposedly sold out weeks ago, and nobody asked for tickets anymore,” Worlund said. “To sell the tickets, brokers may drop the price.”
– Tickets may be purchased in advance using checks, credit cards or cash, but there are exceptions for last-minute transactions.
“Unless they really know you, most brokers aren’t going to take anything but cash a day before the concert,” Worlund said. “By the time a check bounces, the concert is over.”
Because ticket prices remain constant and money is returned in the event of cancellation, services like Ticketmaster may still be the best place to start. Solters said Ticketmaster receives numerous calls from customers who bought from scalpers or brokers and wanted refunds from Ticketmaster.
“We say `the buyer beware,’ ” Solters said. “People who don’t buy from us are told to return to the origin of sale.”
If you buy from a broker, expect prices to be inflated a minimum of $10 over face value to more than double, depending on demand. Check for licensing and longevity of the business. Ask about a refund if an event is canceled. Check tickets to make sure they’re legitimate, a service that a reputable broker will provide.
“We guarantee our tickets are good,” Bee says. “Good brokers are like bankers–we can spot a fake from the real thing.”
