Why not just increase ticket prices to limit the scalpers? The higher the box office charges, the less incentive the scalper has...and if people balk at the high prices, just lower them the next day - supply and demand meeting equilibrium
the sad thing is stubhub/ebay/scalpers actually get the economics right...
They do raise prices. There is a problem though. Season ticketholders incur risk when they get their season tix in hopes of getting playoff strips. I don't think they should have to pay the same "market price" that is paid for tix when the finals are already set.
Sadly, this means that some season tix holders will scalp their tix through some despicable organization like Stubhub.
What is needed is a way to resell tix through the Celtics that gets market price instead of face value. That would push stubhub out of the market and allow what stubhub would have profited to go to the team instead.
The Celtics could also sell tickets to the general public for much more than what they charge for playoff strips. Again, the reason is you need to provide price guarantees for the season tix holders who incur risk at the beginning of the season. Otherwise, many will cancel their season tix, which would kill the Celtics bottom line since that is guaranteed money.
There is an easy way to get finals tix -- buy season tix for next year. The Celtics have been wisely offering playoff strips for this year as incentive.
you're right, season ticket holders take risks and get rewarded - I had to buy my playoff tickets up front, and guess what, prices went up every round - that part of the system works
maybe so season ticket holders don't make a killing off reselling they should make it so that any season ticket holders' ticket that shows up on stubhub leads to a rescinding of their ticket rights - the Patriots do this
I'm saying the box office should start with high prices and go down as game day approaches - simple supply and demand - this would almost eliminate resales
To be clear, I am in favor of the price increases for playoff tix for each round. My point is that the current prices for season ticket holders are reasonable, but they shouldn't have to pay stubhub level prices because the market won't bear that. Many would cancel their season tickets if a team when that route, costing the team too much revenue.
totally agreed - season ticket holders put the time in and deserve the reward - cheaper playoff tickets and a guaranteed sale
Exactly. I got season tickets this year, and the main reason was to make sure I could get guaranteed playoff tickets at a rate well below ticketmaster, stub hub, etc.
We do get a discount from the general public, but as mentioned previously, there's risk there. The main risk being the complete lack of demand for some games this past winter. If you can't go to a Tuesday night game against Sacramento, you are probably going to have to sell them at a loss, if not eat them completely. You take that chance, and hope it pays off in June. Fortunately, this year it is paying off.
well i'm sorry, but if you are viewing purchasing season tickets as your own personal business, then take a hike. If you buy season tickets, you should be going to the games or letting your friends and family go. Not in hopes of selling playoff tickets for profit.
I apologize if that comes off harsh, but i really don't care if you have to eat your Tuesday games against Sacramento. You eating that ticket means that someone else couldn't go.
Actually, I got season tickets so I could go to the playoff games and because I love the team, NOT because I wanted to sell every game at a profit. I have been personally going to as many games as I can, and the ones I didn't go to, I sold to friends and coworkers (at face value, I might add). If I couldn't go, I simply tried to get my money back.
Where in my post did I say I bought season tickets to make a profit? I said I got them so I could go to the games without paying $600 a seat to be there for the Finals.
I'm simply pointing out the financial risk that comes with being a season ticket holder, and the fact that playoff strips are at a discount to the general public is a valid reward for that risk.
