Advice on getting tickets?

[CelticsPrideKG]

I hope this thread is okay.  Mods please delete if it's not.

I'll be travelling to Boston next week to visit my girlfriend and I was wondering if anyone had any advice on finding semi-affordable Celtics tickets when they play the Hornets.

I realize everyone is off work and it's a good opponent but I'd really like to catch a game on one of my rare trips to Boston.

Thanks for any advice you may have.  Merry Christmas!

[GreenEnvy]

I was thinking stubhub, but I just checked to see what is available and the cheapest tickets are surprisingly $120 a pop. That's a lot for a non-marquee game. Most "regular" games start around $40-60.

Keep checking there this week because maybe people will make plans for NYE and look to move their tickets.

I guess you can check ebay and craigslist if you are brave.

Good luck.

[Kane3387]

Go to ScoreBig.com it is where the best deals are because they specialize in selling all distressed inventory for all teams.

www.scorebig.com

[birdwatcher]

I was thinking stubhub, but I just checked to see what is available and the cheapest tickets are surprisingly $120 a pop. That's a lot for a non-marquee game. Most "regular" games start around $40-60.

Keep checking there this week because maybe people will make plans for NYE and look to move their tickets.

I guess you can check ebay and craigslist if you are brave.

Good luck.

I go to about 15-20 games a year, and am too stupid and cheap to cough up all the cash at once for game paks or season tickets. The one thing I've realized is to NOT got through stubhub or aceticket--basically no 3rd party resellers. The reason is, the face value of the tickets can be 150% marked up and higher in some cases. My advice is to become a member of team green through the celtics nba website and you will get emails letting you know of deals/late release tickets for games a couple of weeks out. The advantage is you don't pay more than what the ticket is worth, the disadvantage is that you may not get to see the specific game you want. So, have your money ready and as soon as you get the game notice try purchasing them immediately! I've seen ticket info emailed to me, tried to by them and they were all sold out in ten minutes. If you do use aceticket or stubhub, they are reliable, you can usually find decent seats, but they generally sell tix in singles or blocks of three for the really popular games, and they're marked up to the point of sin.

[Kane3387]

Just letting you know that ScoreBig deals directly with the team's Ticket Operations Staff. You are guaranteed to get a ticket below Face Value but you might not be able to get the specific ticket you want in the specific section you want. Still check it out.

[CelticsPrideKG]

Thanks for all of the responses.  They have been very helpful - it's crazy that it's going to cost at least $300+ to take my girlfriend to a regular season game against the Hornets.

I put myself on that ScoreBig waiting list but I'm kind of doubting they let me become a member before the end of next week.

I'll keep trying and hoping I hear something about tickets becoming available.  I rarely make it up to Boston and this may be my last chance to see the "Big 3" play together. 

Thank you very much everyone who responded!

[Overrated]

StubHub is probably the best way to find a large selection of available tickets for any game. I've purchased tickets for a couple games through the site this season, both cheaper than what ticketmaster/celtics charge. Good luck!

[webdevjim]

Hello,
  I have been using: http://yourofficialtickets.com/ResultsGeneral.php?kwds=celtics for the last few years. I know Stubhub was bought out by eBay I believe. Since SH has been bought the prices have gone up and the selection is worse.
  I found tickets a Your Official Tickets starting at around $50, depending on the game.

[greenpride32]

This ticket has been really hot since the beginning of the year; more so to do with the date than anything else.  All the 3rd party brokers know this so expcect a large markup.

You can periodically check Ticketmaster's Ticket Exchange for the Celtics.  Sesason ticket holders can sell their tickets on this site only at face value, but you have to pay some fees and surcharges to TM/Celtics.  Somebody might have a last minute change of plans and post their tickets.  But for a hot ticket like this it could go quickly, so check often.

I would try searching ebay for auctions (not fixed price posting which are going to have significant markup) and try to win one.

Also check Craigslist.  There will be many big markups, but you may get lucky and find a reasonable deal. 

Another option is to walk around the streets near and in front of the Garden 30-45 minutes before game time. Look for the guys who ask if you are buying or selling tickets.  Usually their seats are not the greatest (corner or end balcony) but they will be affordable.  Plus the prices will go down the closer the game gets and espcially after it starts.

 

[bdm860]

I've been buying tickets for years from 3rd parties, for many different events, and in many different states.  Here's my advice:

The further out you buy tickets from a 3rd party (ebay, craigslist, stubhub, ticket brokers, etc.), the more expensive the tickets will likely be.  The reason: sellers hope for the best and know they have time to adjust the prices down if the tickets don't sell.  So say I had tickets that were $100 face value to the 12/31 game, I might list them on stubhub or ebay now for $300 each, hey if I can get a 200% return on them I'll take it, if not, I'll just go to the game or I’ll lower the price later.  If I do really need to sell them, I will still list a high price but one that's in line with the other prices, hoping they sell.  The day or two before the game, if they still haven’t sold and I really do need to sell them, I’ll start lowering my price substantially to try and sell them.  Once that happens, they go quick though.

It’s risky, but the best advice I would give if you want cheap tickets is to wait till the last minute, then constantly check stubhub, craigslist, and ticketexchange (via ticketmaster), the day or two before the game, especially the day of, including hours before.  That’s the best time to find somebody who is legitimately trying to dump their tickets.  Man I had $100 tickets for the 12/31 game, but something came up at the last minute, don’t have time to get top price for them, just hoping to get something back for them, so I’ll post them quick for $50.  This actually happens, but warning they go quick, so you really need to constantly check.  Personally I think ticketexchange is the best bet for this, since you’re dealing primarily with season ticket holders trying to sell tickets to games they can’t go to, not brokers or people trying to flip tickets for a profit (although they are there too).  If you got nothing to do the day before/of the game, just sit on the couch with your computer watching tv with the various websites up and just refresh the pages every few minutes.  You will find some deals this way, but warning they’ll be gone within minutes.

The last time I personally did this was the day before Thanksgiving this season.  All week I had been monitoring tickets prices, they were hovering around $75 each.  About 3:30pm the day of the game I finally got tickets for the 7:30pm game for $32 each (with fees though it came to like $38 each though).  A couple of hours earlier I saw a couple of tickets posted for $40 using this same method, but was a little too slow and missed out (but it worked out in the end for me).