Asking prices climb for playoff tickets

Now that the American League Championship Series is set -- Rays vs. Red Sox -- the scalpers are upping their prices.

At online sites such as stubhub.com and craigslist.com, more and more people are asking $300 to $500 for their seats, although some are still offering tickets in the $100 range.

The asking price was generally lower Monday, before either team had earned its way into the series.

Some people are seeking really serious money -- like the person trying to sell tickets for $10,900 each for a possible third home game of the League Championship series.

-- Curtis Krueger, Times staff writer

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Comments

[dorsey]

tim -

it wasnt hard AT ALL purchasing Stanley Cup Tickets for the Lightning. I should know, we were at game 7 of that series with absolutley NO lottery. Just a plain ol' on sale through ticket master. I was looking forward to getting tickets to these games and didnt think there would be a problem like this when nothing like this happened for the Stanley Cup and nothing like this for the first round of the ALDS. I didnt hear of this kind of stuff until this particular round. I new MANY people who got the lottery email for the first round and got both games with ease and these same people got the lottery for this round as well and nothing. i agree with a lot of people on here on both sides but like I said, NO PROBLEMS for game 7 of the Stanley Cup, whats up with that??? did you go?>?>?>? let people be disappointed with not getting tickets. who cares how long they have been a fan?

[luisgarcia813]

So you bought the ticket on Monday "having recently moved".

Why bring up the recently moved part. And you won't pay 4X the price but are willing to sell yours at nearly 3X... makes since... You should define the word Idiot as I'm sure my post(s) depict a person far from being that.

Have a great day!

To luisgarcia813

If I was a scalper I would BE pedaling several tickets like you are and AT LEAST I POST HOW MUCH I AM SELLING MY 1 TICKET FOR IN SECTION 214 ROW F SEAT 22 $175.00, NO OTHER CHARGES. CAN PICK UP LOCALLY- E-MAIL @ SNEWBILL1@COX.NET

To luisgarcia813

I was trying to buy tickets to game 1 of ALCS for my wife and I. And was only able to buy 1 ticket thru the online sale...sorry but wife says I cant go without her and I am not going to pay 4 times ticket price to go to the game.

So I am not trying to fool anyone idiot..try again loser

[luisgarcia813]

To: Harlod

While I posted the the relationship the MLB/StubHub have on the Rays board on MLB.com (I'll post it here so all can see)
NOWHERE was it released that the Rays/MLB would release tickets to StubHub. Please let's not make up stories without documented facts while our Rays FO tries to establish a winning team and turn the Bay area into a baseball powerhouse having "fans" spreading rumors such as this does not help the cause one bit.
---------------------------------------------

Founded in 2000 StubHub was purchased by online giant eBay last year for $310 million and had come to a 5 year agreement back in '07...

- according to this article SB (StubHub) and the teams split a portion of the 25% collected off of fees/commissions: (they can basically make almost double per ticket, For example: Rays $30 postseason tickets sell to fans then placed on SB for $150. The SB fees total $37 split that by SB and MLB that's around $19 per side. Allowing the MLB/Teams to make a total of $49 on a $30 ticket split however between MLB/Teams...

3,000+ tickets avail. on SB for Game 1 x an AVG price of $160 = $480,000 - 25% = $120,000 / MLB & SB = $60,000 extra revenue on top of what the tickets were originally sold for.

-BTW 75 million tickets are sold to MLB games per year. And an estimated $10 billion worth of baseball tickets are resold online and offline each year.

-Baseball already had been StubHub's biggest revenue producer, so MLB decided to get a cut of the action. As part of the deal, Major League Baseball is guaranteed $200 million over the five years and could make as much as $300 million.

<http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-08-02-ebay-stubhub-mlb_N.htm
<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/02/business/02tickets.html?ex=1343793600&en=578f0909b839e005&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

-Individual franchises have the option not to participate with StubHub, but the deal between professional baseball and StubHub is exclusive and teams cannot resell tickets online through alternative means, Gersh said.

Hope you enjoy my research/findings... makes for good reading and for future knowledge.

[John]

Typical boring, quiet corporate crowd will 'discover' the Rays now. I've seen this at Lightning games so many times - Orthdontists with their trophy girlfriends, etc. ordering shrimp cocktails while real fans will either watch at home or be stuck in section 999.

[luisgarcia813]

ALCS Tickets: Contact me at- luisgarcia813@gmail.com

GAME 1:
(1) Seat Location: Section 139, Row BB, Seats 15

GAME 2:
(1) Seat Location: Section 319, Row F, Seats 17
(4) Seat Location: Section 136, Row AA, Seats 1 - 4

[luisgarcia813]

To: ? posted at 4:30

You mentioned this...
"I recently moved out of the state and am unable to come for game 1 of ALCS"

"I spent 3 hours trying to buy tickets with the password that was sent out FOR GAME 1 & 2 OF ALCS and could only get 1 ticket, WHAT A JOKE!!"

Was the first part of that an attempt to not be considered a "scalper"? So you spent 3 hours trying to get a ticket to a game you wouldn't be able to attend just for fun or more likely to make a few bucks?

I'm by far not hating but let's not try to fool anyone...

[harold]

people people people
Stub hub and the MLB are in it together. The Rays released about half of their allotment thru Thats right THRU stubhub. Its not just Fans that use stubhub. The teams use it to increase profits. While it sucks for us its good for them. It all about the benjamins people. Gotta pay the bills and Get a new Hedge fund.

[chuck]

Why the hell do they still have tarps over seats??? Thats why this is a cowtown because you should sell every freakin seat to pack the house with Rays fans and build a fanbase for the future.

Why not sell those seats for 10 bucks? 25 bucks? A can of food for charity? Seriously. Makes no sense at all.

I do have 1 ticket for Game 1 of ALCS section 214(Press Level)Row F seat 22.

I will sell it to A RAYS FAN ONLY for $175.00 and you can pick it up locally in st Pete((cash upon delivery)I spent 3 hours trying to buy tickets with the password that was sent out FOR GAME 1 & 2 OF ALCS and could only get 1 ticket, WHAT A JOKE!!
If you want the ticket to game #1 email me at snewbill1@cox.net ASAP!!

[Andrew]

Could this sorry excuse for a paper please report on how the scalpers "beat the system."

Get your lazy butt up and report please! Stop surfing Craigslist and stubhub and calling it a story.

Amen, Kim!

[harrycaray]

Thanks lori......I bought a pair of upper deck tix for Game 2 last Friday for $30 each during the 1st inning...got inside before the 2nd inning.....might try the same thing for game 1 or 2 and see if I can get a decent price

[Kim]

NO ONE IS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE LOTTERY SYSTEM. We are complaining that we were chosen through the lottery to get tickets and the scalpers found a way to beat the system and those of us that love the Rays and love the game could not get tickets by 9:01 to either game. AND BY THE WAY TIM & JAKE, MY HUSBAND & I HAVE BEEN FANS SINCE DAY ONE AND GO TO SEVERAL GAMES THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. We aren't bandwagon fans!

SOME of us who got shut out did attend games earlier in the season. SOME of us who got shut out did attend games in earlier seasons.
What's that got to do with us being shut out of tickets?
Are we going to start checking attendance sheets of people who want to come a game?

[Rich]

I don't see why the Rays are charging so little for the tickets. all sports teams tend to undercharge for their tickets or there wouldn't be a huge secondary market for them.

[lori]

well said Ben and Ace. and yes, the Poweralley pub will be open. people who sat next to me last thursday bought tix outside in the second inning for 50 bucks...third row lowers.

[WhatAJoke]

Stubhub dot com Official Scalper of MLB.
The fact they hold a lottery for an "opportunity" to buy tickets, is a smokescreen.

I am a Rays fan and have been since 1998. In fact my father has been a season ticket holder since day 1. I recently moved out of the state and am unable to come for game 1 of ALCS.

I do have 1 ticket for Game 1 of ALCS section 214(Press Level)Row F seat 22.

I will sell it to A RAYS FAN ONLY for $175.00 and you can pick it up locally in st Pete((cash upon delivery)I spent 3 hours trying to buy tickets with the password that was sent out FOR GAME 1 & 2 OF ALCS and could only get 1 ticket, WHAT A JOKE!!
If you want the ticket to game #1 email me at snewbill1@cox.net ASAP!!

[Ace]

yall are ridiculous with these comments. its supply and demand. this happens with every sport when a team gets good. if you cant afford it, watch it on tv, its not that bad if you throw a party. stop complaining that prices aren't $25, because we all know if that were the case, all hell would break loose. plus, the prices are set by MLB. i bet if half you people could sell your $25 ticket for $300 in today's economy, you'd jump all over it. grow up.

[T]

Welcome to the playoffs, Rays fans! What is it about Tampa Bay sports fans that they just complain so much? Do you think that a blue collar guy in Boston can afford tickets to see a playoff game at Fenway? HELL NO. You need a check book and a little help from a leprechaun. Why do you think it should be any different at the Trop?

[harrycaray]

Does anyone if the Power Alley Pub in straight center field will be open for standing room during the ALCS? I figure it maybe be easier to scalp 1 solo ticket that someone wants to get rid of ride before first pitch, and just stand there with a few friends

[luisgarcia813]

Hey Ben

60' PLASMA!! I'll watch the game at your house and you can go to the game with my tix

[Tim]

This is getting to be hilarious. All you people don’t show up throughout the year and now you are huge fans. Then, when they have a RANDOM lottery and you don’t get picked you complain again. Oh, and just because you got selected didn’t guarantee you a ticket. I only got tickets to one of the games and I went to about 25 games this year. This is a bandwagon city and you have to get used to paying bandwagon process when the team plays well. Remember how hard it was to get Lightning Stanley Cup tickets or even just regular season Buc tickets?? Stop your whining.

[Tino]

I am going to offer my seats for $11,000 so that I can get my name in the paper!

Wow...great journalism. Kind of like when you fueled the fire on Hannah Montana tickets when there were plently available at $50 each?

[jake]

9equals8 you are so dumb. allu who complain abot the lottery system are dumb. i hope they move the team to a real city where people understand how pro teams NEED to operate. how sad that the rays are kicking butt and this is all you are talking about. you all have been complaining about EVERYTHING since day one. poor rays, they deserve better..

[daren]

The price of ANYTHING is determined by an economic factor called supply and demand....The irony here however, is that the RAYS attendance ALL year was STILL AWFUL even when they were the best team in the AL for much of the season. Now that they are winning in the playoffs people have finally realized it may be a good idea to actually support the team. These are the people with the BRAND NEW hats and T-shirts.....BANDWAGON FANS!!! Its no different than a Miley Cyrus concert....if you want to go BAD enough.....BUCK UP and PAY THE FIDDLER!

[Mike]

Stubhub.com? Yep, the same online scalpers who raised the prices for the Miley Cyrus tickets! And they get away with it! When the heck will laws be passed to stop this kind of stupidity?

I would hope season ticket holders had the chance to get them for face value. They are the ones who deserve it for their full year of support.

Even though the prices suck, I think the idiots who wear the Boston jerseys deserve to pay these prices. The REAL Tampa fans deserve to cheer their team before these mASS fans do.

[Troy Percival]

Ben @ 2:53 .. You gotta 60' Plasma?! Im coming over!!!

[KS]

I was able to log onto Ticketmaster at 9am and get a pair for Friday's game and then 4 for Saturday's. It took a LONG time to process, but I had all my information ready to go and it took 2 seconds to buy tickets since I knew what I was doing. There are some TRUE fans that will make it out there.

[luisgarcia813]

ALCS Tickets: Contact me at- luisgarcia813@gmail.com

GAME 1:
(1) Seat Location: Section 139, Row BB, Seats 15

GAME 2:
(1) Seat Location: Section 319, Row F, Seats 17
(4) Seat Location: Section 136, Row AA, Seats 1 - 4

[9equals8.com]

Susan and Amanda - it's my understanding that only Game 1 & 2 of the ALCS were done and that there will be another lottery drawing for Game 3 and 4 (if needed). So, stay tuned....

[9equals8.com]

At 53 signatures now, come on, Rays fans, you can do better than this.... Petition is below. Give me something to show Rays mgmt.

http://www.petitiononline.com/NoTarps/petition.html

[Susan]

Thanks Amanda. Guess I missed that one too!

[Dale]

Buy season (or partial season) tickets and you won't have to worry about this. Stop whining people, it's unbelievable.

I was one of many who can't afford to get season tix due to ecomomy, but still manages to scrounge to get tix for about 20 games per year, but got shut out on these games. I did get a lottery # but after being online for 30 minutes found out the "spammers" had already bought up all the tickets and had posted them on stub hub. Not fair for blue collar fans like us, but maybe that's the price we pay for not having a 60,000 seat stadium like other teams

[Chuck]

Just sold two outfield seats for $140 a piece. The prices on stubhub are inflated, often ridiculous. I expect to see the average ticket to go for around 2.5-4x face value.

Susan,
Don't worry about not being chosen in the ALCS lottery--it wouldn't have helped.

[Amanda]

Susan-
ALCS lottery was already done. You're still in for WS, though.

[Bob]

Stu, you are 100% correct. watch for the celebrity sightings on tv

[Matt]

I was one of the lucky ones who did log on at 9AM and got 4 lower seats for game 1.

It took about 20min to complete transaction, by that time they were none available for game 1 & 2.

[Susan]

Those of us that were not chosen in the last lottery are still in the running for ACLS and/or WS tickets, right?

[ben]

I will enjoy the series at the comfort of my own home. Food, Beer, Nice comfortable Leather seats, and my new 60' plasma.

Good times

its disgusting.. i was supposed to be eligible for a $25 ticket.. none available at 9:01 yesterday morning. I thought there was a law against this?

These would be the same bottom feeders who circumvented the Ray's ticket sales lottery, right?

[Thanks alot Stu]

All the rich people that could care less about this team can see them, while me, who have been to over 30 games this year cannot.