Need Two!
13 comments so far
September 12, 2007 by
Anybody learning to trade commodities or understand basic supply and demand economics should be forced to study the ticket market. Nowhere is the perfection of supply and demand more obvious. Supply is always known and finite, and demand is the variable. With the Husker sellout streak, demand for tickets appears pretty much insatiable. However, the upcoming dust-em-up with the vaunted USC Trojans is putting the limits of demand to the test. Basically, the price for tickets is getting pretty darn ridiculous.
For starters, the face value on the ticket is $65. That's a $15 dollar per-ticket increase and a pretty good indicator of the value in a vacuum. Now, and the demand that comes with a tilt between two top-15 teams (one of them ranked #1) and the visiting College Gameday crew, and you see where tickets sellers might get some big ideas about what the price might be on the open market.
I imagine that ticket brokers will be looking to make their year in one weekend. Seldom have I seen a game with such demand for tickets. Nearly everywhere, people are asking each other if they are going to the game and if they can get a hold of some tickets. The brokers and scalpers are business people. They know how to value a particular game or seat in the game. They can and will get the right profit. Now, the amateurs...they are something else entirely.
Online Mayhem
Cruising the web for NU-USC tickets took me to the usual haunts. The listings on E-bay are what jumped out at me the most. When you do a search for NU USC tickets, you get nine pages of listings. Nine pages! I've never seen so many willing sellers. No doubt, people are looking to cash in.
When you see the listing prices, you can tell it is amateur hour onine. Let me put this simply. The market out there right now looks like two tickets for $250 or 4 for $1000. And, there are the crazy amounts (four-figures per seat, etc) that skew the mean average.
For the record, I've been all over the country following the Huskers, and to my share of major home games. I've only paid more than face value twice. Once was at Notre Dame in 2000. The other was when #1 Oklahoma came to Lincoln in 2001. I was willing to pay to get in to Notre Dame Stadium. And, when the #1 team comes calling, that is a special day. For those reasons, I would be willing to break my face value rule again for USC. But, $250? $1,000? No way.
Then, there is this offer - which takes the cake. Okay, seriously, I know a skybox is great and all. But, $30,000 to watch a football game? I think not. Even with 26 people that is more than a grand a head. Maybe some super rich joker will pay this. But, I'm sorry. That is a ridiculous sum. Think about what else you could buy with $30,000. Just think about the kind of football watch party you could throw with half that amount. You could probably rent out much of the ESPN Zone in nearly any city.
Wait and See
My acquaintances who work buying and re-selling tickets tell me that many of these people won't be able to unload these tickets prior to the game. They are just trying to push the limits and see what they can get. Hey, free enterprise I guess. But, this is a situation where the market won't allow for this kind of pricing. Demand has inflated, no matter that the supply is finite. The prevailing wisdom among ticket professionals is that there will be tickets available at more *ahem* reasonable prices on the day of the game.
Okay, all this being said, I still need two tickets for Saturday. That headline is no joke. So...anybody willing to make me a reasonable offer, please drop me a note at darren@bigrednetwork.com.
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OU7times Sep 12 07
Darren,"Stubhub" has tickets (end zone)in the $150 range. Better hurry though.
Katie Carlson Sep 12 07
OU7times:
I can almost guarantee you that if you wait- you will be able to get two tickets for that price. Too many people are holding on to their tickets thinking it is going to pay their mortgage for them this month - that wave has passed. The people not holding tickets are willing to wait.
By the way Darren -- the skybox did not sell on eBay. What a joke anyway, if you invest in a skybox, don't you think that you want to be there for THE BIGGEST GAME IN MEMORIAL STADIUM IN YEARS? What a sell out that company/family is. Surely they have a client they could give it to and write it off.
Here's to hoping some tickets come your way!
Husker Mike Sep 12 07
Most of the "outrageous" prices I've seen are simply speculation...like the skybox. I can see the skybox owner saying, dang it, if someone wants to pay me $30,000, I'll watch the game in HD at home. Heck, when they were talking about $2000 for tickets, don't think the idea of selling them and staying home didn't cross my mind. But the fact is, very few people are going to spend that kind of money.
That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if the going rate on Friday isn't well above $100. (BTW, face for most tickets is $52 for this game, as that's what season ticketholders pay.) By late Saturday afternoon, that could plummet as the high prices will scare away fans who don't want to take a chance on driving to Lincoln and not being able to see the game. I wouldn't be surprised if you find several tickets on 10th street being sold for face or less, though you do run the risk of missing the start of the game.
Katie Sep 12 07
I agree Mike. Fans that aren't going to use the tickets better get rid of them. We need to ROCK that stadium.
GBR --
OU7times Sep 12 07
Katie, I'm sure that to an extent that youare right. People will hang onto the tics til kickoff, but... I have missed kickoff befoe (OU) and regretted the few dollars that I saved. It's up to darren, I guess, if it's important to be in his seat at kickoff. Good luck. I just bought 2 tics off of Stubhub for the OU-Tulsa game at $99.00 ea. To me, it's worth having tics in hand if I'm driving 230 miles to the game
99.00
Husker Larry Sep 12 07
You are missing the point with all the listings on ebay. Just because they are listed on ebay doesnt mean those tickets will be available. I know a number of people offering tickets on ebay for an outrageous amount and would take it if they get it but otherwise they are going to the game. No Husker fan is going to be in front of the stadium selling their tickets to this game to make only $50 bucks. I expect $150 an up for tickets out front of the stadium. But shame on those so-called fans selling their tickets anyway. If we sell, sell to the guys in red. GO HUSKERS
Me Sep 12 07
I am a proud Trojan fan who recently moved to Omaha and can't afford to buy 4 tickets at $200 each. Any ideas where to watch the game in Omaha? Will they tolerate an SC fan in at their joint? Also, I am looking for a place we can drag the kids to...
Thanks,
Me
Katie Sep 12 07
Me:
I hear yah. I can not pay what the market is asking... I think the best place to watch a game that is kid friendly is Indigo Joes on 74th and Dodge. It is smoke free and there is not a bad seat in the house. They have a game room for the kids and great food. They have always taken good care of us there.
If tickets don't come our way, I think we might get a watching party together at DJ's Dugout on 114th and Dodge. The way the prices are looking, we will be there!
Ofcourse USC fans are always welcome. Nebraska fans will be friendly -- the true ones will be.
I agree Husker Larry - shame on them for even thinking about selling them!
GBR!
Katie Sep 12 07
OU7times-
But sine I live in Omaha, I can wait :) A couple years ago, we went to Happy Valley and watched Penn State embarass Nebraska. We flew all the way there without tickets in hand! Granted the stadium is a "little" bigger, but most of the time if you wait.. you can get what you want.
99.00 for TULSA? What is face value on an Oklahoma ticket these days? When we went to Norman a couple years ago, I believe we bought tickets from the ticket office no problem?
Me Sep 12 07
Katie: Both Indigo Joe's and DJ's look like great suggestions from online! Many Thanks. I owe you a drink...
-Me
OU7times Sep 12 07
Katie, The game is in Tulsa. As for the face value of the ticket I can't say for sure (i'll have it tomorrow),but I would bet it's $50.00 ish. Being an OKL team playing another OKL team, it's kind of a big deal and it will be a mad house. OU is weird when it comes to buying tickets at the window. In 1985,an OU Ntl Champ year, we walked up to the window 3 hours before the game and bought OU-NU tickets.Keep in mind that this was a very late season game and both teams were great. I believe the face value was $27 then. My point being that until recently, OU tickets were easy to get. I've waited for kickoff before and at different games have gotten tickets for $1. At that point they become virually worthless and make nice bookmarks.
OU7times Sep 12 07
For all of you trvelers to the NU-USC fiasco, I'd like to recommend any last second chances for a motel room would be in York, NE.I think it's around 40 miles west of Lincoln and one mile North off of Hwy 80. If you find yourself in York, please treat yourself to a great and I mean great, steak at "CHANCES R". Located in the small downtown area that you can't miss. I was there recently as well as years ago and it's awesome. This place has been going since the 1930's. I would have recommended Dreisbach's in good old Grand Island, NE but it closed up and someone should hang for that!
TrojanJohnny Sep 12 07
Of course, the bigger question is....
What time does Barry's open!?!
Let's get this party started! Husker fans, come see the guy in the white Dwayne Jarrett (#8) jersey and I'll buy you a beer!
Looking forward to a great game!
TJ