| Have you ever asked someone how they got their | | | | expect to pay a fee to join. Once you join their fan |
| tickets? This article reveals the different methods on | | | | club, they will usually email concert updates along with |
| finding out when events go on sale, how fans get | | | | passwords to buy tickets. Limited tickets are released |
| tickets to sold out shows, and how fans get upfront | | | | during these presales so make sure that your ready to |
| tickets to their favorite shows. | | | | buy at the onset of the presale. Personally, I have |
| As a ticket broker, I've had tons of people ask me, | | | | been successful at some presales, but I have come up |
| "How do you get your tickets?", and a few years ago | | | | empty during most of them. It has been suggested that |
| I would be reluctant to reveal my sources. Since the | | | | fee based fan clubs are just another money making |
| evolution of the internet and the fierce competition that | | | | scheme in the ticket industry, and again from my |
| it has brought on, I find it better to inform people on | | | | experience, I would agree. |
| some tricks on just how to get valuable, upfront | | | | Another primary way of obtaining tickets, especially to |
| seating. First, I will start with ticket onsales. You must | | | | your favorite sports team, is to get season tickets. |
| know when a show is going onsale before you can | | | | Depending on the sport this method can get pretty |
| even have a chance at obtaining good tickets. | | | | expensive. For example, the Chicago Cubs offer |
| Ticketmaster is probably the largest primary ticket | | | | different season ticket plans, and generally the larger |
| seller to most events and you'll want to get updates | | | | the ticket plan, the better your seats will be. Again, this |
| from this company. There are two methods to get | | | | method can get pricey. |
| these updates. The first is that you can simply log on | | | | If you've tried all of the methods above but have |
| to their website and sign up to get upcoming events | | | | come up short, than your next option would be the |
| emailed to you. The second is that since most onsales | | | | secondary market. Ebay, Stubhub, and TicketAmerica |
| occur on Saturday mornings, you can check their | | | | are just to name a few. I won't go into Ebay that |
| homepage every Friday for any information pertaining. | | | | much, but I will simply say that tickets go to the highest |
| Another recent source of onsale information, comes | | | | bidder. Stubhub on the other hand likes to portray itself |
| from Livenation. Like ticketmaster, they have become | | | | as "Fans selling unused tickets to other fans", which is |
| a primary seller of tickets in which they also feature a | | | | only somewhat true. Sure there are fans selling tickets |
| newsletter that fans can sign up for as well. | | | | that they cannot use, but there are a lot of ticket |
| Now that you know when tickets are going onsale, it's | | | | brokers and ticket resellers that list on Stubhub. I have |
| time for the hard part, getting good tickets or getting | | | | been listing my tickets on Stubhub for almost three |
| any tickets for that matter. The Neanderthal days of | | | | years. Furthermore Stubhub marks up each ticket 30 |
| going to a ticketmaster outlet and getting tickets is | | | | percent, 15 charged to the seller and 15 charged to the |
| almost all but over. For example, in the city of my | | | | buyer. When brokers put there tickets on Stubhub, a |
| hometown, Chicago, ticketmaster outlets are located | | | | common practice will be for the broker to price his |
| at places such as Carson Pirie Scott, and a few | | | | tickets higher on Stubhub, than his own website to |
| remaining record stores. When you go there on | | | | make up for the difference. Going through a ticket |
| Saturday morning to buy tickets they will always throw | | | | broker such as TicketAmerica is another option. As |
| a lottery, usually by a security guard. Whoever wins | | | | with most ticket brokers, this company is linked to |
| the lottery is the first person to buy tickets, and every | | | | various other ticket brokers. This is why you will see |
| number after the winning one lines up in order. Now if | | | | their ticket inventory posted on several other ticket |
| you think your going to have a chance at winning the | | | | websites. Going through ticket brokers can be pricey, |
| lottery, think again. Most of the ticketmaster machines | | | | but it saves a heck of a lot of time and aggravation. |
| are paid off, usually by a ticket broker or other reseller | | | | The internet has really changed the ticket industry, and |
| of tickets. Please don't get too upset at this fact, I'm | | | | it can seem like an endless maze trying to obtain your |
| just trying to be informative. Remember, our current | | | | favorite tickets. Hopefully this article can shed some |
| President was elected this way as well. Anyway, due | | | | light and get you in the front row! |
| to all of the internet presales I no longer use this | | | | Gary Ketchum |
| method in that good tickets rarely come up. | | | | CEO TicketAmerica |
| Internet presales and fan clubs are also able methods | | | | Gary Ketchum is the CEO of TicketAmerica which |
| of obtaining tickets as well. Usually with a presale, you | | | | has provided hundreds of thousands of event tickets |
| have to join your favorite performer's fan club. You | | | | to satisfied customers since 1998 @ |
| can do this by typing your band's name followed by | | | | Click on the TicketAmerica Blog link in the upper right |
| "fan club", into google. By now most performers have | | | | hand corner at to learn about more ticket news. |
| a fan club, so a successful search should come up, but | | | | |