Thoughts on scalpers prices for Sugar Bowl Tix

I posted this on the Den, but thought it might be a better subject for this board --


A few weeks back, I paid $150 each for Ole Miss tickets. As the money left my fingers, I thought, "What the hell am I doing? $150 for ONE tickets. I've never paid that much money in my life for a ticket to ANYTHING." We wound up having "sweet" seats (endzone, 3 rows up), but paying $150 for a ticket with a face value of $16 still got to me.

But, when the Sugar Bowl ticket prices were announced at $150, I didn't blink an eye. I was just hoping that all of my family's accounts would win (we got 2 of 4). Paying $150 for Sugar Bowl tix didn't even faze me.

I saw on another board where someone said that they (meaning the Sugar Bowl committee and LSU) should just charge the "fair market value" for the tickets and that would take care of the scalpers.

That got me to thinking - WOULD IT? If the face value for Terrace tix was $500-750 (whatever they determined FMV to be), would there be ANY fewer buyers? And, would the "fair market value" stay at $500-750 for those tickets. I think it's most psychological.

I see people offering $400-500 for these tickets on ticket boards and saying that's the most they could pay. I'm thinking that's the most they WANT to pay given the $150 face value. Like most people, they want to get a "deal". If the face were $500, I'm betting these same people would be here offering $750-900, saying that's the most they can afford.

Let's face it - THIS IS THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. People are going to pay what they have to to get in. If they see that the Ebay price (which can be said to be the "FMV") is $700, then they will want to get the bargain price of $400-500. But, if the face was $500, and they were selling for $1,000 on Ebay, then the MOST they could pay would be $750-850.

This would make for an interesting Economics paper.

 

I do not think that the Sugar Bowl should charge market value. Charging $150 gives people at least a chance (slim one) of getting an affordable ticket.

I am not a rich man. I cannot spend $1000 for a ticket. Does this make me LESS OF A FAN than the person who can spend the $1000 with no problem? Does this mean I am less DESERVING to attend? I am as big an LSU fan as there is, and I deserve to be there as much as anybody. With the ticket lottery, at least I had a CHANCE to get in for $150.

(And for the record, I did NOT get picked in the lottery. I will be sitting outside the dome crying my eyes out because the one year in my lifetime the Tigers are playing for the NC, IN MY OWN FREAKING HOME CITY, and I will be stuck outside.)

 

I agree with Ellis Hugh - let's not forget the foundation of this - publically funded institutions. 90% of the attendees would be CEOs, their customers and politicians.
Further, how many of the tickets are attempted to be scalped? It's one thing, if, say 10,000 tickets are offered in the open market - if all 60,000 were, no way would the price be the prices quoted today.

 

The face value of an Ole Miss ticket is $16?

 

They have something akin to "The Family Pack". Most ticket carried a face value in the $30 range. But, the tickets Gus and I got were in this "Family Pack" and had a $16 face value. When we bought the tickets, and saw the face value, I became a little worried. The people we bought the tickets from were set up right next to us in the Grove.

They assured us the tickets were valid and showed us their own tickets which also had the $16 face value. They were right.

 

That makes sense. I guess it pays to be an Ole Miss fan occasionally.

What is the typical face value for a LSU ticket?

 

You get what you pay for. Quality football costs a little more.

 

The "Family Pack" at Ole Miss:

A pair of tickets so you can go to the game with your mother, sister, and wife.

 

you are so evil Ellis...

 

The nominal price printed on the ticket is $36.00...for every seat in the house. Starting next season, there's going to be a graduated "donation" schedule for season ticket holders, in addition to the $36 per. TAF members already pay a "donation"
to get the season tickets controlled by that organization.