Slightly OT, but need some advice

[denguegopher]

My wife (an Oregon fan) and daughter (age 10) are going to the UCLA - Oregon game on Sat at the Rose Bowl. I am debating if I should buy tix on STubHub or outside the stadium. Here's the situation:

1) there are about 4000 tix on the StubHub website and they are already selling for under face value (cheapest about $45). Getting in won't be a problem.
2) I enjoy the game of getting cheap tickets outside a stadium, my wife does not. Although I did get 4th row seats at the PAC 12 hoops tourney a couple of years ago for $20 each. We were right behind Jim Herrick and she liked the outcome of my dealing with "scalpers" in that instance.
3) if it takes me a while to buy tix outside the stadium the wife will be in my ear expressing her extreme displeasure with me.

I know its my call, but I'm thinking I'll be able to get tix for $25 at the highest.

Any sage advice? Thanks and Go Gophers!!

 

[Rescooter]

My wife (an Oregon fan) and daughter (age 10) are going to the UCLA - Oregon game on Sat at the Rose Bowl. I am debating if I should buy tix on STubHub or outside the stadium. Here's the situation:

1) there are about 4000 tix on the StubHub website and they are already selling for under face value (cheapest about $45). Getting in won't be a problem.
2) I enjoy the game of getting cheap tickets outside a stadium, my wife does not. Although I did get 4th row seats at the PAC 12 hoops tourney a couple of years ago for $20 each. We were right behind Jim Herrick and she liked the outcome of my dealing with "scalpers" in that instance.
3) if it takes me a while to buy tix outside the stadium the wife will be in my ear expressing her extreme displeasure with me.

I know its my call, but I'm thinking I'll be able to get tix for $25 at the highest.

Any sage advice? Thanks and Go Gophers!!

What would you be willing to pay in order to not hear, "I told you so" every other sentence. It's not worth it!! Get the sure thing.

 

[Gopher07]

I'll preface by saying I'm more of a buy online kind of guy, and generally don't like the experience of dealing with scalpers, but I say go with the sure thing from StubHub. It guarantees you can just show up and walk in, instead of having to wade through people to find and negotiate with the scalpers. With a wife and a 10-year-old daughter in tow, I can't imagine that would be a fun experience should it go even slightly awry. JMO

 

[e.bigelow]

I'll preface by saying I'm more of a buy online kind of guy, and generally don't like the experience of dealing with scalpers, but I say go with the sure thing from StubHub. It guarantees you can just show up and walk in, instead of having to wade through people to find and negotiate with the scalpers. With a wife and a 10-year-old daughter in tow, I can't imagine that would be a fun experience should it go even slightly awry. JMO

I agree with Gopher07. I am an online guy as well. The last experience I had scalping tickets was to the 2002 Twins ALCS game (I was a freshman at the U at the time, long time ago, I know). While we got a good deal, I am all about making things more convienent for myself. Online via StubHub or wherever make it way too convienent for me. I just bought tickets today to the Vikings game Sunday over my iPhone on StubHub to make it a nice football weekend.

 

[BigEGopher]

Check out West Coast Tickets

I used them when my son and I went out for the Gopher/USC game in '11. They got me tickets to the Twins/Angels game about 15 rows behind the Twins dugout for face and 45 yd great seats at the Coliseum a couple $'s below face. Did all over the phone and picked up at their office. Smooth as could be. I found them on Craigslist. They send me emails occasionally when MN teams are in L.A.

My wife (an Oregon fan) and daughter (age 10) are going to the UCLA - Oregon game on Sat at the Rose Bowl. I am debating if I should buy tix on STubHub or outside the stadium. Here's the situation:

1) there are about 4000 tix on the StubHub website and they are already selling for under face value (cheapest about $45). Getting in won't be a problem.
2) I enjoy the game of getting cheap tickets outside a stadium, my wife does not. Although I did get 4th row seats at the PAC 12 hoops tourney a couple of years ago for $20 each. We were right behind Jim Herrick and she liked the outcome of my dealing with "scalpers" in that instance.
3) if it takes me a while to buy tix outside the stadium the wife will be in my ear expressing her extreme displeasure with me.

I know its my call, but I'm thinking I'll be able to get tix for $25 at the highest.

Any sage advice? Thanks and Go Gophers!!

 

[Winnipegopher]

My thoughts:

If you know you will go to the game, buy in advance, especially with the spouse situation. Happy wife, happy life.

Only buy outside for teams/ stadiums you know well. It is too risky if you don't know the stadium or the ticket situation. StubHub tickets are safe as well. There are fake tickets out there, especially with all the paper copies of tickets these days.

PS, it sounds like you are experienced with this but I will point out that your example of getting Pac12 tourney tickets for $20 is a very different example than a regularly scheduled football game. Multi-day tournaments are exactly the time to buy tickets outside. On early days not everyone is there and on later days, fans of eliminated teams flood the market with tickets as they go home.

 

[Dr.Don]

Go alone. Let them get their own tickets. You can meet again after the game.

 

[Word]

I buy a fair amount of Twins tickets off StubHub. At least for the Twins (can't say I know anything about the scalping scene at UCLA), StubHub has always been cheaper than in-person scalpers. I know this because sometimes I'll ask people sitting by me how much they paid for their tickets from scalpers. Not once has the in-person scalper been cheaper than what I paid on StubHub.

 

[GoodasGold]

Go alone. Let them get their own tickets. You can meet again after the game.

Actually pretty sound advice. May I add...if this expression of extreme displeasure becomes any kind of habit, explain to her that you're always thinking of her happiness, and then tell her to take off.

 

[denguegopher]

PS, it sounds like you are experienced with this but I will point out that your example of getting Pac12 tourney tickets for $20 is a very different example than a regularly scheduled football game. Multi-day tournaments are exactly the time to buy tickets outside. On early days not everyone is there and on later days, fans of eliminated teams flood the market with tickets as they go home.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll buy online. But I just love to make scalpers grovel. When I scoff at their asking price they always say, "what will you give for them?" And yes, and I realize tournaments are great for buying at the venue. After fan's teams are eliminated they usually can't get rid of their tix fast enough.

 

[M&G BUSt]

I would buy them outside the gate, and I would bring the 10 yr old with me to learn how negotiation works in the real world. And for those worried about the wife, it's time to take the pants back.

 

[MNGoldenGophers1]

I'm with Doc and M&G, grow a pair and buy them seconds before kick-off when they'll be dirt cheap.