Posted By Calypso Redneck
I have to agree that the problem is not the average Parrotthead that gets stuck with a couple of extra tix and ends up making a few extra bucks to offset the price of his own seats. The problem, in my experience, is that so many of the seats are already gone prior to tix going on sale. To radio stations, ad agencies, and apparently, somehow, to broker/scalpers. We will never do anything about the ad agencies, etc. but perhaps we can do something about the seemingly under the table dealing of tix to scalpers. Parrotheads Unite!
Posted By DRIVINGMECRAZY
I forgot to add this in my original post. I had ordered 4 lawn tickets for Jimmmy about 2 years ago. When they came in the mail, Ticketmaster sent me 5 by mistake! Still, I only paid for the four of them. And yes, it was one of those times I sold it for face value.
Posted By Hemisphrdancer
I have not posted to the board in awhile, but I have been back and forth reading what people have written. The whole ticket situation is truly a nightmare. My particular experience in attempting to get tickets is like many others, I went online, called and had friends standing in line to get tickets with no results. I have not been to a Buffett show in 4 years because I was never able to get tickets, I did not know why until this year when someone purchased 32 tickets at one time in front of one of my friends. After digging and doing some research I found that brokers are allowed to purchase tickets to the shows before they are available to the public. I see that some people think this is no big deal, brokers are ok, who are they hurting? All of us. I am the second party mentioned above that has created the web site against Ticketmaster and such. A lot of people think this is a waste of time. That's ok, look at it this way, it is my time. I am a little disgusted here, after all, I have spent countless hours of my time looking up laws, policing the web sites (who do have to follow state laws that the tickets are being sold for..check out eBay's policies) writing my local House Reps and I have even contacted my Attorney General. What upsets me more than anything are those that want to criticize any effort we are making to affect a change, at least we can say we are trying.
And to DrivingMe Crazy, I would like to tell you a little story of my own. I am a pre-law student, I pay for my school on my own, I have little extra money to spare. But this year, after I was lucky enough to get tickets to the Atlanta show from a fellow parrothead, I found out that 4 very good friends were unable to get any also. I searched and hunted until I came across someone here that had 4 extra seats. They sold me those tickets for 75.00 a piece. Do the math, 300.00 for 4 lawn seats. I paid the price. Now I had the chance to get all my money back from my friends, possibly more because they were willing to pay whatever it cost. But I did not have the heart to sell them those tickets for any more than 34.00 a piece (and that was face value on them). Now call me stupid if you wish, but my view on the whole thing is this. I have learned from my parrothead friends that it is not always what you get from something that is important. Sure I am out a good bit of money I could ill afford to lose, but to be able to attend the show with them, enjoy their company and have priceless memories makes up for that ten fold. Maybe you should think about that the next time you have extra tickets that you don't mind making an extra buck off of. Isn't that what being a part of this wonderful group of people is all about, giving back to others?
Posted By tommyboy
i liked your message - i've done similar things with my buddies from college...Great quote many of us can relate too: "I have learned from my parrothead friends that it is not always what you get from something that is important"
Posted By tommyboy
i liked your message - i've done similar things with my buddies from college...Great quote many of us can relate too: "I have learned from my parrothead friends that it is not always what you get from something that is important. Sure I am out a good bit of money I could ill afford to lose, but to be able to attend the show with them, enjoy their company and have priceless memories makes up for that ten fold"
Posted By GaBuffettFan
I applaud you Hemisphrdancer!!!!! Because I only need two tickets to the Atlanta concert, the past two years I have been able to help other Parrotheads in line get tickets that they probably wouldn't have gotten because they picked high numbers in the lottery. Someone helped me once like that. Remember - what goes around comes around.
Posted By DRIVCRAZY
You pay what you wish for the tickets. Like I stated above, I have NEVER demanded a certain price for a ticket, no matter who the performer is. Nor am I going to wait around and try to get a higher price. Never had the experience of selling the tickets at a premium at a show either, the only ones I have sold were a total of maybe five. Two different events, sold days before the event. Only one event did I make a few extra bucks. (75 total I think)
Anyway, I still believe that if someone is offering, you should take it. If you feel that I am a scalper that is making a fair amount of money in the business, let me know so I can go look for all that $$ I have made. I understand your disgust for individuals and business' selling tickets for an enormous profit. But for the guy who went out of his way to accomodate others who may have backed out or something just came up, taking maybe $30 over cost when it is offered is not the end of the world.
Posted By tommyboy
Hippy 2- this year I was able to stand in line and get a good lottery draw and had no problem with tickets. if I were unable to get a good lottery pick i would have bought from scalper if necessary and only paid what I could afford. i certainly wouldnt pay an amount that would disrupt me and my family financially.
Your husbands situation is completely different than mine. Obviously if I or one of my family members were ill - I'd make my family my first priority and not woryy about much else (buffett, concert tickets, brokers, scalpers, etc). Hopefully you and yours have your personal health priorities first.
I'd like to know why you think Buffett tour next year will be so much hotter than this years or last years. Do you have some special insight?
I do agree with your position of filing compliant with approrpiate parties. Grievances should be aired to someone who can have a strong impact on the ultimate decision.
Posted By hippy2
Tommyboy - as to Buffett being hotter next year. I personally believe the man will retire eventually. When he will do that is pure speculation on my part. But what if - this is his last year, or next year? No one knows and that is why I think his tickets will be in higher demand. Pure speculation.
And to answer both you and You Drive Me Crazy (did you ever read the NY AG report? You said you would check it out and get back to me) The BUSINESS of ticket scalping is akin to racketeering. It feeds a corrupt economic underground consisting of bribes, thievery, price gouging and tax evasion.
My whole point is if it keeps escalating the way it is, we'll all be sitting by the radio (except for those who have $600 a ticket) instead of at the concert. My daughter is very, very upset because every time her favorite group comes to town it sells out in minutes, Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, 'Nsinc. She was looking forward to going to Buffett this year. Try to explain this mess to a 9 year old!
Bottom line is, the casual fan, like Drive Me Crazy, or the State Rep who was just arrested in Chicago trying to unload $35 tickets for $5, should be allowed to unload their extra tickets. Most states have provisions to allow for this. It is the person who gets 32 tickets (see Hemisphrdancer above) or 182 tickets - another post somewhere on the Buffett boards (I've read so many of them) that happened in Michigan, including the bribes given to the counter clerks and managers, the presale of large numbers of tickets and increase of house reserves that is taking away all of our fun and our rights.
If you do nothing. If you sit back and say "Oh well" there is nothing I can do. If you do not take the time to send the necessary letters to let the elected officials know that you think this is a problem, then in your apathy you are part of the problem.
Posted By hippy2
o Tommyboy and all others who have paid more than they should for their tickets. I think that's great, you got your tickets. Go and have a ball. But, what about next year? How much are you going to have to dish out? Or, like my husband, are you going to be ill for 4 months without pay and not be able to afford the higher price?
And, what about next year? If Buffett tours, he'll be hotter than ever. Are we ultimately going to pay $600 like they are getting in Detroit for Wings tickets, only to have the cop shake his head and say "Go Wings". (Illegal in MI) I was so mad I filed a complaint with the MI Attorney General. This is available in every state. What about you? Have you complained?
Apathy. The willingness to sit back and take it in the behind. The attitude to let it happen without doing anything about changing it.
Help prevent this in the future. If I sound like I'm preaching too bad. But I would like to see every one put their money where their mouth is.
let me know if you need tix...lawn are going for 250 each, I got ya covered..send an e-mail for more info to [url=mailto:bababooey@aol.com]bababooey@aol.com[/url]
Posted By Hemisphrdancer
Tommyboy..Just wanted to say thanks for your kind words on what I said, I think that at some point and time we all have had the same feelings about being with our friends. I am glad others agree.
And Drivingmecrazy, I am not faulting you for what you do, we are all free to make any choice we want to. My only point is this, some people travel a long way to get to a concert, hoping to get tickets, sure they offer the money up for them, but why not just say hey, take them for face value? In a perfect world this would happen, but I do not pass judgement on someone who does not do the same thing i would. I don't know your particular situation..and for that matter, the fact that you do not run about asking outrageous prices for your extra tickets speaks well for you.Chances are, someone who pays you twice what you paid for a ticket is being saved a bundle in the long run. I don't think it is bad keep from taking a loss, but then again, it is not so bad to not make that profit either.Remember, it is like GaBuffettFan said, what goes around comes around.
In the end, what gets to me the most is the fact that all of us are even subjected to having to go to such drastic measures to get tickets. I hate to see people that have gone to concerts for 20 plus years not be able to get in because there are so many people out there dying to make an extra buck. Take a look at Mr bababooey's post, what kind of idiot is that? Anyone who wants to post tickets for that price here needs to stay out of our flock. I would be ashamed to call that person a parrotthead. But, enough of my complaining. Headed to the Hotlanta show myself with my hometown flock and the PH webring staff, hope to see all of you there with your phins up!
Posted By houston fan
I'm so envious of people who have a local show in their immediate futures -- Houston's not currently on the list, &, when he played here in December, it was in the Compaq Center (as opposed to the Woodlands, which is a lovely outdoor venue where he played when he used to be here summers). I know it's miserable outdoors during summer in Houston, but there was always a pretty good breeze that came up on the hill -- even during the most miserable weather, all those waving arms got the air moving during 'Fins'. Hope everyone who's going this summer will write in with descriptions so those of us not on the schedule can enjoy it vicariously -- the Compaq Center was still a great show, in spite of the fact that the weather was so cold I wore a sweater, Jimmy had on LONG PANTS, the acoustics were about what you'd expect for a structure intended for basketball & hockey, & tickets were a massive pain to obtain (fifteen minutes after they went on sale, I was able to get in through the web & thought 'whoopee!!! this is where championship teams play, certainly I'll have a good chance at tickets') -- got them, but in the nosebleed section. In spite of these complaints, I'd do it all over again (& continue to fume to myself at the tickets brokers along my route home who were advertising tickets after about a 25 minute sellout). I just hope I'll never be faced with brokers-or-no-go (hasn't happened yet), but I have had increasingly poorer seats & more trouble getting them. But, here in Texas, he almost always plays 'Migration' in the acoustic set, so that alone is worth the hassle.
Posted By elizabeth
MP69, Was your last posting the most intelligent
utterings you could muster and are we going to
be subjected to your rendition of the 7 words?
Posted By ohio
Elizabeth, you might have to wait awhile for an answer from the Litlle Meanie, he sometimes has a problem finding someone to read the postings to him so he can come up with his witty replies (...utterings - hmmm - that might be too many syllables for him to understand even if it's read aloud...) tee-hee...
