A rant about scalping

RAGTOP · Post by **RAGTOP** » October 16, 2001 8:57 am

definition please...

Jimmy The G8 · Post by **Jimmy The G8** » October 16, 2001 9:23 am

Plase do tell me what a true fan is because I am not sure I am a true fan!

achflkeys · Post by **achflkeys** » October 16, 2001 10:24 am

I guess what I'd like to do is add my proverbial "2-cents". (new user, by the way)

I think everyone has made a fairly decent case on this issue so far. Yes, it is an issue visited WAY too often, however. There is nothing wrong with a well thought-out rant every now and then, though.

Some people are willing to pay just about anything to go to a Buffett show. Some people are not. Remember, the scalpers and brokers are not going to go out of business if parrotheads stop buying from them. We probably only make up a small percentage of their business. Imagine how many rich daddy's shell out hundreds of dollars for their daughters to sit in $30 seats at the Nsnync concert! It's a fact of life.

A year or 2 ago, I would've paid pretty much anything to go see my favorite performer. But after 10 years and well over 30 Buffett concerts, I'm no longer so quick to dig into my pockets to pay double or triple the face value. I'm not adamant about it, however. It's the brokers' business. The law says they CAN do it. Now, the scalpers on the other hand...

Hey, I was at TM.com yesterday at 9:00. Right away, I had 2 seats, 4th row center on the floor. You know what? I was filling out all my payment information and the site stopped responding! Then I was told I took too long to complete my transaction. A couple years ago, I would've been so furious. But now, after looking back at that $400+ bill I would have been faced with, it doesn't even bother me that much. 9:30 rolled around and I got Sec. 320, to the side of the stage for $50 a piece. A price much easier to stomach. And I'm happy! If I didn't get tickets, I would have been disappointed, and I would have let the brokers take those seats and sell them marked-up to someone who would be willing to pay mega-bucks for them...just like I would have a few years ago. But I am lucky enough to be going! My wife and I are taking the train up from Philadelphia that afternoon, checking in to a nice hotel (with the extra money that I would've been missing if I took those 4th row seats!), going to the concert and then making a weekend out of it returning to Phila on Sunday. Sounds good to me.

So, I hope everyone who got tickets for next month has an awesome time. I know I'm going to! For those of you who didn't, if you're really dying to go, call a broker. That's what they're there for. Their business is to offer tickets to sold-out events to folks who really want to attend and are willing to pay in order to get there.

Thanks for taking in my opinion on this...I hope to become a freqent contributor!

Alex

Tampico · Post by **Tampico** » October 17, 2001 12:43 pm

What's a true fan? Someone who owns more than SYKBH or the box set. Someone who enjoys the lifestyle not just the party. Someone who has read the books. Most people here I would identify has true fans, especially since some are on this site hours at a time. It would be kinda stupid to go to a site everyday that is dedicated to a person if you were not a fan. If you think everyone that goes to a show or buys tickets to a Jimmy Buffett show is a fan you are dreaming. Think scalpers are fans? How about someone that sits on their butt during a show or leaves with 3 or 4 songs left to beat the traffic?

Jimmy The G8 · Post by **Jimmy The G8** » October 17, 2001 1:00 pm

I own 2 CD's SYSKBH and TTS, never read any of his books and go to his concerts each year and enjoy his music. By you defination I am not a truefan. What you are saying is so off base and to sum up what you stated: "If you don't own several Buffett CD's, Don't know the words to songs that are not on SYSKBH, dont own and/or never read any of his books, take a seat when he palys a song you are not familer with, want to leave prior to the last song to beat the traffic out, even if that last song is a song you never heard or dont like and you have to work in the morning you are not a fan and should be allowed to his concerts"
Absoultey foolish!

Tampico · Post by **Tampico** » October 18, 2001 8:00 am

jimmy the G8...........I could care less if you agree with me or not, you asked for my definition and I told you. If you think you are a "TRUE" fan that's all that matters not that I think you are not. You can think as you want but I will stick with my opinion and get on with it.

Here's the bottom line; only a little over half the tickets will go on sale to the general public for any JImmy Buffett show, the rest go to numerious other places and people. Now if you are a "TRUE" fan and you were not lucky to get tickets when they went on sale you are now forced to decide if you want to go to a scalper or broker and pay a large sum of money to see a show by someone you really enjoy or stay at home. Simple isn't it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » October 20, 2001 11:54 pm

I read all this crap about what a "true" fan is. Gimme a break. It sounds to me like some of you people think that your only a true "phan" if you buy every d*mn thing put out by Buffett. Not just the CD's and books, but you only make your drinks with Margaritaville Tequilla and can only eat a cheeseburger from one of Buffett's new glorified "Hard Rock" cafes. I like the guy and his music alot, but I have better things to do than worry whether or not I'm a true fan or not.
Jimmy Buffett is a marketing genius, maybe not as bad as say Kiss, but still good at what he does and he gets the people who consider themselves his NUMBER #1 PHAN, to buy into all of it.