OK, i'm going to post this here. I've had this idea for a while but I'm sick of working for the man.
We need to open a business selling concert tickets and sporting event tickets on stubhub. We just monitor forums for bands, find out how to join the member clubs or whatever's necessary to get excellent presale tickets, put everything on an AMEX, then sell the tickets on Stubhub for a ridiculous profit.
We can focus on bands that old people (with money) like, such as Bon Jovi or Barbara Streisand or Barry Manilow or some crap like that. We can make a killing.
I need someone to work with me on this project. Submit ideas. Let's get this going.
Why limit yourself to stubhub? You get stuck paying 15% fees as a seller. :( eBay and Craiglist would be good outlets too.
I've thought about a similar business every time I get stuck trying to find tickets for a sold out show. The markups are always at least 100%.
One problem is ticketmaster fees. It would be great if you could have someone in the city actually go and buy tickets at the box office for shows to save money.
Of course, there are already lots of companies that do this. You see them on Craiglist all the time. So you'd have to be competitive. And make sure the tickets you buy are actually going to sell for a profit. One way, like you said, is to do huge older bands like that. But I think you can also making a killing on smaller bands at smaller sold out venues. It can be hard to predict what shows will sell out, though...
I might be willing to try it on a coupla shows, and see how we do. Could be fun.
i'd be down for something like this. im pretty much broke, so ill try anything.
hmm. i'm really thinking of opening an AMEX card just dedicated to this.
why AMEX?
AMEX customers get ticket sales perks through Ticketmaster for many shows. For example, ability to buy during presale or maybe better seating too (well, I guess those 2 go hand in hand...if you can buy during presale, you'll be getting better seats than if you had to wait for the general sale).
get a job, ya hippie!
thank you for the excellent suggestions. I've made a list of bands that we should monitor for their "summer concert series" or whatever. They're mostly old people bands.
Barbara Streisand
Diana Ross (is she still alive?)
Cher
Yanni
Kenny G
Josh Groban
Bruce Springsteen
Billy Joel
Elton John
Jimmy Buffett
the Eagles
James Taylor
U2 - people pay $300/ticket because they think they're making an emotional connection with Bono. What a bunch of crap.
My dad and I are members of the U2 fan club - he joined for $50 so we could get tickets - so we get the presale info early.
is there a limit on how many tickets you can get, and whether or not you can resell them?
This is EXACTLY the angle i'm talking about. a $50 investment to get better seats, sell them for $150 more than you paid ... PROFIT!!
OMG when are tickets going on sale? i wonder do you guys get same presale as we do here? UGH i cant miss this concert....been a fan since i was 10
i'd be willing to do this a few hours a week. keep me in the loop
A good way is waiting to see if their show sells out... then see if a 2nd show is added. Since the first sold-out, the 2nd will probably sell out too. I have a friend that was doing this awhile ago, and me being out of work now I've been thinking of trying to do this. Plus, living in NYC makes it very possible.
that's actually a really good point. then any tickets we could get would definitely be a safe bet.
could you buy out all or most of the tickets to shows online then just resell them for more money, or are the tickets you buy online usually already at inflated prices?
are you askign me or Robbie?
I'd buy them at the normal prices. presale, and whatnot.
U2 JUST added a 2nd show at Giants stadium, proving Robbie's theory.
Presale Tickets go on sale at 12 today, and I got a presale code.
I am seriously thinking about this.
haha nice!
how much are they?
$250, $95, $55, or $30.
Anyone want in? I'll send the link and pre-sale code.
I'm kind of shooitn for floor seats, people pay crazy money to be "in the heart" or whatever, to perhaps have a chance at eye contact with Bono.
I'll buy tix off u. I haven't seen U2 in years.
hhaa ok that really wasn't the point of this whole operation haha
rake him over the coals
Hey how about I throw some hot coals down your pants. ;oP
I understand perfectly. You are trying to make a profit. I'm trying to be a customer. What's the issue? Your customer satisfaction guarentee needs work!
How did you get a presale code? Did you sign up? Also, whats the limit of tickets you can buy with a presale code?
UGH i need to go.
U2 puts on one of the best shows!
Oh, another thing you have to keep in mind in scalping laws. In NY, it's legal. But, not sure about NJ and other states.
This reminds me of 7th grade. I'd buy Atomic Warheads and sell them at school. I'd pay a nickel or so and sell them for 15-25 cents each.
i remember this. that really goofy pucker-faced looking redhead walking arund.
Yeah, you were the kid I'd torment and give noogies to.
This is a good business model. It's about convenience and availability of a stable product. The problem with ticket reselling is the time limit and volatility of the supply/demand.
i'm patiently waiting for the tab for "scalping" to appear between "home" and "musings"