About Buying Tickets

It is sometimes difficult to purchase good seats when they go on sale to the public. Many have become frustrated with unsuccessful attempts on the phone or dealing with the long lines of fans trying to get the best seats. Many fans don't even know that the tickets have gone on sale until it is too late.

It is for these reasons that the need for ticket brokers has grown.

Ticket brokers buy and sell tickets on the open market.

Ticket Brokers can offer:

• Personalized service
• You can choose your seat location
• You can see on a map where your seat will be
• First 10 rows are usually available
• Delivery to your home or office
• No more waiting in line just to be disappointed
• Major credit cards are accepted
• Nationwide availability
• No hidden charges
• Tickets to "sold out" shows are still available

Much like the stock market influences stockbrokers, the ticket market influences the buying and selling prices for ticket brokers. Better seats can be more expensive to obtain, and when the supply of tickets is high the prices will decline. For some events prices can change constantly.

It is always a good idea to buy from a company that you can trust. You can always ask if they are members of any associations or the better business bureau. You may also want to find out how long they have been in business. For ticket brokers you should look for licensed brokers and members of the National Association of Ticket Brokers.

Buying from a Box Office

Some tickets can be purchased directly through the venue box office or contracted ticketing agents.

This is generally the least expensive way to purchase tickets. Tickets are usually sold at face value plus a ticketing service charge. These are the prices that are usually printed directly on the tickets. Most accept cash only at the walk up agents.

The promoter generally issues a press release to inform the public when the tickets are going on sale. At that time you can try calling on the phone or going to a local outlet to buy them. Sometimes a lottery system is used to determine your position in line for purchasing tickets if it is a popular event. Generally all of the tickets are released at one time and the best seats are sold first. Many of the most popular events are sold out in a matter of minutes. Other events will not sell out and tickets will remain on sale until they are all sold. For many of the events it is considered luck if you get good seats or whether you can purchase tickets at all.