StubHub or Scalpers?
Here's my situation: Because of geography and family circumstances, I usually only make it to 2-3 games a year. Usually early in the season, because my MGoWife and MGoDaughters don't like to endure the Gales of November. I usually get four tickets, and I don't much care where we sit. I'm not going to pay top dollar so that they can sit on the 40-yard line, when they don't even know who we're playing. They love the experience. They don't care about the game. So I'm fine sitting in the endzone.
I'm looking at games like UNLV, Oregon State and BYU, and I'm wondering: Am I better off using StubHub or getting them from scalpers? I've always just used StubHub the past few years, because I don't want to show up without tickets. But for those of you who have gone the scalping route, am I going to save a lot and get better tickets if I do that?
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:06 AM ^
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August 3rd, 2015 at 11:18 AM ^
Given his goals, this is the exact opposite of what he should do. Ticket prices are almost always at their highest farther in advance. For your goals this strategy sounds great, but not for his.
August 3rd, 2015 at 12:09 PM ^
I always wait till the absolute last second and use Stubhub. Always stuff avail and they get really cheap right before the game.
I follow the same strategy
it feels risky when you are doing it, but i have gotten very cheap tickets to many different sporting events doing this (Alabama vs OSU, Cavs vs Heat playoff tickets, Michigan games, Final Four tickets etc). If someone cant make the game and they havent been able to sell their tickets yet on the day of the game, they drop their prices. I remember the 2011 sugar bowl tickets were selling for like 9 bucks the day of the game and i bought them through michigan for 90. Thats when i started switching my strategy.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:36 AM ^
on your level of risk tolerance, and/or if you're expecting a "deal".
I prefer to lock in if I can do so for a reasonable price. I just got BYU in the end zone in Row 2 for $80 each from GoBlue.com.
If UM gets off to a hot start, those StubHub prices will skyrocket. If we are slow out of the gate, I may have overpaid...but I'm ok with that.
August 3rd, 2015 at 12:29 PM ^
If you are looking for 4 together that might make sense for you to get them ahead of time. You should set up an alert on stubhub for 4 tickets in endzone or wherever and below a certain price. Then when the tickets are available for that price, you'll get the alert and you can get them.
If you were just looking for single tickets or pairs, then you can probably be more flexible and wait until last minute, but I would do things a bit earlier if you are looking for 4.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:07 AM ^
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:08 AM ^
This year is an unknown. In the least two years you could walk up Stadium or Main and get tickets pretty much for free. Now? Complete unknown. There will always eb scalpers but you will most likely have to pay face or higher as we know these games are sell outs.
Stub Hub will always have the most up to date going rate. It mostly depends on if youa re willing to show up with family in tow without tickets in hand.
Did you and Walter conspire to respond to this thread exactly one minute apart ? Why aren't you arguing with each other?
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:11 AM ^
Stubhub is safer and gives you more options, but often a little more expensive.
You know what's more important to you.
For me? I had a buddy get ripped off by a scalper once (though it was an AFC Championship game ticket, not exactly the same as UNLV at Michigan in September), so it's worth the extra price for StubHub to know my tickets are legit and I have them in advance.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:12 AM ^
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:12 AM ^
I would stick to stubhub if I were you. I live pretty close to A2 and have purchased from scalpers a few times, but if no tickets were available (or were too expensive) I could just drive home to Royal Oak. I wouldn't want to risk it if I was traveling a significant distance.
I never not been able to find tickets on game day, but we're in the Harbaugh era now, so things might be quite a bit different, and more expensive, going forward.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:19 AM ^
I know the rules might have changed now that we're in the Harbaugh era.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:13 AM ^
Typically I have found for any sporting event that the longer you wait on Stubhub the cheaper the prices are. That being said, it all depends on how the team is doing and what kind of demand is out there. I would keep an eye on the games you want to go to and if you see the number of tickets available getting lower and lower then make your decision based on that. I would also suggest not to buy on Stubhub this early, wait until the week of the game if not the day before.
August 3rd, 2015 at 12:24 PM ^
This will change if the team is doing really well though.
Also note that there is a cut-off time for when tickets stop being available. Some sellers go with the longest time - like a few hours or days before the game. But other sellers, knowingly or unknowingly, have cut-off times a week or two before the game. This means that there is a time when inventory starts to drop off dramatically.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^
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August 3rd, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:17 AM ^
I just bought my family 9 tickets for this game. I used VividSeats.com and got them for $46 a ticket in section 10/row 86, which was slightly cheaper than StubHub. The seats are a little higher up than my normal preference, but for this big group--with 3 kids under 11--we went for lower prices. And hey, any seat in the Big House is a GREAT SEAT! Cannot wait to have the entire family at a game together in the Big House!!!
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:17 AM ^
I graduated in the Spring and didn't buy student tickets after my freshmen year. I just bought from other students and scalpers.
I think you will definitely be able to buy tickets from scalpers for MUCH cheaper than you can from stubhub (which is generally a ripoff).
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:19 AM ^
I have season tickets but have organized family and work events for my people. Most of them buy off of stubhub on gameday in the morning and get great deals. I wouldn't necessarily try this for premier games if we're playing well but for UNLV, BYU, etc. I certainly would. If you don't like the prices try your luck on the street.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
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August 3rd, 2015 at 11:30 AM ^
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:45 AM ^
Last I knew there isn't one. They are just an aggregator, they probably make commission from the sites actually selling tickets.
The main problem with them is that you can buy tickets from some of the less reputable ticket sellers. The ones who can't get you a replacement ticket if your seller redundantly sold off their tickets.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^
If you don't care about where you sit, then you can go either way.
Note that Scalpers may sell fake tickets or already-sold tickets (i.e., the bar code will not work if they already sold those via Stubhub or whatever since it creates a new code and deactivates the old code).
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:26 AM ^
I bought an already-sold ticket from a scalper for the 2009 Notre Dame game.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:39 AM ^
Your situation is my biggest worry. I have always used StubHub for everything from M tickets to Dodgers and LA Kings games. For a Dodgers game I got 6th row behind home plate with parking for $275 each/those are typically way more expensive.
FWIW the Maryland game last year had section 23 seats selling for $37.00 each on StubHub. That is what I would consider the lowest you will ever see those types of seats ever going for again.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:47 AM ^
"Note that Scalpers may sell fake tickets or already-sold tickets (i.e., the bar code will not work if they already sold those via Stubhub or whatever since it creates a new code and deactivates the old code)."
This is more true than anyone realizes. I used to be a full time scalper when I was unemployed about 10 years ago. I still know most of the scalpers working today.
They have no way of checking if their tickets have active barcodes or not and really don't care.
I bought a pair of Michigan State game tickets a few years ago and got burned this way.
Buy on stubhub and have no worries. Wait until a week before the game. Stubhub is not going to run out of tickets.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:27 AM ^
This year, timing is probably more important than who you buy from. If Michigan looks like crap and loses their first game or 2, then tickets are going to plummet. If they look great and are undefeated, then you can add another 20-50% to current stubhub prices.
Considering you're buying for 4+, I'd just get the tickets off stubhub now so you don't have to worry about shopping for tickets the day of the game.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:38 AM ^
You don't happen to have any tickets for @Utah do you??
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:39 AM ^
Use SeatGeek. It compiles ticket prices from several sites to give you a better shot at a deal.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:40 AM ^
I have done both at times. And especially for the "cupcake" out of conference games, this could be your best option.
This is what i would do:
- Go there and try to bargain with some scalpers early on. I've gotten them down pretty low on several occasions. Even for big games (but that was closer to kickoff, probably not what you want to do with a family of 4). Note: scaplers will come down in price closer to kickoff, however 4 together might be an issue.
- If you can't find the tix/price you want from the scalpers, pull out your phone (or get to a computer) and buy them on stubhub. Then you can print them off somewhere or pick them up at will-call. Depending on what's available for that ticket. For UTL2 we (group of 4) didn't like the prices the scalpers were at so we went to the library (I was with a former student) and purchased and printed them. A couple times before, I did the same at Kinkos.
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:40 AM ^
Remember...
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:44 AM ^
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August 3rd, 2015 at 11:48 AM ^
August 3rd, 2015 at 11:57 AM ^
Just because it's the Harbaugh era doesn't mean you won't be able to find scalpers selling tickets. Scalpers have always had tickets - even in the days when there was a ton of excitement around the program, as there is now. And scalpers are pretty much always going to be less expensive than Stubhub, especially when you take into account the commission fees Stubhub charges. Finally, buying as late as possible is usually going to get you the cheapest tickets - within a day is the best timing (Stubhub has settings more sellers use to progressively drop prices within the last few days).
For the games you mentioned, those are the types of games that in years when Michigan isn't doing well you can get tickets for very little (way under face), and even in great years face value is about as high as prices have gotten (maybe slightly above).
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August 3rd, 2015 at 12:02 PM ^
Also, stubhub has an instant ticket feature, but I think scalpels are the way to go for less popular games.
Just because a game is less popular doesn't mean you should cut folks up to get their tickets . . . .
August 3rd, 2015 at 12:15 PM ^
Not sure if anyone else has heard about it yet but I have been using this ticketing app called Gametime to get tix for Tigers games this summer.
They have football and basketball tickets for Michigan too! Pretty average prices for football but sometimes I get almost free seats to Tigers games. Use my promo code- BIGWIN2243 for $10 free (mods delete if this is too promotion-y)
August 3rd, 2015 at 12:19 PM ^
August 3rd, 2015 at 12:28 PM ^
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August 3rd, 2015 at 12:35 PM ^
I would think it would be hard to get four tickets from a scalper, usually I see them selling pairs. We've bought tickets from scalpers twice, and will never do it again!
There are many people, myself included, selling their tickets on the mgoblog ticket spreadsheet. Hopefully we are a trustworthy bunch.
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