Is scalping dead with new ticket policy?
I wanted to pose a question to the board regarding ticket scalping on game day.
Just wondering if the individuals outside the stadium are still selling or is this basically dead at this point?
I'm hoping this practice isn't dead as many times helped me make it into many games that seemed unattainable from a cost standpoint.
September 6th, 2022 at 3:30 PM ^
Scalping was canceled.
September 6th, 2022 at 3:31 PM ^
It's been dying for years, and is now dead.
September 6th, 2022 at 4:31 PM ^
You know so much of ticketing today is that new pre-programmed electronic ticket. You never get a chance to see master scalpers practicing their craft. By the year 2026 the tickets now known as “scalpable paper” will exist only in the ticket collections of your local public library.
September 6th, 2022 at 4:37 PM ^
Carl couldn't have put him better himself!
September 6th, 2022 at 4:56 PM ^
criminally underrated comment right here
September 6th, 2022 at 6:59 PM ^
This comment is on a mission from God
September 6th, 2022 at 8:25 PM ^
Had to log in to upvote one of the most entertaining comments I've ever read on this blog!
September 6th, 2022 at 11:51 PM ^
Hall of Fame response here!
September 7th, 2022 at 7:29 AM ^
Get this man some bonus points. A lot of them.
September 6th, 2022 at 3:34 PM ^
I saw numerous football tickets outside Michigan Stadium this past Saturday, but just not as many sellers as in past seasons.
As long as our ticket office continues offering the option of paper tickets, there will be some scalpers plying their trade. On the other hand, expect the street supply to be very scarce for the bigger games on the home schedule each season, and the price to go nowhere but up.
September 6th, 2022 at 6:08 PM ^
Ditto and they had printed tickets
September 6th, 2022 at 7:55 PM ^
I agree with this. The number of scalpers was way down as well as the number of tickets in hand was also down as well. Personally I will continue to get the paper tickets 1) because I like to pin them to the wall of my office and 2) it makes it a lot easier to transfer them around from friends.
Also buying paper tickets from a scalper runs the risk of that ticket already being sold on StubHub and being worthless at the gate.
September 6th, 2022 at 3:35 PM ^
Not dead. Probably 40 percent of tickets are still hard copy seats for football. Basketball is another story.
September 6th, 2022 at 4:01 PM ^
How was this? I don’t think I was given a print option this year.
September 6th, 2022 at 4:11 PM ^
Season ticket holders were given the option of paper tickets for an additional $50.
September 6th, 2022 at 4:19 PM ^
September 6th, 2022 at 5:23 PM ^
$50 additional for paper tickets? That's insane.
September 6th, 2022 at 5:29 PM ^
That's for the season, not for each game!
September 6th, 2022 at 6:38 PM ^
But still, $50? How much does it cost them to print them up?
It's a cheap cash grab that punishes people who just like having a mini-souvenir.
September 6th, 2022 at 7:11 PM ^
Well you have to print them up AND mail them. And the printer room is in the basement and the elevator is down for maintenance and you have to take the stairs. And we're out of stamps, so we had to send the intern to Meijer to buy more and the line at the customer service desk was super long... so yeah, $50.
September 6th, 2022 at 4:58 PM ^
Actually love the new system. Got halfway to the stadium and realized I had forgotten my hard copies on the counter. Opened the app, added them to my Apple Wallet, and skipped the entire process of getting new tickets. Hope they continue offering hard copies just because of how much tickets cost in general, it's nice to have something physical, but the new system is convenient. As for scalpers. There is far too much money to be made by Stubhub and all the others to allow people to independently skip those fees. /s
September 6th, 2022 at 4:58 PM ^
Are the "I NEED TICKETS" signs still out there? Also, why do all the scalpers look alike? (I've wanted to ask but have never figured out a way to do it tactfully.)
September 6th, 2022 at 5:31 PM ^
Yes. Saw them Saturday.
September 6th, 2022 at 5:05 PM ^
I haven't scalped anyone dead for a while. I'm more humane to my prisoners these days.
September 6th, 2022 at 5:54 PM ^
September 6th, 2022 at 6:30 PM ^
Joe, apparently, the rumors of you being an Inglorious Bastard have been exaggerated.
September 6th, 2022 at 5:35 PM ^
Still saw people scalping tickets around the stadium.
September 6th, 2022 at 6:07 PM ^
Some scalpers were out last week but not as many as I have recalled before. StubHub works well and is safe .
Also the guy who waits by the exit who wants your tickets for his collection is still around. I didn't see anyone handing him their phones though.
September 6th, 2022 at 6:42 PM ^
What's the story with that guy? I get saving a ticket from the game, but a whole bucketful of them?
September 6th, 2022 at 7:09 PM ^
I think he trades them to other collectors for tickets from other games he didn't attend.
September 6th, 2022 at 7:19 PM ^
Maybe he sells them on ebay? This listing was for the CSU game unbelievable....
https://www.ebay.com/itm/374240797375?hash=item57227d62bf:g:HpQAAOSwSI5jFL-f
September 6th, 2022 at 7:58 PM ^
That is hilarious. $5.99! And it is an "unused" ticket at that.
September 6th, 2022 at 11:08 PM ^
I would think my game used $5 Big House water bottle from the CSU game is worth at least $2. Much harder to get than a game ticket.
September 6th, 2022 at 6:52 PM ^
My buddy just invited me to tonight's Dodgers game at the last minute and sent me my ticket and parking pass directly to an app on my phone. Sure beats having to coordinate a pre-game meetup. Plus...you know, our tickets are legit and I don't have to deal with randos.
September 6th, 2022 at 8:55 PM ^
It’s 119 in the shade, he should be paying you
September 7th, 2022 at 2:26 AM ^
The club behind home plate has a/c.
September 6th, 2022 at 7:04 PM ^
Now if only they would ban face value markup maybe more folks could enjoy sporting events, concerts, etc.
September 6th, 2022 at 8:43 PM ^
What does this mean?
September 7th, 2022 at 6:22 AM ^
Or fewer people would, because the point of scalping is normally to make a profit.
September 6th, 2022 at 8:31 PM ^
Isn't StubHub just legalized scalping?
September 6th, 2022 at 8:36 PM ^
Where is Mike Damone when you need him?
September 6th, 2022 at 8:42 PM ^
People engaging in the act of scalping physical tickets will be very disappointed when they get to the turnstiles and those tickets don’t work.
Way too much fraud out there!
September 6th, 2022 at 9:57 PM ^
Was I the only one annoyed at how slow moving the lines at the gate were this weekend? It was just as bad as OSU last November. They HAVE to figure out how to get people through more quickly.
September 6th, 2022 at 11:43 PM ^
On a semi-related note, where on the freaking electronic tickets is the face value of the tickets? Trying to sell some and can't find it anywhere.
September 7th, 2022 at 7:31 AM ^
As a long time season ticket holder, I paid extra for paper tickets. I hope they always offer that option. If you don’t have a smart phone, you cannot attend a road game. I have such a phone, but always worry about it crapping out at the stadium gate. Why is it do damn important to eliminate paper tickets? They are scanned just as easily as phone tickets, untouched by scanner. So it has nothing to do with Covid.
September 7th, 2022 at 9:36 AM ^
You could always take a screenshot of the ticket beforehand to have a reliable backup. I always do this with plane tickets just in case I'm having internet issues at the worst possible time. I'm assuming you meant bad signal when you mentioned "crapping out", obviously this won't work if you're phone doesn't work.
September 7th, 2022 at 12:52 PM ^
Forgive my ignorance, but do screen shots scan the same as original wallet email version?
September 7th, 2022 at 7:40 AM ^
I had to call the ticket office before the season and ask what each games "face value" was. Just tell them where your tickets are and they can tell you pretty quickly.
September 7th, 2022 at 1:00 PM ^
You really don't need physical tickets to scalp though. I've bought and sold tickets outside of venues with a quick e-transfer of the ticket.
These days most of the scalpers just use bots to buy as many tickets as possible to popular events the second they go on sale. Little harder to do with ticket waiting lists like at Michigan though.