Season Tickets Good Deal?
So a friend of mine from work has two sets of season tickets. He recently found out for other reasons that he wont be able to use them next year and possibly the year after. He is offering me one of the pairs which are on the aisle of Row 90 in front of the 5 yard line.
I dont know much about the ticket situation in Michigan Stadium but I was wondering if $1k was a good deal for these. If I don't buy them he will forfeit them for good but if I do he will give me the option to buy the next season as well. If anyone knows the rough value of the tickets I would appreciate them sharing with me so I can attempt to bargain him down. The sale itself is beneficial to him since he would be able to keep the tickets in the long run anyway.
January 8th, 2010 at 10:47 AM ^
Creampuff/non-descript conference games were $50/$55
Standard conference games were $59
Rivalry games were $65
Then you also have to add on the personal seat license, but I'm not sure what how much $$ that is.
I'd bargain him down.
January 8th, 2010 at 10:56 AM ^
he mentioned the minimum "donation" for the tickets are $250 if thats what you are referring to
January 8th, 2010 at 11:47 AM ^
Agree - bargain him down. What's it worth to him to keep the seats in his name?
He should pay the PSD - it's purchasing the right to buy the seats (this year and in the future) and it counts towards his Victors Club points total. Even if you write the check, he gets the credit, IIRC.
You should pay for the tickets themselves.
Season tix are sold at $50 per seat (not face value). With 7 home games next year, that's $350 per seat per year, or $700 total.
I'd offer him $700.
January 8th, 2010 at 12:02 PM ^
I agree with this. Pay the guy $700 or even $750 but I wouldn't go higher than that.
January 8th, 2010 at 10:57 AM ^
Getting season tickets is kind of a rip. I have 4 around the 30. The psl is 375 per ticket. So you have to pony up 1500 each year just to pay face to get the tickets. The only reason to have them is to have them. Plus you get parking and away ticket priority and that junk.
But I have no doubt I could scalp 4 for every single game for way less than it cost to have season tickets.
As for you situation. The psl for those seats, depending on exactly where they are at, could be either 250 per seat or 125 per seat. So 1000 is probably about right for him to dump them. But you don't get any of the perks of having season tickets in your name. Also last year Michigan offered the "all-in" ticket pack for the first time ever. This basically was a 1 time season ticket for 450$. I have no idea if they will offer that this year or where those tickets were at.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:05 AM ^
Could you describe these perks in detail? I am also considering picking up season tickets but am trying to weigh the cost/benefit of having season tickets versus picking up tickets to the 3-5 games I would be able to go to.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:17 AM ^
Basically you get the option to buy parking passes away game tickets etc. You gain priority points that determine if you will get what you want. Here is a list of what you get for a "donation" The "donation" counts as your PSL. Of course if you want to give more you can. I think you have to give a healty amount to really get anything good. About $1500 a year. But a 1500 donation is 4 tickets around the 30 yard line.
http://www.mgoblue.com/victorsclub/membership-benefits.html
http://www.mgoblue.com/victorsclub/priority-points.html
January 8th, 2010 at 11:50 AM ^
So, if I am reading this correctly, the University of Michigan is in the ticket-scalping business. You don't have to wait your turn to get those season tickets between the "30's," but simply up the ante if you have the resources. I have mixed emotions on this.
If it helps get the basketball facilities modernized, though, I'm "all in."
January 8th, 2010 at 12:00 PM ^
Oh no you still have to wait. Most of the people were allready there especially on the visitor side. (sec 44, 1, and 2). After giving money to the University for a long time, all of a sudden a few years back they said "oh yeah we want you to give us 500 a year for each seat too". The only seats I know you can get into right now by paying the big bucks for are the club seats and suites.
January 8th, 2010 at 2:39 PM ^
desiring tickets before the age of 50, several recent grads and myself pooled together to each get a individual club seat, six in total. But we have to shell out $1500/seat on the PSL.
this year that would be $300/win. Hopefully, next year that comes down a bit...
January 8th, 2010 at 11:24 AM ^
Virgil, if you can only go to a few games each year, I wouldn't even think of going for a full season ticket package. Even if you have to pay through the nose for a big game like OSU, you are way ahead of the game. Trying to sell your extra tickets when you can't make it for a game (like Delaware St.) will make you cringe. I literally could not give my tickets away for one of the games last year. Of course, this all changes when we start winning again. Then you can actually sell your tickets at face for the ho-hum games.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:25 AM ^
But I know someone who did. The seat location changed every week based on what was available.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:02 AM ^
Last year, similar seats cost 800 for the tickets and 250 for the required "donation."
Much like your friend, I'm going to have to sell my seats at cost this year as well, so if anyone is interested for buying at cost (not more, not less), let me know.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:31 AM ^
Do you have to donate $250 per ticket or a total donation of $250?
January 8th, 2010 at 11:33 AM ^
I think it is a minimum of $125 per ticket on the lowest area and goes up from there.
January 8th, 2010 at 2:31 PM ^
Lowest is $50 per ticket which gets you in the endzone...Row 90 on the 5 yard line really isn't that much better in comparison to an endzone psd. I think there are only 96 rows +/- in the stadium so you'll be up there quite a ways
January 8th, 2010 at 2:46 PM ^
Should have added this info to my post:
Location - section 18, row 44 (I think) in the blue zone, but I think I'll be moved to section 19 this year
Email - steven (dot) krieger (at) gmail
January 8th, 2010 at 11:05 AM ^
A grand is about right for 2. I think they froze prices at $400 for each ticket last year (even though the individual games were higher when totaled up), and my PSD is $125 per ticket. The "all-in" pack for last year was most likely a one-time thing because most of those seats were near aisles. During the next few years, as renovations continue, they will be trimming those seats off the ends of aisles in order to install hand-railings. So, they wanted those seats filled for 2009, but they will literally disapper in coming years.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:06 AM ^
My season tickets are $800 and I am in the non-seat license area of the stadium. Sounds like he's just asking you for face value. Are there really people out there that think they can ask for a premium for a pair of season tickets after the last two years? Especially with such a poor schedule of home games coming up.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:09 AM ^
Part of the perks are having them when the team is really good again and it will be hard to buy them on the street at face value. Every two years, when the schedule is ND, Penn State and Ohio State at home, those will be hard to get tickets for. The off-year isn't bad either, with MSU and Wisconsin coming in. It all depends on how bad you want to be there and season tickets allow you to sit in the same seats for every game.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:15 AM ^
My view is you should say you will pay the face value on just the tickets which should be anywhere from $750-$800 and he will have to pay the seat license fee. It only seems fair because he will benefit from you taking the tickets because in a 2 years when he can start using them again he will still have season tickets to buy.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:20 AM ^
I don't have the tickets in front of me, but if I am not mistaken, the actual cost of tickets was about $900 last year when you added them up, so $1,000 is not far off. Not sure what it will be this year. It all depends on if you want to pay a little more (the holder's PSD) to have the tickets for a year or two. Is there a price for convenience and knowing you won't have to go looking for individual games? I know some peaople that wouldn't pay it, and some who would pay more.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:55 AM ^
Last years tickets without a seat license cost $405 per ticket for my 4 tickets. Last year also had 8 games and this year has only 7 games. So the cost per ticket should be around $750 per season ticket before the seat license.
January 8th, 2010 at 12:34 PM ^
about one fewer home game this year.
January 8th, 2010 at 2:35 PM ^
He doesn't have to buy the season tickets and sell them to you. I would only pay for the tickets and he should have to pay for the right to get season tickets in the future. If he can't do that, that's his problem. You can get tickets in better seats (row 90 is above the entrance) for much less. Plus you mentioned only being able to go to 5 games. I gurantee you can get tickets for better than that.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:23 AM ^
So face value will be about $700 (last year was 8). I'm not sure that it's fair that he's making you pay for his preferred seat donation since part (or all?) of that is tax deductible. How many games are you going to attend? If all of them, then there is some value in having the tickets in hand for every game. However, next season is a pretty weak home schedule. With some time and energy, you could do better on prices, especially if you aren't going to all of the games.
If it was me, it would probably come down to whether or not you are certain to get offered the 2011 tickets. If no, I'd pass. If yes, I'd take them since you will get ND and OSU (and maybe another big OOC?) for that season.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:45 AM ^
I have two seats in the cheap PSL section, $125 per seat. Two hundred of the $250 is tax deductible, if one itemizes.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:24 AM ^
The price that your friend is charging you is fair in that it is around what he is paying for the seats + PLS. He is not going to make anything on this. But, from your perspective, you could pick up tickets for next year's schedule for less money. Remember that we don't play ND or OSU at home next year - both of these are road games. I think that the only real draw game will be MSU. And, our schedule is filled with a few crappy games that you could either pick up for next to nothing or that you might not end up wanting to go to.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:28 AM ^
anyone who wants to get rid of any can email me at [email protected]
thanks
January 8th, 2010 at 11:30 AM ^
kriegers post above.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:31 AM ^
Are you willing to pay the PSD for those seats, or just for the tickets?
January 8th, 2010 at 11:37 AM ^
its an expense - i'll write it off...must play the "tax game" in business...
January 8th, 2010 at 11:49 AM ^
That section and row is 250 a year donation to renew the tickets and 50 a ticket with 7 home games works out to 950.
January 8th, 2010 at 12:01 PM ^
He should pay the PSD. You pay the ticket cost. $700.
My seasons are in the $50 per seat section (end zone) but right on the corner, so it's more of a side view of the field than behind the goal posts. I pay $100 per game for two seats (which is LESS than face value on non-cupcake games) and then $50 per seat for the yearly "donation." So my season for 2010 will be $800 plus the perks.
January 8th, 2010 at 12:03 PM ^
Seasons are great, only problem I have encountered is that you have a real hard time trying to give away the MAC games much less sell them. UMass tickets you could leave outside the stadium, someone might use them. But all that said, there is nothing better than having the rivalry games. Notre Dame, Ohio State and MSU, Penn State and Iowa, in my mind are worth the price of the seasons alone.
January 8th, 2010 at 12:31 PM ^
Your only really getting 1 or 2 home games against good opponents. MSU and maybe UConn the opening game. No OSU, PSU, or ND so I wouldint even offer him 750 I might say 500 dollars or so because with only 1 rivalry game its kinda a raw deal.
January 8th, 2010 at 12:37 PM ^
I bought 2 sets of season tickets 2 years ago through craigslist because my girlfriend and I had just graduated and still wanted to go to all the games. We got pretty good seats in section 40, row 3 or so for face value. You should only be paying for the tickets because you'd be able to find better seats for the face value of the tickets elsewhere.
I prefer the student section. A couple of our grad student friends knew people who didn't want their season tickets this past year, so we got those for a much cheaper price. I'm also not ready to leave the student section yet - other sections just aren't as much fun and don't have the same atmosphere.
January 8th, 2010 at 1:13 PM ^
I've been to every home game since '95 and all the home and away games since '97. For the first few years I scalped all my tickets home and away. Since then I have had season tickets. Over the course of the whole year it was WAY cheaper to scalp tickets even when I had to pay 100+ for big games. Those only happen once or twice per year.
The only reason to have season tickets is if you have great seats that you want to permanently keep and to get to know those people you sit with every week. In this situation, since you will only have them for a year or two you won't get that benefit. If it just comes down to the money, you can save more by scalping.
January 8th, 2010 at 2:42 PM ^
You don't want to bother with the scalping for every single game
January 8th, 2010 at 1:15 PM ^
Alot of people say that it is not worth paying for tha mac tickets, however it is the atmoshere not the opponent that makes going to the games in the big house great. I have been a season ticket holder for 3 years and was on the waiting list for 7 years every game is worth the money!