concert tickets day of show?

May 19, 2023 10:55 AM

Do people still sell physical tickets outside arenas day-of-show?

(I'm not sure if it's still called "scalping" or if that term has fallen out of favor)

I am planning on going to see a Big Arena Rock Show in a couple weeks, but I am gonna be that guy - I really only want to see the opening band, I couldn't care less about the headliner. My plan is to buy the cheapest ticket I can find, which will probably be in the upper deck at the back, and move down to the second level closer to the stage for the band I want to see, since the arena will probably still be more than 50% empty for an opening act, and arena staff won't be too sticky about it as long as I don't get greedy and try to access the floor or the really close second-level seats. Then I'll probably leave.

Looking at the online ticket resellers, I find that one will sell me a $42 ticket plus $17 in fees, or a 40% fee. Another will sell me a $32 ticket plus $18 in fees, a lovely 56%.

So my question is sorta twofold. First, can I do what I used to do in the 90's and show up at the arena with cash, and find people outside selling actual tickets for actual cash money? And if not, does the online marketplace work like the real world sports ticket marketplace used to, where reseller ticket prices collapse once the event has started, lest the seller get zero dollars for their expiring asset (so I jump on seatgeek or whatever at 8PM and get cheaper tickets than I would have at noon)? I'm in Portland, OR if that matters.

If I have to pay exorbitant fees, I will do so, but I would prefer not to. Can I avoid it day of show?

posted by pdb to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (14 answers total)

I don't know about the reseller marketplace, but the physical ticket part is going to heavily depend on the venue. Some venues have moved to complete paperless, and some haven't.
posted by kevinbelt at 11:00 AM on May 19, 2023

Response by poster: @kevinbelt: not to threadsit, but by "physical ticket" I guess I mean "thing with a barcode/QR code on it that can be scanned" and the Moda Center definitely accommodates that, be it on phone or on a piece of paper.
posted by pdb at 11:03 AM on May 19, 2023

my impression of scalpers is they're online. your best bet will be private parties, who will also be online.

you can wander the lots yelling, "i need one!" pretty random shot. i haven't seen a line of scalpers lurking by the box office in years.

never been to that venue, dunno what group, so - i could be wrong!!

hope it works out.
posted by j_curiouser at 11:14 AM on May 19, 2023

Best answer: In my post-covid experience, it really depends on the venue as far as scalpers. If it's hosted at a sports ball arena where they control the parking area, not so much, as security will run off obvious scalpers. But scalpers aren't generally going to give you a discount anyway. They're often willing to burn inventory out of spite to keep their margins propped up.

As j_curiouser noted, the scalping world has moved almost entirely online at this point and (through an extreme coincidence) tend to just use the official Ticketmaster resale function. In the pre-internet days, ticket value would stay high up until the event for the most part; these days (short of T Swift etc.) they tend to drop 3-7 days before the show.

It's common for a few individuals to show up with an extra ticket and be willing to make a deal. With electronic tickets, I show them the money but tell them that I'll hand it over after they get me through the door.

My usual approach is to look on Craigslist the day before and day of and look for someone that's attending the show and has an extra ticket and make arrangements with them. There's a tremendous amount of fraud in unregulated online tickets at this point, unfortunately, so I'm generally not willing to send money to a stranger at this point. By meeting onsite to do the exchange, you get a lot more safety.
posted by Candleman at 11:27 AM on May 19, 2023 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Many websites automatically stop sales at a certain time. I'm not sure if it's the ticketed time or a few hours beforehand - I think it depends. I would be careful and test it with similar shows/sites if you're planning to wait until the last minute.
posted by acidic at 11:46 AM on May 19, 2023

I've not been to a big concert in a while, but every sporting event I've ever been to has a huge number of scalpers outside, and I've regularly bought tickets to them. I got basketball tickets a few weeks ago from a scalper.
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:51 AM on May 19, 2023

Best answer: If the arena has not gone 100% paperless yet, then there will usually be people selling laser prints out front. Crap shoot as to whether you get a real ticket or not.

Often, if you stand around long enough, somebody will show up with an extra that they can't use due to a friend or date bailing on them. However, if you only want to see the opening band, this is a risky move for you.

Also, check both Ticketmaster and the venue's walk-up box office on the day of the show. For arenas in particular, there are usually last minute tickets put on sale after production has done their set up.
posted by spilon at 12:51 PM on May 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

Note also at some Big Arena Rock Show type events the tickets have the holders name and audience members are asked for ID on entry. So even if you do buy a ticket you may not be able to use it.
posted by buxtonbluecat at 1:57 PM on May 19, 2023

I was curious about attending a baseball game in-progress the other day since we were walking past the Skydome. Neither stubhub nor seatview had the event listed anymore. I assume theybstop selling once the game starts? It's a shame cause they walked it off. Would have been cool to be there.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 2:35 PM on May 19, 2023

For what it’s worth, it can be a surprisingly fun experience to see a band you couldn’t care less about (as long as you don’t actively loathe them). Given that your options for getting a cheap secondhand ticket are uncertain (especially if you want to be in the venue when the opener starts their set), you could think of the $50 or $60 ticket as a full evening’s entertainment — the opening band you’re there to see plus a lot of crowd watching and amusement and maybe even getting caught up in the spirit of The Band You Couldn’t Care Less About. Might make paying that much feel a little better.

If you really want to see the opener you may have no choice but to pay the fees… and it might sting less to think of them not as spurious costs added on but as effectively part of the ticket price. It’s like airfares, the way that the sellers disguise their inflationary price-gouging. They probably get a few more bites if they advertise the ticket at $40 and add a $15 fee at checkout once the buyer is already emotionally committed, vs if they advertise the same ticket at $55. But it’s effectively the same price.
posted by sesquipedalia at 6:42 PM on May 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: @sesquipedalia:

I've seen the opener before. They're...fine. I don't really give a crap about them one way or the other, which is why I want to get in to see the opener for cheap. I figure $50 or $55 is my cap for the night, including fees, and that should be doable; I was just thinking that if I can get a ticket for $20 that then has $15 in fees, I could get a better seat without having to sneak down, and that would be better than to pay $50 all inclusive for one band I want to see and one band I'm very meh about.
posted by pdb at 11:29 PM on May 19, 2023

Presumably, the opening act plays gigs of its own at smaller venues? If there's any option to go to one of those instead, it's likely to be cheaper, less hassle and a lot more fun.
posted by Paul Slade at 10:30 AM on May 20, 2023

Response by poster: @Paul Slade:

I didn't mention the band(s) in the question because I didn't want the thread to be about the bands, their shows, and the music in lieu of/overwhelming an answer, but now that I have info, the Big Arena Rock Show is Duran Duran and the opener is Nile Rodgers & Chic. I highly doubt I'll get the chance to see Chic at a smaller venue than this, which is why I want to go; I've seen DD before and they're not really my thing.
posted by pdb at 2:11 PM on May 20, 2023

Have you called the venue to see if they will sell tickets at the box office on the day of the show?
posted by TimHare at 2:55 PM on May 21, 2023