Buying Concert & Event Tickets On Ebay - Cheap ! : eBay Guides

Struck Out On Ticketmaster?  Now What ?!?!

No need for a second mortgage!   Using just a few simple tips and tricks, you can still get great seats at a price that you can live with !

Here are the steps which I will detail below - looks like a lot of reading, but a little bit of time spent here can pay off big time in terms of quality seats.

1)  Setting Up An Effective Search
2)  Which Seats Are Best?
3)  Auction Format Or Buy It Now?
4)  Additional Thoughts And "Tricks"

Let's get started!

Setting Up An Effective Search   

Checking and rechecking your search for tickets - on a regular basis, is where you can really save a bundle - however - in order to do this in just a minute or two, the first thing we need to do is to get an EFFECTIVE search started - no sense in sifting through 600 listings if we can get it down to just 12 - right?...

Once your search is refined, you should look at it as often as possible - I suggest at least twice a day - the more frequent the better - but again - this is something that can be done VERY quickly ( and no - we are not relying on Ebay's saved search daily email notification - you can do the search in half the time it takes you to open their email ).  By cutting and pasting our completed search ( or searches ) into a Word document, it's as simple as clicking on the link !!

I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT RECOMMEND USING THE CATALOG TAB TO SEARCH FOR TICKETS - STAY WITH THE NORMAL SEARCH BOX AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE, AND SORT BY "TICKETS" USING THE PULL DOWN MENU .  

If you are interested why this is true, right click here : Do Not Use Catalog Search  - otherwise, let's get this search rolling !

The ONLY info that we are going to use for our search is the performer's name and the city in which the event takes place.  As an alternative, you could use the venue name, but most sellers - assuming there is not enough room for both city and venue, will us the city name.

Let's assume that you are looking for tickets for a Ron White show at the Tennessee Theatre, in Knoxville TN on 1/1/2011.   In our search box, we would use RON WHITE KNOXVILLE only, and be sure to change  ~ All Categories ~ to ~ Tickets ~ using the drop down window to the right of the search box - and click search.

A Few Refinements, But Almost There !!

VERY IMPORTANT - Under the ~ Sort By ~ drop down menu, you want to choose ~ Time - Newly Listed ~.   For now I highly suggest that you focus on Buy It Now listings only by choosing the ~ Buy It Now ~  tab just above the listings ( We'll discuss Auction Format below ).   If you prefer to include Auction Format listings, or only Auction Format listings, that's fine - just sort / unsort those tabs as appropriate.
 
At this point we have created a very effective search - copy the link exactly as it appears in your browser's display, and paste it into some kind of document that you can access quickly - I use Word for this because it opens quickly in my browser, but anything will do - Just be sure to always use the same browser to review your search.

Initially, you may still have a lot of listings to look through ( it might help to refine what you are interested in - see ~ Which Seats Are Best? ~ below ) but after the first run it is a quick process.  Anytime you open the search, click on the top two listings whether or not they interest you - this will give you an easy to locate point beyond which you have already looked, as your browser should change the color of the Ebay listing's title ( remember - always use the same browser ).  Next time you view the search, just check listings until you reach the two you opened to create a " Check Point "...

Which Seats Are Best ( And - Apples To Oranges )  

It is difficult to know which seats are "Best" as this is dependent on a lot of things - the specific venue, type of show, your preference, and - for many of us - what we are willing to pay.  But - there are some basic concepts that are worth reviewing..

It is always best to go to Ticketmaster ( or other ticketing agency ) and find a seating chart SPECIFIC to the event - if it is not a TM event and you are having trouble, it is likely that some of the listings will have a seating chart posted.    Take a look a the chart and note what sections you are interested in - I generally break this into two groups - ideal, and what I'll settle for if prices are really ugly.  Keep in mind a few things about seating :

A note on ~ Centering ~.  Here is where Apples to Oranges come in : Poorly centered seats can be really awful !   I can tell you that - as a seller, I will frequently give up poorly centered seats and buy well centered seats five rows further back.   I always disclose exact seat numbers in my listings - many sellers do not.   For some sections, it really doesn't matter where the seats are - for others it will.  At the very least, a seller should be willing to give you a ~ Range ~ of seat numbers ( Example : Between 8 - 14 ).   If not, and the section includes poorly centered seats, I'd be VERY cautious.

For a show in an arena, Side Stage seats for some events are very nice, not so nice for others - take a look at the seating chart - you might get a few clues, but in general, I stay away from the closest lower level sections. 

Frequently, close in lower level seats in an arena setting are better than mid floor seats - it doesn't take many people who want to get up and dance to block the view of much of the floor!  If you are looking at front 20 rows of the floor as your target, include the lower level sections that are equivalent.  If there is a General Admission Standing Room Only section in front of reserved floor seating - well - I'm absolutely getting off of the floor!

Front row of 200 or even 300 level seats in an arena are frequently much better than row 25 100 level seats - keep a look out for these as they generally cost less from the box office than the lower level seats, and many sellers will price them lower than lower level seats.

For Theatre seating you want to try to determine how close the elevated sections are.  Front row balcony seats are great if they overhang the orchestra within 20 rows of the stage.  Pit seating can be a real puzzle - they are frequently folding chairs, not real comfortable with minimum leg room, and sit a bit low.  This is OK for a comedian or solo acoustic show,  maybe iffy for a band, and a real no no for a stage production as your view of much of the stage can be limited.  In general,.I always tend to favor the Orchestra seats as they are fixed, plush, have arm rests, and are ideally situated for a good view.

For Amphitheatre seating,  I tend to stay away from the front row of 200 and 300 level seats - in this setting, there is frequently an area for people to walk and for some reason, they do - during the entire show !  These areas can be rather heavily traveled and this ca be very distracting.  Stay with front 20 lower level seats if you can.

If you need any ( free ) help with ( or locating ) a seating chart feel free to contact me !!

Auction Format Or Buy It Now?          

You can get some real bargains through auctions, but be careful to not get caught up in a bidding war!  I set up and monitor a lot of searches, and although I have done well on auctions, I find that the vast majority of my purchases are through Buy It Now listings.  Here is why:  If you are bidding on a pair of tickets, you effectively ~ Take Yourself Off The Market ~ for the duration of the listing.   That is to say that if you find a real bargain on a Buy It Now while also bidding on a pair, you pretty much have to wait out the pair you are bidding on.   If it is ending in 24 hours, this isn't a big deal, but 4,5 or 6 days - it is !

Probably more importantly :  Brokers frequently want to ~ Get Off Of ~ a pair of seats at or near cost for various reasons - don't worry about why, just grab them!   Unlike the old adage ~ If It Looks To Good To Be True - It Probably Is ~ these are golden opportunities, and you don't want to miss one because you are bidding on another pair of seats.   A NOTE OF CAUTION :  Be sure that you are comfortable with the seats - don't just grab anything out of your desired parameters because they are cheap, AND - be sure that you are comfortable with the seller's feedback and Detailed Seller's Ratings - or DSRs ( please visit my other guide for info about feedback and DSRs )

Additional Thoughts And "Tricks"         

Don't be afraid to contact the seller and make a reasonable offer on a pair of seats, even if there is no Best Offer button included.  It's a very rare pair of tickets that I am so in love with that I'm not willing to lower the price a bit.  It always helps if you can state that you have a Paypal account and will make immediate payment.

It helps to know what seats are selling for - this can easily be accomplished by scrolling down on the left of your search ( be sure to be signed into your account ) and clicking on  ~ Completed Listings ~ located under the ~ Show Only ~ section.   However - tickets are an odd animal and can fluctuate widely, which brings us to:

There are ( in general ) some pretty solid times to buy tickets, and to not buy tickets.   This can - again - vary widely on a lot of factors, but there are some basics that you should keep in mind :   

Unless you just have to have the best seats possible, and price is no object, NEVER buy tickets the day they go on sale !!  Brokers are counting on you being frustrated and in a state of panic after striking out on Ticketmaster - and are pricing accordingly !

Instead, give it about two days to settle down - this gives brokers an opportunity to see what their competition is listing - we are notorious for undercutting, and prices will tend to settle into a more reasonable level.    This is also an ideal time to take another look at all of the listings in your search as it is likely sellers will lower their prices.

Another prime buying time is about two weeks after the show goes on sale.  Some sellers prefer not to list tickets until they have them ~ In Hand ~.  You will notice an obvious increase in listings about that time - more supply, and prices are likely to fall - keep a very close watch once this happens, because ~ Let The Undercutting Begin!! ~

Finally, but not for the ~ Faint Of Heart ~ prices will often plummet as a show grows near - but keep in mind - if there has been a limited amount of quality seats throughout your search, and prices have stayed high - this is not likely to happen.  With that said - Ticketmaster often releases VERY good seats 2-3 days before a show - artist hold backs etc...  If you can, check the Ticketmaster site, otherwise, you might notice some very nice deals on Ebay as brokers are buying these and looking for a reasonable profit considering the quick turnaround.

If you need any clarification, feel free to contact me !!

I hope that you found this guide helpful - if so - please vote!

Thanks, and Good Luck !!