Cubs Ticket Presale Post
by Al Yellon on Feb 15, 2010 8:02 AM CST
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PrintUse this post for discussion of the Cubs' ticket presale this morning, which begins at 10 am CST.
Let us know your experiences in the VWR (if there is one), how ticket availability seems, etc.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.
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Question for Friday
Are the Cubs selling tickets at their box office on Friday and doing wristbands like in years past? I just searched around on cubs.com and couldn’t find info.
"There are no curses here...Games are won and lost on the baseball field" - Lou Piniella
Yes.
You’re right that the information isn’t well marked. It’s not on the ticket links. It’s here, in a press release.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
good morning
Is today the pay 20% more mastercard day or is it presale with a code?
20% markup.
There’s a 5% discount off that with mastercard. No code required.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I think those two things are the same sale.
The MasterCard deal involves a code, I believe.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
by cubswynn on Feb 15, 2010 9:06 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
I think those two things are the same sale.
The MasterCard deal involves a code, I believe.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
by cubswynn on Feb 15, 2010 9:06 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
No, there's no code.
You can buy with or without Mastercard. You’ll pay a lower price if you use MasterCard, though.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
You're right.
I was confusing it with this additional promotion that goes to people who participate today.
“In addition, you will receive a 20% discount on your next purchase with your MasterCard at the Cubs.com Shop when you enter this code (CHC20FEB) and use your MasterCard card.”
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
Will there be a VWR?
There wasn’t for the Cubs Club members. It was straight to the schedule.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
by cubswynn on Feb 15, 2010 9:05 AM CST via mobile reply actions
I suspect...
… demand will be higher than for Cubs Club, which was pretty limited in the number of people who could get in. This is open to everyone. I guess you’ll find out at 10 am.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
What do you mean the Cubs Club was pretty limited?
Do you mean limited to those that can afford to pay for it?
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
With the advent of this little pre-sale
I’m a little disappointed that they didn’t offer a special pre-sale for all Cubs Club members, as I am on the bottom rung of that club.
"You just don't know understand how frustrating this is"- Kevin Borseth
They did offer that.
But you had to be on the higher ranks of the club. Paying $20, apparently, doesn’t qualify you.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
It's asking for some sort of password...
Tried my Cubs.com password and it didn’t work… but that could be cause it’s not time yet.
Ok, nevermind
now they’ve taken the password thing away, and put up a message saying the sale starts at 10am.
Yeah it wasn't a VWR...
I clicked on the thing that says “Click if you’re buying with a Mastercard”… and it sent me to a screen that said “Welcome to the Presale” and had a place to enter a password… but that’s gone now and it says in red at the top to wait until 10am.
This sounds exactly like the Cubs Club presale.
I’m still saying no VWR for this presale.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
Oddly enough
I have no problem getting tickets at work with the VWR. With this, however, the page is blocked by our internet protection crap. Unless it switches to a different link at 10am looks like no tickets for me today unless I run over to the library and try there. Weird how it blocks protected.tickets.com but not purchase.tickets.com. Ugh.
2009 Cubs Record: 12-6 (11-6 home, 1-0 road)
You could try reloading the page at 10 am.
Maybe it will change from protected.tickets.com to purchase.tickets.com at that time.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
You expected something different?
Come on. The demand for this is pretty high.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I guess it just surprises me that...
…people would be willing to pay 20% over face value, but not willing to pay for the Cubs Club and get all the additional benefits.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
Remember that...
… you have to pay $250 for Cubs Club in order to get 12 tickets. The lower one ($129?) only gets you four tickets.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Again here's my logic.
I found a buddy to split the $250 with, so now my cost is $125. Assuming a person pays an average of $15 over the face value through a promotion like this for 6 tickets, that comes out to $90.
It just surprises me that if someone were to partake in this event, they wouldn’t pay the extra $35 for the additional benefits of the being a Cubs Club member. Oh well.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
Most tickets won't be $15 over face on this promotion
Unless the Club thing saved you almost all the processing fees and I have no idea how they work that. I suspect very few boxes were available for sale anyway as they are mostly season ticket holders. I am sure most folks got bleachers with this and while the prices are sky high they are not $100 so the 15% “premium” would be less than $15
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 15, 2010 1:40 PM CST up reply actions
Good point.
I usually go for the higher priced seats. Which, by the way, were ALL available.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
And, you got a good deal by splitting the Cubs Club membership.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
VRW is open
not buying just poking around
by Cubsfan Waveland on Feb 15, 2010 10:00 AM CST reply actions
Yeah, Got through VWR quick...
But now getting…
We’re sorry, we were unable to process your request due to high transaction volumes. Please try to submit your request again.
I thought that VWR was in place to AVOID this…
Keep hitting "continue".
Eventually, you will get through.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
by Al Yellon on Feb 15, 2010 10:02 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
I have a buddy
who has some secret to VWR or he is just the luckiest human ever. He always gets right in.
by Cubsfan Waveland on Feb 15, 2010 10:03 AM CST reply actions
I knew this would be popular
Friday is going to be crazy. I hope I get lucky then.
by Cubsfan Waveland on Feb 15, 2010 10:06 AM CST reply actions
This is a disaster
I am getting in – RIGHT AWAY – but getting insufficient quanities right off the bat. And slow site loads.
just got 4 tickets for opening day.
this will be my 6th or 7th year in a row.
section 228, row 16
$62.29 per ticket after mark-up and fees.
I wonder how many people are complaining about the extra 20% and then jumping in today anyways.
I love going to Cubs games but I’m trying to be a little better about setting a budget and sticking to it. If I can’t get Cubs games that fit that I’ll get my baseball fix at minor league games.
---AC 00 00 00 - Believe
I finally got through...
Just looking for tickets to games July 2-3. Parents are going and don’t want to be in the bleachers because of the sun, so I was looking @ 500…got a chance for 6 in 518, row 8 for Saturday, July 3 game. I think that I can do the same through VWR on Friday so I backed out of the marked-up price.
$75/ticket for the Saturday Cubs Cardinals game.
I have family coming in town who want to go to that game. Do I bite the bullet and purchase them or take my chances on Friday?
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
I said I wasn't going to do this.
I promised myself. Now I’m twitching. Damn you PUSHERS and your mind altering substances!
"Pantone 567", thanks for asking...
Opening Day...
bleacher tickets are around $78 bucks after all the markup & fees added on…. Got mine.
well
it seems like “best available” tickets for the hot games were similar to best available in the first hour of the public sale – you could either pay for the bullpen/dugout seats but then after that you either end up with outfield box seats in the corner of stadium or bleachers.
by BeltwayCubsFan on Feb 15, 2010 10:20 AM CST reply actions
Little tip
After you buy, click schedule on the confirmation page to get shot back into the schedule to buy again
I got in quick
picked up 2 games, section 9 for one, and 112 for the other. pricey but damn fine seats.
Al
made a statement in the other thread about brokers losing money last year, I was glad to hear that. On one hand I would love to see them lose money again but on the other that would mean the Cubs don’t make the playoffs. I really wish we knew how many season tickets never get used by the original purchaser and are always sold to somebody else.
by Cubsfan Waveland on Feb 15, 2010 10:28 AM CST reply actions
Question.
I’m trying to get tickets to the July 23 Cubs-Cardinals game at Wrigley Field. What is the kind of demand for those tickets, and how quickly should I buy them on Friday?
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 10:29 AM CST reply actions
And on Friday at 11 AM my time,
Should I buy from cubs.com or try to VWR?
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 10:34 AM CST up reply actions
those will go fairly quick
if you are gonna do it friday get ready early and prepare for VWR hell.
---AC 00 00 00 - Believe
I'd say those
will be somewhere between the 3rd – 7th most poplar.
by Cubsfan Waveland on Feb 15, 2010 10:37 AM CST up reply actions
This weekend will be one of the first to go.
But since you’re trying for Friday you should be okay if you know the tricks. I would guess that this game will sell out 60-90 minutes after tickets go on-sale.
Also cubs.com and the VWR are the same thing. You enter the VMR through Cubs.com.
So on Friday at 11 AM,
Should I just hit “refresh” a lot of times until I see the “T” icon on that game?
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 10:37 AM CST up reply actions
The VWR refreshes for you every 15-30 seconds so there is no need to hit "refresh"
The biggest thing is getting through the VWM.
Once that happens you’ll see the schedule. After you click on the game, select the number of seats and your preferred section you’ll probably also get an error message that says it can’t process your request because of high transaction volume.
If you get this error message, just keep clicking on continue until you get through and do not close the window as you’ll lose your spot in the VWM line.
So buying from cubs.com will probably send me to the VWR?
Good thing I have Friday off from work.
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 10:43 AM CST up reply actions
it WILL send you to the VWM. it's the same thing.
first experience from this stuff i take it?
small tip because i’m happy today, once you get into one VMW copy the web address and open a new tab/window in your browser and paste the WMV address into that new tab/window. do this until you have about 50-60 tabs/windows open for the VWM. now you’ve just increased the chance that you’ll get tickets by 50-60. check the title of that tab/window as it will change from “Virtual Waiting Room” to “Chicago Cubs Ticketing” or something similar. when you see the title change that’s when you know you’re in. then proceed to the steps listed above.
Thanks.
And this is my second experience with this. I tried to get tickets to a Cubs-White Sox game in July 2008, and got sent into the VWR. I ended up having to leave it because I had to go to work.
Thanks so much for your help here.
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 10:55 AM CST up reply actions
Still waiting VWR hell....
"Any player who gets the opportunity to play at Wrigley should welcome it"
I am done
Too much of a pain to navigate that terribly slow site. And they are clearly holding a plethora of good tickets in reserve or for the brokers around the park.
I got 4 bleachers Saturday against the Sox and a pair in 220 row 9 for the Sunday (night?) against the hated South Siders as well.
I got through in the VWR like 8 times
but couldnt get off the buy tickets screen. I give up til Friday when it actually works for me.
2009 Cubs Record: 12-6 (11-6 home, 1-0 road)
You have to keep hitting "continue" until it gets past that "high transction volume" screen.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
This is torture...
I think I got through right away but then high transaction volumes disallowed me to purchase tickets, and now I am still stuck in the VWR. Been in here for over a 1/2 hour now. How are all of you guys getting through??? I’m just trying to pick up 2 “cheap” ones to the Saturday White Sox game.
I need 7 tickets together
for 1 game this summer. When is the first date that I can buy that many to 1 game?
by Cubsfan Waveland on Feb 15, 2010 10:40 AM CST reply actions
i think after the first weekend?
i tried checking cubs.com but couldn’t find the info at all. i know that it’s 6 per game, but i’m just not sure if it’s that for just friday or all weekend. your best bet would be to just buy bleacher tickets on friday in two transactions because unless it’s a april/may or weekday 1:20 game bleachers are going to all sell out for weekend prime games on friday.
Going with people who
aren’t up for the bleachers but we are looking at games during the week so I feel like there might be a chance to get piggyback seats all together.
by Cubsfan Waveland on Feb 15, 2010 11:39 AM CST up reply actions
What they dont tell you....
Not only have they bumped up the ticket prices 15-20% but the fees as well. Normally a convenience is about $3.75, and now its over $8.
2009 Cubs Record: 12-6 (11-6 home, 1-0 road)
Singles only left for opening day
According to vwr:
PLEASE NOTE: Only scattered single seats remain for the 6/12 Game.
You mean 4/12, right?
Or is that the 6/12 White Sox game?
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
You're probably right...
I didn’t look that close and just clicked through to get my tickets. Just glad to get seats for opening day.
Hopefully the weather is better this year and not at all like last year’s opening day.
no, it's for the 6/12 cards game
more than singles are still left for opening day.
Yes that is correct.
this is still the only game with singles left.
Easy
Got through right away and bought 6 bleachers to the Saturday Cubs/White Sox game. Out the door, with American Express and print-at-home, came out to $78.50 a ticket. Easy and worth it for me (considering I will be somewhere in the middle of the Caribbean for the Friday on-sale). Also snagged opening day and the July Saturday Cardinals. No issues and was done in about 10 minutes.
My guess is that they are not holding back too many tickets for the Friday sale. From a financial standpoint, no reason for them to. I have a feeling it will be difficult on Friday to get the prime games. It seems like today’s on sale is on course with the previous on sale days with the amount of time it is taking for games to sell-out/scattered singles.
Right, but...
… that could be because they are limiting the number of tickets per game, and there are fewer people wanting to pay the premium.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
how many windows/tabs do you have
try to get 20-30 of them open so you average 2 random check per second….
So those of you who are using other than Mastercard...
… are paying a 20% premium. If you use Mastercard it’s 15%.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Yeah and for the one game I wanted
I was willing to pay the extra money. The VWR was much easier to get into than the ones I’ve seen on Friday’s in the past. Better to do this today in 10 minutes, pay the extra 20% than stressing at work on Friday for an hour or two.
What about red and white stamps?
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 11:34 AM CST up reply actions
How many people here even remember S&H green stamps?
And remember, you’ll be showing your age if you do. (I do.)
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I remember my mom and grandparents using them to buy sewing stuff.
They had me licking those friggin stamps and pasting them into books all the time (until I figured out that folding and wetting a washcloth, then dragging the sheets of stamps over the damp washcloth worked MUCH better)
"Pantone 567", thanks for asking...
I do as well
In fact, if I went back to my parents’ house, I could probably find a book in the junk drawer – partially filled of course…
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
the stamp glue would be petrified at this point...
if it even molecularly still existed…
"Pantone 567", thanks for asking...
Were they stamps similar...
to the ones on that one episode of the Brady Bunch… were I think Bobby & Cindy were trading them in for toys like they were money.
Yes, that's probably them.
My grandparents used to save them.
Incidentally, according to this link, if you still have some of them, you can still redeem them
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
oh yeah I do
baseball.........is Kool Aid the remedy, or the cause of my desire for it
by cooliogirl47 on Feb 15, 2010 1:59 PM CST up reply actions
Ticket Limits?
Not sure if I am missing this somewhere, but I didn’t see it anywhere. Did the Cubs set a total amount of tickets limit that you could buy either for this presale, or Friday’s presale? I know 6 tickets per game is the current limit, but they usually have an overall limit.
On the first weekend...
… it’s 42 total tickets. But I don’t think they have a limit for the presale.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I haven't seen it anywhere.
but going off of memory it’s around 42 tickets for the first weekend?
Question
I’m still not clear on this. Does the 42 limit apply for this coming weekend and the presale or just the weekend onsale starting Friday?
Same question for the limit per game.
I am hoping to get a few more for opening day. I’ve got a group of ten and I don’t want to tell my mom she can’t come.
Thanks.
As far as I know...
… the 42-ticket limit just applies for the Fri/Sat/Sun dates this upcoming weekend. I do not think there are any limits for the presale.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Ah, VWR, I've missed you so...
I get a warm glow watching that stark white screen as the clock ticks away…
"Pantone 567", thanks for asking...
I'm surprised the Cubs haven't cut a deal with Volkswagen to sponsor the VWR
They could run little animated car races on the screen as the clock ticks down. And I’m sure there’s some way to Cubbify the Fahrvergnügen slogan.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
On another ticket topic...
… if you are interested in going to the Cubs/White Sox exhibition games in Las Vegas, they go on sale at 2 pm CST today.
IMO, these tickets are way overpriced ($30-$60).
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Correction.
$30-$50 is the price range. Still too expensive for an exhibition game.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I think ballparks look at Cubs fans like: "if you charge it, they will pay (it)."
Like lemmings to the sea, we are…
"Pantone 567", thanks for asking...
Still my favorite Far Side cartoon of all time...
Love the shit-eating grin
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
my favorite far side is the kid
trying to get into the School for the Gifted by pushing on the OUT door…
"Pantone 567", thanks for asking...
Mine is the...
one where the couple are out on one of those drive-thru safaris and there’s a lion trying to pick the lock on their car door with a coat hanger.
The most memorable one to me for some reason
is the one where the mailman is staring at a sign on someone’s front yard reading “BEWARE OF DOUG” while a man, presumably called Doug, peers out at him from behind the hedges.
"There's more to life than profits...like, you know, slurpees and stuff." ~Randy Marsh
That one was posted by a fellow staffer outside the office of a less than sociable co-worker of mine with the name...
…wait for it…Doug. He didn’t get the joke.
"Pantone 567", thanks for asking...
Well, I had plenty of opportunities to get bleachers...
…for Opening Day, several of the Cards games and the Sunday Sox game but couldn’t bring myself to pull the trigger. Even at face value, the ticket prices were giving me great pause – so there’s no way I could justify buying at a 20% premium.
My apologies to all for needlessly contributing to the high activity volume…
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
I was about to ask what the heck you were doing buying tickets...
It’s so, NOT ballhawk…
"Pantone 567", thanks for asking...
the wife - she's a big fan
For some strange reason, she enjoys actually watching the players play the game instead of just staring at a brick wall from the outside. She’s kinda funny that way…
Plus, sitting next to Al for a game is on my bucket list. You think I’m quick with a punch line and bad puns on BCB? Just wait until I get to kibitz for 3 straight hours. Al’s gonna wish Ronnie Woo Woo was around instead…
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
No, I still think I'd rather have you there.
One of these days, you’ll have to come into the park and actually stay there for the entire game.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Master Card
Four for August 21. Terrace Reserved $46.13
First try right at 10 timed out.
2nd try done by 10:10.
Second date I was looking for took until about 10:45 to get in and complete.
Didn't get my 6/12 White Sox game...
but I was able to pick up a couple of nice Terrace seats (section 233 row 11) for the July 4th game against the Reds. I think it was $91.00 total. I remember the 4th of July game selling out quickly last year (as did all weekend games), so I feel pretty fortunate.
Just for the heck of it...
I called up one tab of the VRW just to see what games were left & after 3 refreshes I got in… still everything available for Opening Day, bleachers included, & two of the Sox games.
Would it be worth it for me to try the VWR for the July 23 game against St. Louis?
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 11:48 AM CST reply actions
Man, I just cannot make myself pay those ticket prices.
$200 for two seats to a baseball game. In the corner. Sigh.
I said no. I’ve overcome my addition.
“My name is Zeke and I’m a Cubs-aholic”…
Dr. Drew says admitting your addition in the first step…(after the check has cleared to pay for the rehab, of course…)
"Pantone 567", thanks for asking...
I had to call Mrs. Zeke and have her talk me down and out of the liquor store...er, VWR...
"Pantone 567", thanks for asking...
Admitting your addition?
Are you saying math is bad now?
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 11:57 AM CST up reply actions
Math or meth?
Dum spiro spero... | Follow me on twitter or else: @andrewjstone.
by AndrewJStone on Feb 15, 2010 12:03 PM CST up reply actions
Math.
Look at Zeke’s comment.
Dr. Drew says admitting your addition in the first step…(after the check has cleared to pay for the rehab, of course…)
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 12:04 PM CST up reply actions
He knew it was Math, but he was just making reference to an earlier comment.
Some men learn through what they read. Some men learn through what they're told. Some men have to piss on the railroad tracks. And some men keep on pissin'.
I know.
The earlier comment was delivered in a conversation with me a while ago.
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 1:06 PM CST up reply actions
BUT YOU WILL KICK.......
yourself the rest of the season if you don’t make it to Wrigley . Sure was easy getting tickets to Comerica Last June . Just wish they could have pulled one game out !! Is the Lugnuts schedule out yet ??
gah
We’re sorry, we were unable to process your request due to high transaction volumes. Please try to submit your request again.
How many tabs do you have open in the VWR?
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 11:58 AM CST up reply actions
Wo bu zhi dao.
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 11:54 AM CST up reply actions
6 max
I had to go in 4 different times to get 24 for the Angels 6/19 game. Got a big group going. Talked the wife into spending our 24th wedding anniversary at the old North Side ball yard.
There’s NO WAY I’d wait for Friday for that game. So in a way, I’m glad the team did this. Draw back is it ends up being $75.50 per [bleacher] ticket.
Just win the next game...!
We can regret it together.
Maybe you, myself and Ballhawk, outside, alone…
Dum spiro spero... | Follow me on twitter or else: @andrewjstone.
by AndrewJStone on Feb 15, 2010 12:04 PM CST up reply actions
bring your gloves
Remember, when Riot is up, a cold beer at Murphy’s is just a double-clutch away…
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
Bull crap
How come they are doing this w/o any notice? We plan to drive down from Madison, WI to get wristbands to hopefully win the lottery but knowing that some days might already be sold out? Not fair to us poor fans. BOO Master card
Don't blame Master Card
They are only a sponser. You will have to settle for whatever tickets the Cubs choose not to self scalp.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 15, 2010 12:17 PM CST up reply actions
Will you knock it off already?
This is not deceptive. This is not going to sell out any games. Period.
Further, they DID give notice — there was advertising about this last week, and discussion here, and anyone on a Cubs email list got notice of this.
Jessica, you have way too much time on your hands.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I got THREE emails.
Not only is that the opposite of “w/o any notice”, but its damn near spam.
Dum spiro spero... | Follow me on twitter or else: @andrewjstone.
by AndrewJStone on Feb 15, 2010 12:45 PM CST up reply actions
You are on the mailing list
Not everyone who wants to buy tickets to a game is.
Al I never said they would sell ALL the available tickets, just way more than that “very little amount” you believe.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 15, 2010 1:42 PM CST up reply actions
Obviously hard to say but I would guess a few thousand per "big" game for bleachers
This is a combo of the increased season tickets and the 3 presale specials. Bleachers are pretty much the hot tickets and where the largest percentage of supply is. There is little point in the Cubs going to all this trouble if they don’’t plan to sell a few hundred thousand tickets this way ( both bleacher and other) Every year Al and I have a friend who tracks when the each “big game” sells out for the bleachers. Will be interesting to watch this year.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 15, 2010 1:58 PM CST up reply actions
Unless you have specific proof of this...
… I think, if I were you, I’d get off this soapbox and find yourself something to do with your time.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Are you trying to claim the cubs DIDN'T do a good job of promoting this?
It was inescapable. I don’t see how you could be a well rounded sports or cubs fan and not have known this was happening.
In addition to my three emails, it was the subject of conversation amongst friends this weekend, seen on Cubs.com, discussed in USA today and a NY Times blog, mocked on Deadspin…
Plus, if you want to buy tickets SHOULDN’T YOU BE ON THE MAILING LIST?
And does my signing up to your mailing list mean you should send me the same email THREE TIMES?
Dum spiro spero... | Follow me on twitter or else: @andrewjstone.
by AndrewJStone on Feb 15, 2010 2:34 PM CST up reply actions
Not all attention is good attention.
I understand your reply was in good humor, but i was legit annoyed with the third email on this that i received from the team. My business wouldn’t send out three blasts about any one of our events… its intrusive and an abuse of the trust a person gives you when they register their email address.
Dum spiro spero... | Follow me on twitter or else: @andrewjstone.
by AndrewJStone on Feb 15, 2010 5:13 PM CST up reply actions
Well... I haven't been getting any emails from the Cubs this year?
I didn’t even get my flex pack email? And I’m missing notifications of other important events and transactions. It’s not even in my junk mail. I’m logging onto the Cubs site now to try and fix this.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
I'm still registered for
1. MLB shop newsletter
2. Cubs ticket alert
3. MLB newsletter
4. Cubs newsletter
And I haven’t gotten any emails from the Cubs all year so far? WTF?
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
Yep.
All emails from Cubs are marked safe… and for some reason, suddenly at the turn of the new year I haven’t gotten a single email from them? Not even in the junk mail folder?
It almost screwed me out of the flex pack. Thankfully a friend sent me an email that day about it.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
That's very weird.
Maybe you should re-sign up with a different email address.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
They gave notice
I got emails nearly daily since last Wed.
Don’t think they’ll sell out any games but the availability of high-demand games will be diminished notably.
Just win the next game...!
Per above not everyone who wants to buy tickets for a game
is on the Cubs email list, but I could not agree more about the availability of high demand games being greatly dimished.
Al and I seem to disagree on that one.
Also worth noting that the notice for this sale came only after the end of Marquees club sales, which were allowed only after the9 pack sales. Cubs clearly want to max out how to get people to pay the most for games ( or buy ones they would never otherwise sell re the 9 pack). I have expect an extra sale for only 10% “premium” to let you go to the head of the line Friday for what is left.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 15, 2010 2:35 PM CST up reply actions
Makes sense right
They want more money that would normally go to the secondary market. Short of selling out those games today, I guess that only 2k [bleacher] tkts will be available come Friday for the high-demand games. No sellouts ahead of time…. but I would not be surprised to find out that over half [bleacher] tickets are gone by the 19th.
Just win the next game...!
Disagree.
Bleachers have already vanished from the White Sox and Cardinal weekend series in June and July. Thus, the inventory for this presale (which goes through Thursday) must be quite small, particularly for bleachers.
My guess is that there will still be at least 75% of inventory available on Friday for all games.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Is this guess your hunch or a
concatenation of immense Cubs’ operations understanding?
75% of 5,100 bleachers means 3,800+ tkts available Friday? That should make lots of folks here happy.
Just win the next game...!
It's a hunch.
Given the number of season tickets — even including new season tickets, plus Cubs Club and what was sold today — yes, I think your estimate is correct, even for the most desired games.
For most games, you’ll get close to 100% availabliity.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Also, 100 BCB points for using "concatenation".
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
A pair of tix for 2 games
I logged in at 10:00 a.m. and got tickets to the April 30th game vs. AZ and to the June 17th game vs OAK. It was no problem. I hated paying the surcharge but I hate being tied to my computer for several hours in the VWR on the regular sale day. So, I overcame my aggravation with the surcharge and got the tix. I drive down from Madison, WI to two games per year — one with my neighbor and one with my son and I am glad to have the tickets.
This is my first post ever. Thanks for doing such a great job with the site, Al! I love reading about the Cubs every day during the season! Best wishes to you.
Man I feel bad. I probably would have let you have those at face.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 15, 2010 1:43 PM CST up reply actions
4/30 for sure would be there next week
There would also be a good chance the 6/17 game would be there next week since it’s a weekday game against a so-so team.
Just win the next game...!
p.s.
I should also mention that these will be the best seats that I’ve ever had at Wrigley Field. I refuse to do the Dugout box, etc.. I always do Terrace level infield or outfield and these will be the best vantage points that I’ve ever had. Section 209 row 1 for the Oakland game and Section 220 row 7 for Arizona.
I was lucky....
and got 4 of Opening Day ($40) and 6 for the 13th against the Sox ($33). I’ve never been to either of them, so the extra money is worth it for me.
I’m glad they did this and kept it under wraps for the most part, I got through the waiting room in no more than 3 minutes. Then again I had 60 windows up…..
got 3 tickets...
My daughter’s first Cub game…
Reds at Cubs
Saturday, 7/3/10
at 12:05PM CDT
section 228-2 row 14
Hopefully we’re not behind a pole or anything but she’s 3 and if we have to make a quick escape I didn’t want to drop $300 on tickets.
I took my daughter to her first game a couple years ago.
She was five at the time and made it to the bottom of the seventh. (She loved the 7th inning stretch.) Good luck! If your wife’s feeling particularly generous, she could take your daugther to a nearby Starbuck’s or something and let you watch the last couple innings. That’s what mine did.
took my 5 yr old daughter and 8 year old nephew a few years back, to their first game
made it thru the whole 9 innings but they seemed more interested in the vendors than the game. By the time we left they each had every color of the rainbow all over their mouth.
baseball.........is Kool Aid the remedy, or the cause of my desire for it
by cooliogirl47 on Feb 15, 2010 1:58 PM CST up reply actions
My son's first was when he was 3...
just happened to be the Soto game against the Crew. We practiced GO Cubs Go for months before we went. He loved it.What a way to start your Cubs fan career. This year my daughter turns 3 so we’ll be going to the 9/1 game against the Pirates. I bought tickets today just to get it done with. I know, I know but I could help myself. Today buying tickets was a painless 5 minutes if that. Friday will be a nightmare so I figure it was worth it.
Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand. - Homer J Simpson
I'm also trying to get tickets to Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago Cubs on July 17.
Do you think I’ll have to use the VWR for that game, too?
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 1:22 PM CST reply actions
I just got bleachers for that one a short time ago
Very quick and easy!
"Any player who gets the opportunity to play at Wrigley should welcome it"
I meant on Friday.
I know I’ll have to use the VWR for the Cubs-Cardinals game on July 23.
Do you think I’ll have to use the VWR on Friday for the Cubs-Phillies game on July 17, too?
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 1:30 PM CST up reply actions
I'd say so
Saturday games vs. good teams get snapped up quick
"Any player who gets the opportunity to play at Wrigley should welcome it"
YES
It’s a Saturday in Jun/Jul/Aug plus to boot against a really good team.
Just win the next game...!
However...
… the Phillies, despite being back to back league champions, aren’t a draw like the Cardinals and White Sox are. Those games will sell, but not as quickly as the StL/ChW games will.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Quite true
I was trying to point out this weekend will sell out the Phillie 7/17 game, at least in the bleachers and other good seat locations.
I’m usually too bleacher-centric on my comments in ticket posts such as these.
Just win the next game...!
For that game,
I’ll just see what’s available after I get the Cubs-Cardinals tickets. Good thing I don’t have to work on Friday. I have all day long to snap up tickets.
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 4:52 PM CST up reply actions
Indeed.
Which is why I’m focusing on the July 23 ChC-StL game so heavily.
I’ll open 50-60 VWR windows/tabs until I see one that says “Chicago Cubs Ticketing.”
Once that is done, then the Phi-ChC game.
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 15, 2010 4:51 PM CST up reply actions
FWIW, 6 platinum bleacher tix cost...
$453.01 total, including print at home. Think the nominal price on the web page was $62.10 so it looks like the “convenience” fee runs over $12 a ticket.
Just win the next game...!
That convenience fee
includes 12% amusement tax and 9% sales tax and a order processing fee of $3.75. I’ll bet all those will be ineffect on Friday and beyond. The hit today is the 15 or 20% premium for being aloowed to buy early.
"Any player who gets the opportunity to play at Wrigley should welcome it"
So the 15% was added to yield $62.10 per tkt ...
before the fees. Got it, thanks.
Order processing of $3.75 and print at home $2.50 was added to the total at the end.
Just win the next game...!
Why would you do print at home when will call is free?
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I have to distribute many tickets ahead of time...
to out of town guests. This way I create .pdf’s of every ticket and just email them to everyone.
It saves me the responsibility of holding live tickets to many games at one time.
Just win the next game...!
save the whopping $2.50 and use Will Call
you can pick them up in about a month if memory serves. Unless you think you will be needing to email them to someone, there is no need for print at home.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 15, 2010 2:37 PM CST up reply actions
Or choose to have the tickets mailed
that is still no extra charge.
"Any player who gets the opportunity to play at Wrigley should welcome it"
Yes...
Tickets are available for will call pick up on March 9. That’s what I did for my July 4th game.
Is there a ticket limit?
Does anyone know if there is a ticket limit like there is when they go on sale Friday. I’m at 42 tickets, but I’ve seen nothing that says I have to stop there.
You don't.
These are two different sales. There is no limit before Friday. On Fri/Sat/Sun you are limited to 42 total tickets.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Cool!
I did not know about the presale – I don’t mind spending a few extra bucks to avoid having to sit in the VWR half of Friday. Although, with thanks to all the added price gouging fees, I won’t be going to any “platinum” priced gamse this year. Thanks for posting this Al!
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.
Got right through
in the first couple minutes and was able to get 6 tix for the CHW game June 12th. I did have a few issues with slow page loading and freezing when I got to the final page asking for address and credit card info, but it all worked out.
No way is there 75% inventory left for the Marquee games come Friday. Between the Cubs club sale and todays sale it wouldn’t surprise me if only 500 level and terrace reserved seats with maybe a smattering of good seats available for the marquee games come Friday. This presale was about making $$$ and making $$$ they are! It doesn’t take long to sell a few thousand bleacher tix for 5-6 games.f you didn’t get the tix you wanted today for the PRIME games you’re pretty much screwed come Friday. Save yourself some aggrivation and go for a weekday game in April. We better get used to these methods,next year they’ll have even more schemes to take your money!
I don't see how you assume the number of tickets sold...
… by the fact that some games have no bleachers available. Say they put 500 bleacher tickets per game for this sale (I don’t know that, I’m just guessing). They take a while to sell out because of the premium.
Even with season tickets & Cubs Club, my guess is that you’ll have 75% of the bleachers available on Friday for the platinum games, more for other games.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I assume that lots of tix were sold, because I KNOW the Cubs are greedy and want to make money! Good luck to all on Friday!
Use the reply link, please.
Your assumption is illogical. Sure, they want to make money, that’s why they did this. But you don’t know how many tickets were sold.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I'd agree /Al
How I read the Mastercard pre-sale was that they weren’t making ALL bleacher tickets available for every game (or any other desired section for that matter) but a limited pool of tickets for each game. For that reason I’d guess that even for premium games there will be good seats available Friday to be had – maybe less than if the Pre-Sale hadn’t occurred – but still available to those fortunate enough to get through early Friday.
No one said they would sell them all
Al said it would be a very small number and many of us are cynical about that. Not much point in going to all that trouble to sell
a very small number in my tinfoil hat view.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 15, 2010 4:56 PM CST up reply actions
Sure there is.
When you can make 20% on them? Why not?
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
When you can make 20% not to mention $20 per ticket
( that is the cost per ticket of th Marquees club) why not sell as much as you can get away with ? We all know the majority of the buyers will be targetting about 12 big games, and the majority of those will try for bleachers. How many will it take to take a BIG chunk out the inventory. You think 75% will be saved for Friday sales ? They are doing this to make money and while I do think the will hold back a fair number of tickets, most of the tickets for the 12 big games will be gone before Friday.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 15, 2010 5:16 PM CST up reply actions
presale
The tickets left are horrible I can’t wait for the beauties that will be available for Friday
Well Doggie
I don’t think you are correct for no other reason than the PR and potentially legal nightmare that would ensure if it came to light that the 20% premium was in effect for a massive volume of tickets. The Pre-Sale Page says “limited number of tickets made available to every regular season home game for the MasterCard First Chance Pre-Sale.” Of course “limited” can mean a number of different things depending on how cynical one wants to be, but it seems like an unnecessary risk for the new Cub owners to blow up their honeymoon period and fan goodwill by pushing this too far.
Unless evidence presents itself to the contrary, I’m going to categorize this as an experiment that banks on a set of fans willing to pay a little more in order to save time that would have been spent on Friday in the VWR.
It is not just THIS presale
Keep in mind Marquees members paid $250 up front to get a chance to buy early tickets. I imagine they would be pretty pissed if they did not get most or all of what they wanted. ( Would love to hear from folks who did the Marquess club on their experiences.)
Then add in the 9 pack folks who had to buy mostly crappy games to get good ones ( I have less trouble with this format than the others).
Exactly how will you know how many the Cubs sold ?Traditionally the hot games start “falling” within an hour of the main public sale ( wristband folks get a two hour head start). As the one accused of having a tin foil hat, I would like to ask why would the Cubs go to all the trouble of the two premium presales if NOT to make significant money and the way to make significant money is to sell a significant number of seats. All of this is magnified by the fact that most people are aiming for 12 games and probably 90% exclusively for summer games. I hardly think it is tin foil hat time to assume they will sell a WHOLE lot of those tickets in advance of Friday. It will leave enough for folks to get some with a lucky wristband or good computer skills but the pie is going to be a lot smaller.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 15, 2010 5:57 PM CST up reply actions
Direct quote from you
Exactly how will you know how many the Cubs sold?
Now, when you can show exact numbers that prove your tinfoil hat hypothesis, then I’ll believe you. Otherwise, I think you are 100% incorrect.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
And what makes you believe
that only a “very small number” ( your words) will be sold ? I never said it would be all the tickets as some have assumed, but how many here think it is a very small number? Considering all the trouble the Cubs are going to, I can’t imagine why they would do it for very small number. Not to mention these are the same folks who said Premium Tickets was not run by the Cubs and did not use Cub ticket inventory. .
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 15, 2010 6:33 PM CST up reply actions
Maybe this will help.
I was told by the Cubs organization that a max of 5,000 tickets per game would be sold to Cubs Club members.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
Let's be honest here...
You’re just as clueless about it as she is. Unless one of you have had talks with Tom Ricketts about his strategy here, then no one knows.
That said, I agree with her for the most part. Rickets is in this to make money. If he has the chance to sell 5000 tickets at 100 bucks a pop, or sell 3000 at 100 and the remaining 2000 at 75 (for example), why WOULDN’T he do the former? It’s illogical to assume that only a small portion of tickets would be available today.
Except I've been told it's a very small number by sources who are in a position to know the truth.
Jessica hasn’t. It’s as simple as that. Disagree if you want, but you’d be disagreeing with the facts.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
point of clarification - "very small number" isn't exactly a fact
While I tend to lean towards the “very small number” position in this discussion, it would be nice to put a actual number on it.
Al, I understand if your source (or sources) is unwilling to put an exact number on this, but perhaps a range, i.e something a little more specific than a “max of 5,000”?
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
I tried to get one, but couldn't.
I think “a max of 5,000” is probably accurate.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Bleacher Seat #s
FYI- I bought bleachers this morning at 10:08 and 10:10 for the 6/12 White Sox and 7/24 Cardinals games. The seat numbers for the Sox game were in the 4600’s and the Cards game in the 2700’s. I’m not positive that the seat numbers are sequential based on how many have been sold, but that’s my guess.
by shawon-o-meter on Feb 15, 2010 9:39 PM CST up reply actions
Not sequential
Having bought tickets previously, I’ve seen lower bleacher tkt #’s at later buy dates.
In the case of the Sox game you mention, if they did sell sequentially, that would mean less than 500 tkts were available for that game.
When they say there’s no more tkts left, like the “scattered singles” comment yesterday, that means the allotment of tkts for that sale are gone, not the total available for that game.
Just win the next game...!
FWIW
The first 6/19 tix I got yesterday started in the high 1,800’s, an hour+ later it was in the 2,500’s & 2,600’s, looking on the site just now the first # available is in the 3,400’s.
So…..if these are sequential about 1,600 of the 5,100 bleacher tkts for 6/19 were gobbled up for this pre-sale.
Just win the next game...!
I agree with you that the numbers are NOT necessarily sequential.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Marquee member here.
I’m very happy I signed up for it. If you want to look at it from a ticket standpoint, essentially I paid $20.83 on top of the normal price. Considering what I paid last year for Cubs/Sox tickets, I’d gladly pay the Cubs the extra fee versus a scalper. Throw in the extras like on the field event and VIP entrance and it was a pretty easy decision for me.
There wasn’t a VWR when I went on last Friday. I took my time purchasing tickets and yet tickets for ALL dates and sections were available. Ended up with 3 opening days in 2nd row of the 400’s (behind home plate) and 7 Cubs/Sox bleacher seats and 2 1st row 100’s (on the homeplate side of Sox dugout).
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
by ballhawk on Feb 15, 2010 6:17 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Hey! Have you been taking pictures of my record collection without me knowing?
Talk about your needle skips during playback,,, KA-CHUNK!
"Pantone 567", thanks for asking...
every single solitary ticket will be sold by midnight Thursday!!
but I’m still gonna get me a wristband and a beer at Murphy’s afterwards (while I fill out the order form)
Anger about Presale
I just don’t get it. To me it sounds like people think the Cubs owe their fans low cost seats to the big games or that it is somehow cynical for the owners to increase the amount of money they make from ticket sales. I said this in the announcement thread, people are willing to pay high prices to see the big games and in many instances a 100% or more above face.
That’s the Cub’s money and they should be using it to make the team better, Wrigley better, and yes, money they should be making as owners of the team. Why should this money go to brokers.
I agree that the Cub’s could have handled this differently (earlier notification, etc.) but I think this was a new idea (charging more for high demand games or early/easier access) that was implemented on the fly. Next year we’ll know to expect this and perhaps it will be done differently.
Ticket selling is going to change rapidly as teams respond to technology and trends in the resale market. Its not just local guys selling extra tickets on the corner, but national businesses that are buying and selling large numbers of tickets across using the latest technology and all the tricks.
Are brokers driving up prices by controlling supply or taking advantage of inefficiencies in current team ticket distribution. I think the later, which is why I don’t mind the Cubs doing knew things to get tickets directly to fans, albeit at a higher cost. We’ll see more variable pricing, more complex pricing (i.e yankees/mets), etc.
by mph3 on Feb 15, 2010 7:43 PM CST reply actions 4 recs
Green'ed.
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 16, 2010 9:46 AM CST up reply actions
Wow!
I didn’t know about the presale until I happened to get home from work early last night (5:30 pm) and checked the Cubs web site. I jumped right in with my Mastercard (no VWR) and bought tickets to three Cards games on Memorial Day weekend and three Labor Day weekend games (Mets, Mets, Astros), getting pretty good pairs or singles for each game.
What a pleasure that was compared to Friday’s massacre! I gladly paid the 15% premium.
Yes, overall I'd say it was worth it...
I unfortunately got stuck in that VWR for a while though so I couldn’t get good tickets to the White Sox series. I actually did have the opportunity to pick up a couple for the Sunday White Sox game but I really wasn’t feeling the last row of section 239. Anyways, I eventually got a couple of tickets that I wanted, and Friday will be crazy as usual, but this time I won’t be wasting my day away.
Wait.
If you get through the VWR to Chicago Cubs ticketing, is it possible to buy tickets to more than one game? If so, that means I may only have to deal with the VWR just once instead of maybe twice.
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 16, 2010 12:53 PM CST reply actions
What I mean is,
Once you get through, can you buy tickets to more than one game?
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 16, 2010 12:55 PM CST up reply actions
So, I get through.
I can buy tickets to one game, and then I can buy tickets to another game without having to sit through the VWR again?
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 16, 2010 1:10 PM CST up reply actions
Yes.
When you are done, click on the “Schedule” link at the top of the page.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Okay, thanks.
Got my plans for Friday now.
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 16, 2010 1:29 PM CST up reply actions
I do not know if that "Schedule" link will be there on Friday.
No guarantees.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Boy if it's been there all the time each year....
then I really missed some chances to get tix quicker than I actually did.
Just win the next game...!
I think even when it was it wouldn't necessary work
I seem to remember just getting bounced back to the VWR when trying to do that
At least I know where to go if it appears there.
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 16, 2010 10:07 PM CST up reply actions
Trib article
Cubs claim yesterday was a “success”. Sales numbers to be released later this week.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-0216-cubs-tix—20100215,0,1938379.story
The paragraph likely to generate the most angst here:
Brokers typically buy up thousands of tickets on the day individual tickets go on sale and mark up the prices themselves. The Cubs know many of the tickets sold in the presale will go directly to brokers, who will mark them up even more. Hayward declined to discuss the scalping issue.
Just win the next game...!
So the solution to scalpers
Is to make prices so high there is no market for them and cut out folks who don’t have big bucks? Everyone knew the brokers got tickets. I actually think the Cubs to a respectable job of trying to limit it re wristbands but with the internet it is impossible.
We all mocked the INSANE prices charged by the Mets & Yankees last year but hey if you want that big payroll lets start charging $300 or more for ANY box seat on the lower level. Bleachers should be $100 for all big games as that is the going scalper rate . Let’s not be incremental here. If the arguement is to charge the most the market will bear than lets really raise those prices. Don’t stop at $20 or 20%.
I am not opposed to higher prices, I just think it should be done in the open as in RAISING prices, even if this screws me as a season ticket holder. It is the extra ways of selling tickets WITHOUT raising the price that annoys me. From a accounting point of view it is genius really. Cubs can and do say they have NOT raised prices and the listed average price for tickets remains the same. Also as mentioned the median price for tickets remains the same on PAPER while in fact the Cubs take in far more money. I am sure it helps them with the taxes as well. My arguement has always been the hypocracy of it. At least the Mets , Yankees and Red Sox just have high prices, they don’t have systems where you pay to buy the tickets.
Pretenting to look out for the “average” fan while wanting as much as they can get. Go ahead and get the money but stop pretending you are not raising prices (the Cubs continued claim that 50% of the ticket BEFORE these premium sales) is another thing I find particularly galling and in this case flat out deceitful. They actually told the Times writer that it was the amusement tax that caused the increase, except the amusement tax went up 1% while ticket prices went up in most cases between 5-10 %. I realize it its too much to ask a sports orginization to be honest about these things.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 16, 2010 5:20 PM CST up reply actions
Until you can provide proof...
… that the Cubs actually raised the prices on more than 50% of their entire inventory, I think I’ll believe them rather than your hysterical claims.
The Cubs have been totally upfront about all of this. You should be happy, as your prices are now lower than what many others are paying. Yes, it’s expensive. I don’t have a problem with the Cubs making extra dollars, as this will get plowed back into the team and the ballpark.
Your claim of dishonesty on the part of the Cubs is incorrect.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Anyone want to help me with the math here ?
The Cubs claim 50% or more of the ticket prices are the same but are also using splitting out the amusent tax as cover.
The amusement tax went up 1% over last year.
Alas I am no good at charts,stats but I would be happy to send anyone that wants a list of the 2009 & 10 prices to do a more detailed chart for all , in the meantime here goes
Club Infield boxes went up for all 81 games
Club Outfield Boxes Field Infield and Outfield boxes and bleachers went up for 75 of the 81 games ( all but the bronze) Terrace Infield & Outfield boxes, Upper deck infield and outfield boxes & Upper Deck infield reserve went up for 57 games including the change from silver to gold level games.
The only sections were the prices did not go up for over 50% of the games where Terrace Infield & Outfield and Upper reserve Outfield which went up for 14 game BUT the Cubs added Sixteen games to Gold and Plantinum catagories which means both of these sections as well as most of the above actually had 16 more games that cost more before you even get to the price increase on a specific game. There would be some overlap on the Plantinum catagory but you would really have to be good at math to do that one and not my thing but being nice lets say between the price increase and the added high priced games they are paying more for 27 games.
Again this is a mess and I would happy to send someone the pricing chart but it comes out like this
Bleachers,& all lower boxes paid more for over 90% of the games
Terrace boxes, Upper Deck Infield boxes & Upper reserve infield pay more for over 70% of the games (higher price plus added premium priced games)
Terrace infield & outfield, and Upper reserverve outfield pay more for 33% of their games.
The lower prices in Terrace Reserve & upper deck reserve outfield only do NOT offset the increase in pricing for anywhere from 70-90 of the tickets for all lower & upper deck boxes & all bleacher seats & Upper reserve.
If you disagree Al , you have access to the same information and MUCH better math & chart skills
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 16, 2010 6:27 PM CST up reply actions
Your math is incorrect, because...
… you do not have access to every one of the 41,000 available tickets for each game, and the Cubs do.
If and when you get the same data they have and can prove them wrong, I’ll listen to you.
You really do need something to do.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
????
I have access to the PRICING for the 41.000 tickets. I am NOT using premium pricing in any way. Just the actual price directly from the Cubs. It is a bitch of course to add the 12% amusement tax back into to each 2010 ticket as the Cubs chart does not do it for you. It is also a bitch to factor in the increased number of Plantinum games. You are free to do the math yourself as you have access to the same information. I would be happy to email to the charts to anyone who wants to get a literal answer as to how many of the three million plus Cub tickets available in 2010 are the the same or lower than 2009 or in fact more. This is NOT a guess like we both are making about how many tickets are in the premium pre-sales, this is the ACTUAL price of tickets. Sometimes the increase is very small, sometimes very large but yes more than 50% of the tickets went UP. Instead of attacking me , crunch the numbers yourself, just remember to add in the amusement tax and factor in the extra Plantinum games.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 16, 2010 10:46 PM CST up reply actions
No, you do not.
You do not have specific pricing for each of the 41,000 tickets. The charts don’t tell you a thing, unless you have added up the exact number of tickets in each pricing level.
When you have those figures, come back to me.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
You can come close enough to the number of seats
because the numbers are not that close to 50% claimed by the Cubs but I gave the Cubs the advantage. I know you almost never come in the main park Al but it is not that hard to come up with a good estimate of each section. You do know the number of both rows and sections for each ticket type. Seats per row vary slightly and of course there are fewer seats in the far corners of the lower deck. but again happy to give the Cubs the advantage on that. I gave you all the sections and the increase and decrease per section. I think you know more than enough about Wrigley to figure it out.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 17, 2010 8:06 AM CST up reply actions
Who cares if he's a Cubs fan? This is a football forum! He is a PACKER fan as well. So, from now until March, I’m sure he’ll dedicate a lot of his time here. In late March, then we can be enemies during the baseball season. Besides, the Cubs have perhaps the most loyal baseball fanbase in the country. You have to respect that.
Go Pack!
by Jabooty on Jan 25, 2010 2:58 PM EST
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Feb 16, 2010 10:09 PM CST up reply actions
not sure why this would cause angst here
strike that – I do know why it would cause angst here, but I guess my point is, it shouldn’t cause angst.
All that happened yesterday is exactly what would have happened on Friday – except the Cubs got a bigger slice of the ticket revenue pie by moving some of the action up a few days. Sure the scalpers will likely try to mark the tickets up even more to cover their additional cost. But there are limits to what the market will bear and the scalpers will soon find that out.
Meanwhile every Cub fan that wanted a ticket to a game had the chance to get that ticket – a much better chance than they’ll have on Friday. The cost for that better chance? 20%. It’s up to each person to judge whether it’s worth it or not.
And actually, except for the Sox series and one Cardinals game, they still have the chance to get tickets to the game of their choice. No lines, no waiting – just pony up the 20% premium. Or take your chances on Friday with the hordes for the regular-priced tickets.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
by ballhawk on Feb 16, 2010 5:08 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
I am definitely not complaining...
We all had a MUCH better chance to get tickets to White Sox and Cardinals series this year compared to years past. We had more time, and it was less stressful. Friday will be chaos for those Sox tickets and they will probably sell out in about 15 minutes. Plus, I’d rather pay a little bit more money for these presale tickets, as long as it goes to the Cubs. Plus, how much was the 20% REALLY costing us? If you want upper reserved tickets, it’s only a couple bucks more. Speaking of upper reserved tickets and the White Sox series, the CHEAPEST ticket for the 6/12 game on StubHub right now is in section 503 row 7 and that is going for $58.96 and that is before all of StubHub’s additional charges. At first, I was a little skeptical about this presale, but I gotta tell you, I support it now.
Not sure how successful this is anyway
With the exception of the White Sox games and the July Sat game Vs Cardinals, it is perfectly easy to get bleachers at least for any other game including Opening Day, the rest of the Cardinals games, Any Saturday , etc. In the past Opening Day, Cardinal series would sell out in less than two hours and all Saturday games in the summer within three. It may just be that pricing has reached its max at least for bleachers. The yuppies who fork over $100 plus for those games , either can’t afford it or would rather just wait till game days when they know their schedule. I don’t know why but it is pretty startling that most games remain easily available. It will be interesting to see what happens Friday.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
wait - so after all your spleen-venting... ...now you're saying this was no big deal?
What about the Four Horsemen? What about Hell freezing over? What about the locusts?
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
No I am saying it is not working that well
Apparantly not every Cub fan is jumping at the chance to pay more to buy early. I certainly have not changed my opinion that it is dishonest way to sell tickets. I think raising ticket prices or putting these “pre-sales” up front on the site from day one would be the right thing to do and it might even get them more money.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 16, 2010 7:45 PM CST up reply actions
In what way is it dishonest?
They are telling you upfront that you have to pay more. Maybe they didn’t decide to do this presale until January.
You really need to get off this soapbox. You’re embarrassing yourself.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I think if the Cardinals,Yankees or another team did this
Cub fans would be outraged. Yes I really believe they decided to do this a month ago , AFTER they started selling the Marquees plans because God forbid they would want folks willing to shell out an extra $20 per game to realize they could do the same thing for a lot less. Heck they probably just thought of it last week and rushed it out.
If they want to sell tickets to people who will pay more money, than just announce that from the start.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 16, 2010 10:20 PM CST up reply actions
Question on Availability
Yesterday, I tried to get 2 club box seats for the 7/3 Saturday game against Cincinnati – got in by 10:10 AM and got the ticket limit error message. My girlfriend will be here and it will be her first Cubs game. This is a perfect example of what the presale is for – I would have gladly paid the 20% on these to ensure that I got seats to a game I wanted. That’s all I’ll say about my opinion on it.
What would my chances be of getting club box seats for this game? Or even field box seats?
Should have kept trying.
A lot of times they post the error message pops up, but if you keep clicking continue you’ll get through.
"Pounding sand since 1982...."
Tried that...
Yeah I continued for about half an hour, even clicked best available and couldn’t break into the club box tix…
It wasn’t the “system is busy” message, it was “you selected 2 tickets and the current limit is 1 or there are not 2 contiguous seats”
I just checked and...
they have some nice upper deck infield box seats still available. I know that she might want to sit close to the field at her first game but those UD Infield Box seats really, in my opinion, can provide a great view of the field and the backdrop.
Go to the Cubs website.
This presale goes until noon on Thursday.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Know this is not my thread...
But Al, what do you think my chances are? See the next comment up for the question.
Friday sale...
Monday, I tried to get 2 club box seats for the 7/3 Saturday game against Cincinnati – got in by 10:10 AM and got the message you selected 2 tickets and the current limit is 1 or there are not 2 contiguous seats". What would my chances be on Friday of getting club box seats for this game? Or even field box seats?
Probably pretty small.
Field boxes and club boxes for weekend games are mostly taken up by season ticket holders. But if you get through, go for that game first. You might get lucky.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Alas you best chance for great seats for a Saturday
would be day of game if they released some players seats etc. Obviously you can’t wait till then and Al is right about nearly all the seats being held by season ticket holders. I am surprised they ever had club boxes on the web site at all.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 17, 2010 8:31 AM CST up reply actions
Some club boxes down the foul line are not held by season ticket holders.
That’s probably why they were on the website.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Thanks
Yeah I will be in the VWR on Friday and this game is the ONLY one I am trying for, so that will be the quick move once I get in (cross my fingers). Thanks for the help, it is much appreciated.
Thanks Mike
I appreciate the opinion and I did get 2 very good UD Infield Box seats – row 2 for this game. This is my backup plan in case I cannot get any field box or club box seats tomorrow.
That being said, if I do get lucky tomorrow, these will be posted on the ticket exchange. I know that is for face value, but with this premium that people are paying for the pre-sale, would I be completely out of line for re-selling these at the “premium face value” that I paid? I just want to get even money back for these…
by jason.york9 on Feb 18, 2010 12:16 PM CST up reply actions
For any tickets bought via this presale....
… you can post the price you paid for them. I ask for people to be honest about this and not try to claim that tickets bought without the presale premium were actually bought with it.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
No problem...
Glad you were able to get them. Row 2 of the UD Infield Box is a GREAT view. Good luck tomorrow!
My PRESALE 2 cents
You have to look at this presale thing as a value of time argument, along with eliminating the stress and headaches related to Friday morning.
Even after I received the presale email, I was going to wait until the ‘Friday VWR Madness.’ Then I started to poke around for my tickets and I started to weigh the “COST” of messing around with trying to get tickets on Friday morning (ie: taking off work, frustrations with the VWR, not getting as good of tickets, etc). It just made more sense for me to get the tickets beforehand, thus justifying the extra 15% cost.
Late Monday night, I was able to snag good reserved seats (Sec. 6, Row 10) for Game 1 and bleachers for Game 2. No pain, no stress, no waiting. Could I have gotten better seats on Friday (maybe, and bleachers almost for sure), but I eliminated the stress of having to deal with the Friday morning melee along with not having to take a half day off of work.
Working that half day already makes up for the added 15% cost, not to mention eliminating any hassles or problems that could have popped up Friday morning.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." -Gandhi
There is potentially a bigger savings if you do the Wristband
You save on processing fees and get the tickets immediately . There is also the “thrill” of the wristband fun for those of us who do that. Mom is STILL mad at me for making her do this two years in a row (she gets this year off).
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Feb 17, 2010 2:01 PM CST up reply actions
lame presales
Personally I think the presales shouldn’t be made available at all. It cuts out the more thrifty fans from getting a chance at the best games… The people waiting with wristbands should be rewarded more than shaving off some ticket price.
I did pay the markup and got through easily Monday within minutes of the sale starting with multiple mastercards. Got tickets for 2 of the Cubs vs. Sox games and a set for Cubs vs. Cards. Was worth it to me to pay like $10 more per ticket to be done with my purchases in 15 minutes and not going through the Friday craze we will be seeing soon.
At least there should be some Cubs vs Sox games available to the general public at the open tomorrow. There wasn’t for Cellular Field…
Ticketing Industry Perspective
This article, "Chicago Cubs turn to ticket scalping for pre-sales this season ", is from TicketNews, "a comprehensive resource for news, market analysis, event announcements and more relating to the ticket industry. " I get their newsletter weekly for concert ticketing stuff.
The Chicago Cubs are back in the scalping business. As of Monday, February 15, the team is offering fans single-game tickets for all Cubs games at prices over face value.
The MasterCard First Chance Presale ends Thursday at midnight. The Cubs are offering their tickets at 20 percent over face value; fans paying for their tickets with a MasterCard pay 15 percent over face value. Tickets for all 89 home games are available, including opening day. Remaining tickets will be sold at face value beginning Friday.
Tickets to Cubs games are prized among the team’s fans because of the small size of Wrigley Field and the large number of season ticket holders. Last year the Cubs averaged 39,610 fans a game in a stadium with a 41,160 capacity. There are 110,000 people on the waiting list for Cubs season tickets.
The Cubs have not disclosed what percentage of single-game tickets are being offered during the presale. Last season, the team experienced some difficulty selling tickets, but for 2010 the team was planning to raise the prices on some seats.
According to the New York Times, Cubs management believes fans will pay the premium to guarantee themselves tickets to the game they want, and to avoid having to buy from brokers and on marketplaces like StubHub, where they believe prices can be extravagant.
"We believe there are fans who will pay extra, just like they’ll pay for a Fast Pass at the amusement park," Wally Hayward, the Cubs’ chief marketing officer, told the Times.
The Cubs have one of the most expensive average tickets in baseball. According to analysis on ESPN.com, Cubs average game prices for season ticket holders are up from the 2009 season by about $5. The increase is partly due to the Cubs unveiling a “platinum games” tier to their pricing system. Now ticket holders with coveted seats pay more for their seats during popular games, like those against the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals. The team increased the number of platinum games for the 2010 season, from 14 to 26.
The Cubs also attribute the increase in ticket prices to the secondary market. Cubs president Crane Kenney told the Chicago Tribune that 25 percent of platinum tickets ended up on StubHub, which is also the official reseller of MLB.
Speaking about season ticket holders selling their tickets on the secondary market, Kenney said, “It’s a fact of life. We’re over that. That’s fine. So we did the $5 [average] increase on those premium games as a way of trying to push the burden of our ticket price increase on those games, leaving the ticket prices flat for most of our games, for most of our seats.”
The Cubs have a history of scalping their own tickets. In 2003, the franchise was unsuccessfully sued by fans for funneling its tickets to a brokerage and making a profit off the mark-up. The Cubs successfully argued that because the tickets were sold through a separate company, Wrigley Field Premium Ticket Services, and not the team, the transactions were legal and not in violation of the Illinois Scalping Act. That Act bars event coordinators from selling tickets to their own events at prices over face value.
http://www.ticketnews.com/Chicago-Cubs-turn-to-ticket-scalping-for-pre-sales-this-season21016911?utm_source=email&utm_medium=2010-02-18
Dum spiro spero... | Follow me on twitter or else: @andrewjstone.
In general...
… please don’t post the entire text of links like this.
My comment is that it surprises me that 25% of platinum tickets wound up on Stubhub. Those are the tickets you’d think resellers could get the worst markup on, because they’re already high priced. I suspect a lot of those tickets sold for way below face by the time 2009 was over.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I'm guessing the bulk of these premium tickets on Stubhub were from season ticket holders
and markup really doesn’t come into play for a STH – it’s more of a sunk cost. Therefore, they’re just trying to maximize revenue (hey – just like the Cubs!) and they can get the highest prices for the premium games.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
Sorry, i only posted the whole thing...
… because i wasn’t sure if the content was behind a paywall or subscription login.
Dum spiro spero... | Follow me on twitter or else: @andrewjstone.
by AndrewJStone on Feb 19, 2010 12:20 PM CST up reply actions
If it is...
… even more reason not to post it. Thanks.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
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