The cost of fandom. Just help me understand.

[Kalypso]

OK, I have to ask this. And sorry if you feel like I am asking inappropriate questions, but I really cannot fathom this.
How do you do it? (i.e. following the band going to more than one concert AND flying abroad too?)
I just went on all the three sites that would allow to buy a ticket.
I cannot get a membership for BestBuy because I never joined their rewards program. It's the only one that has decent (I am not saying good) but decent prices. like $ 90. If you knew this before the end of May. If you didn't, tough shit.
Ticketmaster forces you to join the club, so the price of one ticket goes over $200 automatically.
Stubhub is practically like eBay, glorified scalpers. A shitty 4th floor place costs $285 per person. An under the stage ticket (where usually the Flag people who are not asshats, because at this point I understand that if you behave like an asshat those behind you will kill you), costs $1001,00.
Add the costs of traveling (yes, you don't necessarily have to fly on the East Coast and Europe, but still you have to pay for gas!), food and a place to stay if you cannot get home the same day.
SO
If the Police play IN your city, where you can drive to the concert, are a member of TPT, Best Buy or you got decent seats from a scalper, and go home, the cost per person would be around $100-200. Which is great, and possible.
Repeat like 4 or 5 times, and the concerts are all in the same area you end up spending most certainly $1000+ (per person) because you're worth it, a la L'Oreal. Which is OK for a fan. You are probably willing to sleep on the floor, staying at relatives, or going to a hostel.
Now I have just calculated that if I buy 2 shitty 4th floor seats at AT&T in San Antone through StubHub, add the cost of planes, car rental, food and hotel for 2 people, seeing the Police (from a shitty place) would cost us over $3500 to be optimistic.
Now, my question is: those who have seen 7 or 8 concerts, are you millionaires by any chances? Are your parents rich? I know how ~~~~~ would make it, but

I think before I put a lid on this pot forever, I must try and understand. Maybe the answer to why No Concerts on the West Coast is there too.

[sockii]

Stubhub actually CAN be a site for great bargains, you just have to be patient, wait until a week or so before a show, and see if sellers get desperate or not. At some venues (MSG) they don't because the market can support inflated prices (god knows the floor on 8/1 was full of business suit types with huge expense accounts, no doubt). But I got 10th row for considerably UNDER face value at Giants Stadium via Stubhub, and Fenway floor seats were going for half of face value the week befor the show, etc.

I won't lie and say I haven't spent a LOT of money this year. Probably something in the ballpark of 2 grand to get to 7 shows, including travel. Maybe more (I don't want to look too closely at the credit card bills yet). And not counting was vespapod spent, too. But, you know, I look at it this way: I usually spend at least as much every year on a week- or two-long vacation trip out of the coutry. This year I did the Police instead. For me it was worth it because it's something I waited over 20 years for and I don't know if it'll ever happen again. When I put it in that perspective it doesn't seem so out of the range of (sort of) reason.

Oh, and I have no doubt there'll be West Coast shows yet. Just be patient...

[TheEqualizer]

Ticketmaster forces you to join a club for $200? I've gotten tickets from them on this tour without any club fee.

As far as StubHub, for the shows I checked, there were always some good bargains.

Don't feel bad about missing out on the Best Buy Club, as Secret Jorney Ranch can confirm, the presale thing through them was pretty much not worth it.

And I don't know this from experience, but I am not that the TPT presales did not provide any particular benefit.

However, I also wonder how so many have been able to go to so many shows.

[TheEqualizer]

SC.net = the forum with member with money flying out their asses (apparently)

[Jennythenipper]

I have only seen one show, and I felt very lucky indeed to get such good floor seats for $100 a piece.

I am planning a trip to Atlanta to see them in November. The costs of this are offset by the fact that I have a friend in Atlanta to crash with. Atlanta is a relatively cheap flight from Minneapolis ($200). If I can not get good seats for under two hundred a piece, I will not bother. I'm planning $800 for the whole thing including airfare. Yes, that's a lot but my first concert was so great, that I think it's worth it.

Others have replied to messages I've posted about finding cheaper tickets on Stub Hub. When dates are first announced the price is high. I think they go down, sometimes, way, way down below face value, closer to a show. Also Ticketmaster has a for sale by fans section, that will likely have tickets for San Antonio when the tickets are actually available. Sometimes you can get reasonable deals on Ebay and Craig's list too. Though the majority are scalpers, I got Dylan tickets for a sold out show below face value once on Ebay, just because it was someone who was more less stuck with unusable tix.

The San Antonio show was just announced so they are making estimations based on that. Don't panic yet.

It's a catch 22 though because if you wait till it's a lot closer to the show and buy cheap tickets, travel will be more expensive. If you have thetime you can drive or bus it, but most of with lives who don't live out east, are looking at either paying through the nose for last minute plane fares or paying through the nose for tickets on Stub Hub.

[sockii]

[quote="TheEqualizer"]
Don't feel bad about missing out on the Best Buy Club, as Secret Jorney Ranch can confirm, the presale thing through them was pretty much not worth it. [/quote]

Yes and no. Some people got decent tickets through them. It's unpredictable. I bought a couple BB tickets over the summer that were "OK" but mostly ended up reselling the tickets when I was able to do better on the second-hand market.

Presales are always set blocks of tickets, but not always nor necessarily the best ones.

[quote]And I don't know this from experience, but I am not that the TPT presales did not provide any particular benefit.[/quote]

In my experience the tpt.com presale tickets were shit for the summer shows--bad locations, especially if you needed more than 2 tickets. However, I got a pair of 14th row center floor tickets for the Nov Philly show on vespapod's tpt.com membership, which we'd been saving for the fall, so obviously with less immediate demands there is better availability this fall in the tpt.com presale.

[Kalypso]

Thanks, Sockii, for your answer. It makes sense to wait and see, like on eBay, and yes, spending up to $2000 for several shows is totally worth it. I would probably do it too if I could spend that amount. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and you are lucky to work with Vespapod.

But $3500 for 1 show, I would fork out maybe if I was first row smack in front of Stewart guaranteed, but not fourth floor. NFW.

EQ, if you go on Ticketmaster now they ask you for Best Buy password or for the TPT membership fee. Maybe they did not do it before, or I and hubby are two idiots blind as bats.
Even so, the major costs for a venue like San Antonio are the plane tickets, the hotel *even with priceline* and the car rental - everything is big in The Lone Star State, right?. So Sockii is right. Patience has never been one of my fortes, but I think that this time I have to simmer until they get closer.

[TheEqualizer]

Oh, I understand. You need a code because the tickets are not on sale to the public yet. Once they are released to the public, they can be ordered by the public without being a member with anything and you will likely have access to better seat than those offered to the presale people. Just get ready to make an immediate purchase the very second they are available to the public.

BTW, I was actually able to get better seats for the Dodgers Stadium show by calling Ticketmaster and ordering over the phone than I was ordering over the internet. May have been a total fluke, though.

[sockii]

>EQ, if you go on Ticketmaster now they ask you for Best Buy password or
> for the TPT membership fee. Maybe they did not do it before, or I and
>hubby are two idiots blind as bats.

That's just for the presale. General sale to the public begins Saturday morning. No codes required.

And like I said, presale does not automatically = better. I got better tickets through some general sales than through some of the presales.

[Jennythenipper]

[quote="sockii"][quote="TheEqualizer"]


In my experience the tpt.com presale tickets were shit for the summer shows--bad locations, especially if you needed more than 2 tickets. However, I got a pair of 14th row center floor tickets for the Nov Philly show on vespapod's tpt.com membership, which we'd been saving for the fall, so obviously with less immediate demands there is better availability this fall in the tpt.com presale.[/quote]

Thanks for the info Socki. I'm just trying to decide whether it's worth it for the $100 for the membership just for one show. Atlanta is totally sold out, and prices on Stub Hub have been pretty solidly high (still around $400 for the "cheap" floor seats that I'm looking for and more than a grand for front and center in the first few rows.

Either adding the second date will totally deflate the value of the stub hub tickets, in which case I should just wait till after the pre-sale, or I will miss out on some awesome 14th row center seats because I was too cheap to pay the $100. Arrggh.

[Jennythenipper]

[quote="sockii"]>EQ, if you go on Ticketmaster now they ask you for Best Buy password or
> for the TPT membership fee. Maybe they did not do it before, or I and
>hubby are two idiots blind as bats.

That's just for the presale. General sale to the public begins Saturday morning. No codes required.

And like I said, presale does not automatically = better. I got better tickets through some general sales than through some of the presales.[/quote]
ya know I've had decent luck with Ticketmaster in the past. maybe I'll just try my luck with that, rather than risking $100 just for the opportunity fof presale.

[Pdaitabird]

[quote="TheEqualizer"]SC.net = the forum with member with money flying out their asses (apparently) [/quote]


LMAO!!! THAT was the best laugh I've had in a while.

Kalypso, I feel for you. I would so love to go to more shows, but I just don't see it happening. I got the mediocre $90 seats (through Ticketmaster, it was easy), and I'd want the good seats next time. I feel fortunate that I got to go once. I never thought I'd be able to see them again, period. I can't justify the debt of another one, nor can I justify doing another show and telling the kids sorry, no vacation for you next year...which is what it would be in my case.

I really hope you get a show worked out.

[Jennythenipper]

[quote="TheEqualizer"]Oh, I understand. You need a code because the tickets are not on sale to the public yet. Once they are released to the public, they can be ordered by the public without being a member with anything and you will likely have access to better seat than those offered to the presale people. Just get ready to make an immediate purchase the very second they are available to the public.

BTW, I was actually able to get better seats for the Dodgers Stadium show by calling Ticketmaster and ordering over the phone than I was ordering over the internet. May have been a total fluke, though.[/quote]

I think it's all the luck of the draw. I've gotten awesome tickets on Ticketmaster, had my system freeze, tried again, gotten garbage, tried again, gotten good seats....

The good thing about the internet is that now you can actually get through to Ticketmaster on the phone now, without having to wait for hours. I got better U2 tickets by phone than online, but that was a while ago now. Internet connections are way better.

i don't have a problem with doing both actually. Especially if you have someone helping you out. Oh and if you live in the city, don't discount the old fashioned option of just going to the box office. I've gotten the best seats that way with no fees. Of course, sometimes it means camping out on the sidewalk, but that's kinda fun too.

[zilboy]

I can confirm that the presales don't necessarily guarantee better seats. I went both nights to Wrigley. Caught the presale for the first show, missed the second. My seat the second night was far better than the previous night. Go figure.

[Rusty James]

Kalypso, I feel your frustration. We are what you would call "house poor". My wife and I don't live an extravagant lifestyle by any means. Basically, our mortgage is bi-weekly so any and all money goes to our freakin' bank and we see very little of it (both of us work). Lots of families are in this fiscal predicament and it makes for a frugal existence at times.
We were only able to attend the Vancouver Police shows because they were right in our home town. Had the world tour launched from some other place in North America I probably would have gone on my own to see them like so many of the great fanatics from here did and still do.
Ticketbastard, Live Nation and the rest are what they are. I don't think there is any getting around these money grubbers. If scalped tickets are your thing - good luck with that - there are some unbelievable deals to be had but they are usually the day of the show and trying to co-ordinate airfares and accommodation around a situation like that is...well...difficult.
I hope Sockii is right and there will be some sort of west coast show. My Master-fucking-card will be in for a ride cause we're gonna see the again