If you're of a certain age, you might remember when shopping for concert tickets meant going to the window outside the concert hall, putting down a few dollars, and getting handed your change. Outside, nervously looking to and fro for the approach of security, were those marvelous beings known as scalpers. Maybe you're a generation younger than this, in which case you might still recall buying a ticket from the one stand-alone company that specialized in their sale.
It's a new world out there today, with seemingly endless choices. The old ticket vending company has morphed into a half-dozen ways to make your purchase. Further, scalping has become an online specialty.
The shift between the old practice and the new took place in 1994. That year, three classic, high-profile rock bands toured the country, one of these a group reunion tour. Tickets became more expensive than they'd ever been, but the new complexity came from the fact that they were now being sold at different prices, $40 and $60.
It's possible to divide this new world of choices into two broad streams. There are those avenues that allow you to buy tickets to events before they're released to the general public. Then there's the waiting game, in which you hold out till the last possible moment, waiting to snatch up a late-breaking opportunity.
To exploit the first broad possibility, you'll want to be alert to when a given act is coming to your town as soon as it's announced. Then join that artist's fan club. Most, though not all, artists will charge a fee to belong to their fan club. However, artists reward their fans by giveaways, which include giving them prerelease access.
You can beat the public and get early access through other means as well. You might find online news sources that fast-blast upcoming concert information. These sometimes include early-purchase opportunities. Frequently, entire concert tours are sponsored by credit card companies, which then give their cardholders a chance to buy early as a benefit. More common, however, is early access through the stadium, stage, or other concert venue. As with fan clubs, it pays to be a member.
Since some ticket prices have gone upwards of one thousand dollars, there are some luxurious packages available. They include nights for two at posh hotels near the show. They include getting to meet the artist or artists backstage after the show. Or, you can simply have dinner and drinks catered to your box seat.
Another option is to wait till just before the show, and see what might have become available. This is traditionally the role of the scalper, and there are still plenty of these, though you're more likely to find them on social media than on the street. His role, meanwhile, has gone high-tech and become a normal part of shopping. There are websites now specifically oriented to re-selling tickets.
This maddening situation is tolerated by the public, so it will continue. Indeed it will fester, with new methods emerging all the time. It might be a shame that Wall Street skills are necessary just to go shopping for Toronto concert tickets, but thus is our brave new world.
It's a new world out there today, with seemingly endless choices. The old ticket vending company has morphed into a half-dozen ways to make your purchase. Further, scalping has become an online specialty.
The shift between the old practice and the new took place in 1994. That year, three classic, high-profile rock bands toured the country, one of these a group reunion tour. Tickets became more expensive than they'd ever been, but the new complexity came from the fact that they were now being sold at different prices, $40 and $60.
It's possible to divide this new world of choices into two broad streams. There are those avenues that allow you to buy tickets to events before they're released to the general public. Then there's the waiting game, in which you hold out till the last possible moment, waiting to snatch up a late-breaking opportunity.
To exploit the first broad possibility, you'll want to be alert to when a given act is coming to your town as soon as it's announced. Then join that artist's fan club. Most, though not all, artists will charge a fee to belong to their fan club. However, artists reward their fans by giveaways, which include giving them prerelease access.
You can beat the public and get early access through other means as well. You might find online news sources that fast-blast upcoming concert information. These sometimes include early-purchase opportunities. Frequently, entire concert tours are sponsored by credit card companies, which then give their cardholders a chance to buy early as a benefit. More common, however, is early access through the stadium, stage, or other concert venue. As with fan clubs, it pays to be a member.
Since some ticket prices have gone upwards of one thousand dollars, there are some luxurious packages available. They include nights for two at posh hotels near the show. They include getting to meet the artist or artists backstage after the show. Or, you can simply have dinner and drinks catered to your box seat.
Another option is to wait till just before the show, and see what might have become available. This is traditionally the role of the scalper, and there are still plenty of these, though you're more likely to find them on social media than on the street. His role, meanwhile, has gone high-tech and become a normal part of shopping. There are websites now specifically oriented to re-selling tickets.
This maddening situation is tolerated by the public, so it will continue. Indeed it will fester, with new methods emerging all the time. It might be a shame that Wall Street skills are necessary just to go shopping for Toronto concert tickets, but thus is our brave new world.
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