Finding the Best Deal on Tickets

By Amanda Cohen on August 28, 2018

Whether you are trying to hit up the New England Patriots opening game, or if you want to see Beyoncé and Jay-Z kill it on stage (because they’re ~power couple~ goals), or if you want to see Kevin Hart do stand-up comedy, you are going to need to do two things: (1) spend money and (2) find/buy tickets.

Finding tickets on websites like TicketMaster and StubHub may be convenient, but you have to know that the prices are hiked because the website is filled with people trying to re-sell their tickets for a profit. So, what do you do if you are trying to see the Drake concert on a college student’s budget? What do you do if your sister is dying to see “Hamilton,” but the tickets on StubHub are five times higher than first-hand tickets? There are so many ways to buy tickets at a reasonable price, and I’m going to tell you how.

Image via. https://pixabay.com/en/entry-ticket-entry-tickets-entry-163575/

The “cheapest” way to find good tickets is to buy them right when the event/tickets are published online. Yes, you will have to wait and keep refreshing and, yes, it may seem tedious AF, but it’s 1000% worth it to buy Lollapalooza at a “reasonable cost” than it would be to buy a three-day pass for $500 on Ticket Master. The only issue with this method is that it’s time-consuming and there is no guarantee that you will actually succeed in purchasing the tickets you want. However, when you get that final page that says “Congratulations! You’re going to see [insert event name or concert here]” it will all be worth it.

If you tried waiting for 30 minutes (or more) and you didn’t see the beautiful “Congratulations” page, I promise it’s not the end of the world. There are ways to buy second-hand tickets without breaking the bank. When it comes to second-hand tickets, social media will become your best friend. Let’s start with Facebook. Even though Facebook may seem obsolete, you need to use it as a platform to tell people you are looking for tickets. Write a post and make it your status and post it in every single Facebook group you are a part of. Continue checking your direct messages and, if you’re lucky, someone will sell you their tickets at the original price, a little less than the original price (if they’re desperate to get the tickets off their hands), or a smidgen more (which is way better than what Ticket Master or StubHub would offer you).

When it comes to Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, post short and sweet stories every day or so saying that you are looking for tickets to a specific event and to contact you if they are selling. Always say that you are willing to pay “well” for the ticket, even if you are looking to just pay the original price. By adding this to your status/story/message, you will attract more people to contact you and you will be able to start negotiating. If you’re lucky, you will have tickets in your hand in no time! Even if you don’t have certain social media accounts, you can ask your friends and/or siblings on your behalf. All they have to do is post a similar message and to DM them for your number so that you can talk shop! You can make looking for reasonably-priced tickets an activity that’s fun for the whole family!

Image via. https://pixabay.com/en/concert-crowd-audience-people-768722/

Well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Even though I went into specifics above, there is one key feature that all of this advice has in common: preparedness. Mark your calendars, set reminders, set alarms, have your mom call you when tickets are going on sale. If the timing goes against your time zone, get your butt out of bed! Have your family and friends on different computers trying to access the tickets. If you and your friend want to go to an event together and only one of you gets on the site, one of you should just put both tickets on his/her credit card/debit card and then have the other person give you cash or Venmo you. Nothing should stand in the way of you having an amazing night. Looking for something to buy tickets to? Here are some fun events coming up that you can practice my advice on!

  • Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s On the Run II Tour
  • Taylor Swift’s Reputation Tour
  • The U.S. Open
  • Drake with Migos Tour
  • Any University football game

If these events don’t interest you, keep doing your research and find something fun for you and your friends to do now that summer is ending and school is creeping up on us. Fist bump your way into a concert with the advice I gave you above! Happy ticket hunting my friends!

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