Boston Frozen Four tickets

[Hoover]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

Of course you should check the availabilities on Monday.

Once you have the live options in front of you, your motivation for buying the tickets is the primary consideration...The only thing I'm recommending against is jumping into the market as an amateur scalper.

My only motivation for possibly buying is to gain another priority point. If I do purchase, I'd hope to sell them at face value, but I know I'd take slightly less - for me a few dollars is worth gaining the priority point.

As for buying a single seat on the glass - not for me at $600, even if your idea of sharing the seat with others is interesting. Buying a single in the nosebleeds at $160 just for the point - I'd be afraid no one would want to sit alone in the rafters. Again, I know it's a risk, but if I do buy and end up getting burned then I simply wouldn't try it again in future years - it would be a lesson learned (an expensive lesson!).

 

[LTsatch]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

220 all session tickets available from the third party site I mentioned ranging from $334 to $940 a ticket, this shows a price drop in both the lower and higher ends of the aftermarket price range. For some reason there are 100 less tickets for sale on the site than there were last week.

 

[Priceless]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

220 all session tickets available from the third party site I mentioned ranging from $334 to $940 a ticket, this shows a price drop in both the lower and higher ends of the aftermarket price range. For some reason there are 100 less tickets for sale on the site than there were last week.

Can you log on and see sales over the past period of days? If you go on as a seller on Stub Hub they will help you price, which means showing you sales in your section from the past 3 days/7 days/2 weeks/all time. It would be interesting to see if people are buying tickets or if sellers are pulling them hoping to create a false supply expectation so they can sell them later.

 

[LTsatch]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

Can you log on and see sales over the past period of days? If you go on as a seller on Stub Hub they will help you price, which means showing you sales in your section from the past 3 days/7 days/2 weeks/all time. It would be interesting to see if people are buying tickets or if sellers are pulling them hoping to create a false supply expectation so they can sell them later.

I am not a seller so I have never tried to do what you are suggesting. I bought tickets from this website (vividseats) for Philly last year and after an exhaustive search found it to be the most reasonably priced. There WERE many seats near the glass which probably were pulled recently from the site. With the price dropping, that strategy does not seem to be working. The prices on Stubhub are much higher than the other site as well, for whatever reason, there are mostly only lower bowl seats on stubhub.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

My only motivation for possibly buying is to gain another priority point. If I do purchase, I'd hope to sell them at face value, but I know I'd take slightly less - for me a few dollars is worth gaining the priority point.

We need to define "a few." Keep reading.

As for buying a single seat on the glass - not for me at $600, even if your idea of sharing the seat with others is interesting.

Understood; even splitting it 4 ways would be an extra $150 each. And for that money, each of you would get just two periods on the glass, with one of you getting a third turn. Not cheap.

Buying a single in the nosebleeds at $160 just for the point - I'd be afraid no one would want to sit alone in the rafters.

Agreed; a single in the nosebleeds would probably be tougher to resell than any other seat in the building. Unless, of course, you price it at a deep discount. If you sold it for 50% off, it would likely move. But even then it might take some effort to find a buyer. But for the sake of argument, my question would be: Is a priority point worth $80 to you? (half of $160)

Again, I know it's a risk, but if I do buy and end up getting burned then I simply wouldn't try it again in future years - it would be a lesson learned (an expensive lesson!).

There's just no easy answer here. The seats with better odds of resale would be a nosebleed pair or a loge single. But those options require you to put more money at risk up front.

Whatever you decide, best of luck.

 

[Siouxfaninseattle]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

So after extensive research - OK about an hour this morning, here is my report. There are plenty of seats available. I see no problem for anyone in the lottery getting seats. Lower level, not so much. The only $600 seats left (who cares?) are on the ends. When I last checked at about 7:45 there were two or three seats left in the lower level (again not counting the $600 seats) and my guess is they are gone now. Balcony is another story. If you are looking for a single, there are some decent seats left as low as row 2. There are some sections - corners - that have over 100 seats left and many seats together - whole rows. I will try to check again later and see what is still available.

 

[CLS]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

My only motivation for possibly buying is to gain another priority point. If I do purchase, I'd hope to sell them at face value, but I know I'd take slightly less - for me a few dollars is worth gaining the priority point.

As for buying a single seat on the glass - not for me at $600, even if your idea of sharing the seat with others is interesting. Buying a single in the nosebleeds at $160 just for the point - I'd be afraid no one would want to sit alone in the rafters. Again, I know it's a risk, but if I do buy and end up getting burned then I simply wouldn't try it again in future years - it would be a lesson learned (an expensive lesson!).

You want a priority point for what reason? Seat selection or whether you get a ticket at all, or both? Do you plan on attending in 2016 and 2017?

The reason I ask is that seat selection will always be an issue, but whether you get a ticket at all may not be an issue until 2018, when the FF is in St. Paul. We have some history with Tampa (2016), but none with Chicago (2017), don’t remember if Tampa looked like a sellout, but my memory says that there were some sparsely populated sections and tickets were available on the secondary market at reasonable prices. (I’m sure someone’s memory is better than mine here; please correct me or add info). So 2 priority points will probably get you in the building in Tampa. Chicago looks eerily to me like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia – somewhat untested cities with no strong local programs but within driving distance of a hockey hotbed and convenient to get to by air. Pittsburgh was barely a sellout if it was at all (pretty sure priority 2 would have gotten you in), and for Philadelphia, there were emails going out the day of the finals announcing tickets were still available. So if you plan on attending in 2016 and 2017, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll have 3 or 4 priority points by the year it really matters.

Of course having 5 priority points would be much better in 2018. Depends on your tolerance for risk and your tolerance for the hassle of selling the ticket.

 

[Hoover]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

You want a priority point for what reason? Seat selection or whether you get a ticket at all, or both? Do you plan on attending in 2016 and 2017?

I plan on attending every Frozen Four going forward, so I'd like to gain the point this year to "help" in future years when tickets might be harder to get for the low-priority crowd. I agree that I probably won't need the point to help next year in Tampa. As I said in an earlier post, I will be using a friends (higher-priority) extra tickets, but I'm willing to buy my own and try to re-sell them (face value or less) for the point gained. Money is as important to me as it is to most everyone else, and I don't want to waste a lot if I get burned, but I'm willing to take the chance...once.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

I plan on attending every Frozen Four going forward, so I'd like to gain the point this year to "help" in future years when tickets might be harder to get for the low-priority crowd. I agree that I probably won't need the point to help next year in Tampa.

It's really important to realize that the FF Priority Lottery has primarily become a seat selection process. It's been several years since any priority holders were turned away. None were turned away in St. Paul (2011). It's starting to look like we'll make it through all the priority levels this time as well. (Though admittedly with very little left at the end.) If even St. Paul and Boston have public tickets available for newbies, then pretty much every host will. So buying points to ensure access may not be the best use of money.

In contrast, if the goal is to improve your vantage point as the years roll along, buy all means make the purchase. Realize that it may take five years before you notice a major difference. But if you have the staying power needed to amass priority points, it will pay off with improved positioning in the long run.

As I said in an earlier post, I will be using a friends (higher-priority) extra tickets, but I'm willing to buy my own and try to re-sell them (face value or less) for the point gained. Money is as important to me as it is to most everyone else, and I don't want to waste a lot if I get burned, but I'm willing to take the chance...once.

No real disagreement, but let me make an important distinction. Whenever you decide to "take the chance," make sure it's on the basis of calculated risk, not a shot in the dark. For Boston or St. Paul, your odds of successfully reselling extra tickets are fairly good, particularly if you're reasonable on price. But Tampa and Chicago involve greater risk of getting caught with extras, for the reasons mentioned by CLS. Ignore those differences at your own peril.

Put another way, results in Year 1 may not be a good predictor of results in Year 2. You need to re-assess the market each year.

 

[CLS]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

I plan on attending every Frozen Four going forward... I'm willing to take the chance...once.

One good thing. If you’re planning on attending every FF going forward (welcome to the club!) once is the maximum number of chances you’ll take, should you decide to do so this time. I suspect that unless we have a participant disaster like Columbus, you’ll be able to sell a ticket at a reasonable price. However, if not, one thought. You may be able to find a youth hockey organization to donate the ticket to. I don’t know how Canadian tax laws work, and I obviously don’t know your tax bracket, but that may work out to be as logical financially as selling at a big loss.

 

[Hoover]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

In contrast, if the goal is to improve your vantage point as the years roll along, buy all means make the purchase. Realize that it may take five years before you notice a major difference. But if you have the staying power needed to amass priority points, it will pay off with improved positioning in the long run.

This is my goal - to improve (if only slightly) my seats over time, and yes I do understand this will take several years. As far as buying the extras and trying to re-sell (your "calculated risk" point), I also know that unloading Boston or St. Paul tickets would be much more likely as opposed to a FF in a place that's not a traditional college hockey market - I definitely wouldn't try this if the FF were held in places such as St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Columbus, etc.

I appreciate all the comments and advice from those of you who have much more experience with buying/attending Frozen Four Championships, and I take your notes and comments with an open mind. I understand all that you've given me on this subject. In the end, only I can decide what my risk tolerance is for putting the extra money out there, and as I said, if I lose then it's a lesson learned - and I'd surely not try it again.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

...I appreciate all the comments and advice from those of you who have much more experience with buying/attending Frozen Four Championships, and I take your notes and comments with an open mind. I understand all that you've given me on this subject.

I've enjoyed the conversation and am glad you spoke up. No doubt there are readers out there who benefitted from the fact that you took the time to post.

In the end, only I can decide what my risk tolerance is for putting the extra money out there, and as I said, if I lose then it's a lesson learned - and I'd surely not try it again.

Fair enough. And again, best of luck.


OK, it's Monday, November 3rd. Time For Priority 2!

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

So, now, I think I might need to buy tickets right away. Yay, priority 1! (this is what I get for buying my tickets on the secondary market all but 1 year)

 

[J.D.]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

what time is the email expected to go out for priority 1 tomorrow?

 

[The Freds]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

I have always enjoyed following the lottery process through this thread, and the others in prior years. Each year, in the last several years, I ask myself if it really is worth buying through the lottery. Yes, I did buy this year as reported weeks ago. It took many years to get out of the balconies and into the lower bowls. Then when seat selection became the norm, we actually decided on first row balcony seats for one or two events. I will be watching the secondary market this year. If good seats (better than what I could get via the lottery) are readily available at or near face value, then I would figure that will be the case for the foreseeable future. So thanks to all who have participated in this thread.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

Hey, J.D.:

Just use the information in this thread and proceed to the ordering process. Yes, the e-mail (which many didn't receive) gives you a direct link to the log-in. But you can get the same info and accomplish the same thing with this link:

www.ncaa.com/championships/icehockey-men/d1/tickets-hospitality

One more click -- on your Priority Level -- and you're at the login page. Do log in right away at 10:00 AM if at all possible. Best of luck.


(adapted from an earlier post.)

 

[Laker Dude]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

what time is the email expected to go out for priority 1 tomorrow?

I am priority 2, and did not receive an email.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

I thought priority 1's were on Wednesday, not tomorrow

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

I thought priority 1's were on Wednesday, not tomorrow

That's when the priority 1 ordering window opens. If that's what you meant, you're correct.

J.D. is asking about the NCAA e-mail, which apparently large numbers of priority holders didn't receive. I don't specifically recall if the NCAA promised to give 24 hours notice, or something comparable to that. Personally I did receive the e-mail, and it was indeed shortly before my ordering window opened. But rather than try to force the NCAA to send you that e-mail on demand, I've just been advising people to use the link provided on this thread. To the best of my knowledge, our link has worked for all who've tried it. Or, perhaps more properly put, no one has reported anything to the contrary.

But if anyone really, really wants that e-mail -- by all means call Customer Service and make the request. If anyone goes that route, please report back.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Boston Frozen Four tickets

i did get an email today...