Going to Game 4 of the ALCS in Boston Sunday night.. need help...

[sickgambler]

thanks vinny,, but you know this bum won't meet me. He fears me.. He's always been scared I was going to kick his ass if he saw me, or give him a backhander. He knows he stiffed me out of my Peter Gammons bet, and since that day, he will not face me... He knows I'll kick his ass, even in front of Johnny Knockdown. But I must admit, it would have been the complete package had I seen the Redsox at Fenway, followed by a 2 hr visit at the Irish Social Club with the gang, and a little dinner and a few beers with the bum from south boston.


I WILL NEVER FORGET THE PETER GAMMONS ROBBERY BY BEANTOWNJIM I WAS STIFFED OUT OF 50 BUCKS THEN CALLED A SUCKER BY HIM..

 

[WildBill]

The Lowdown on scalping

I am sure with $800 you can get a pair, just how good they are is the question. Good move though going to game 4, the first game of a series in any city is much harder than the others to get tix to, especially in this case with Roger and Pedro going. Depending on if the series is 2-1 or 3-0 at that point will make the difference. One thing though about a really big game like this is that you won't get as much business late, people who have tix don't want to be late so the market moves a little earlier than most.

I spent a year doing scalping with two fraternity brothers in Seattle, we were novices first week but we got real sharp once we watched how the brothers do it. Notice that wherever you go in the country, there are always brothers out doing the majority of scalping with their network of guys that are the buyers and other guys that are sellers.

Simple tip if you want to save money, don't deal with them because they are the "retail" portion of the business. The high end guys have cell phones and only have premium seats, the brothers get the cheap seats with an occasional quality spot, and your best hope is indeed someone with a buddy or family member that couldn't make it and realizes they have something worth a lot to unload. They are best found by standing right around where people get off the T and walk over, get there about 2:30pm and wear some decent Sox apparel, not the rags that you see on some of the brothers in and you will certainly get a pair of seats for your price. If you don't go looking like a die-hard fan people might think you are a scalper and won't want to deal with them. Ham it up when you talk to someone offering, that you drove ALL THE WAY FROM MONTREAL BECAUSE YOU HAD TO BE HERE! and you are playing the game right. When we sold, our "buyer" always said they drove all the way from Spokane (5 hours) just to see this game. Worked like a charm, the guy often got tix for $5 or $10 as the guy selling it would say "well buys me a beer or two inside".

 

[sickgambler]

Hey, thanks a lot wildbill for taking the time to write all that for me.

. I was really shocked though when you said to say i am from Montreal and drove all this. To me, I really thought this was the worse thing I could have said, seeing they now know that I am desperate and will pay anything to see this game, seeing I drove all the way from Canada to see it, so I must be desperate.

The only thing I promised myself was that I would never mention this, or i'd hurt my chances and scalpers would feast on me and take advantage of the situation. But after reading what you just said and being an ex scalper yourself, I can't go against you.. Thanks..

 

[WildBill]

It will get you screwed by the scalpers, but the locals that have extras will take care of you. Only disadvantage is the 2 tix part. Often those cheap ones you get from people with extras will just be one seat. Two is tough with a game like this and everyone wants to go. Best of luck, if you can't score tickets the second best place to be will be any bar around Fenway on Sunday. While its certainly not as good as being there sure is better than being in Montreal where I am sure half the bars will show a football game instead!

 

[Railbird]

Wildbill,

There is no such thing as locals for big events, the locals become very greedy on big events and want 30 % more than scalpers do. Since the Redsox won tonight, game 4 will be a 1000 each minimum to get for the worst bleacher seat. Those seats in Sec 1 I offered you for 600 now cost 1100 each. Sick you can not afford tickets, if you do go on Sunday and someone is trying to sale a ticket for less than a Grand, it is a -330 favorite that the ticket is counterfeit. Make sure the scalper walks you in the gate before you pay. Also get a picture identification of the scalper, do not buy tickets from anyone from Philly, NewYork,Clevland or Atlanta becasue that is where the counterfeit rings are located, also watch out for Boston detectives becasue they will confiscate your money as evidence if you get busted. The detctives are always very obvious, usually a lesbian paired with a brother, or 2 guys with back packs or fagbags, and they wear wristbands to let other detctives know they are working, also they never tuck there shirt in. Your best bet might be to wait to the top of the 3rd inning to get a fair discount.

 

[WildBill]

Gotta play the role right Rail. Sure a lot of people will try to overcharge, but not all. Just be dressed out like a serious Sox fan, maybe a New York Sucks shirt will do it well. Look a die-hard fan and you will find someone that isn't out to take you for 30% more. If someone says yeah, I got a ticket, 2 grand, just laugh at him. He is a guy looking to get lucky, that is his price for getting him to give up going inside. In any event if you want to know the going rate on a ticket just hang out about 2 hours ahead and ask. If you don't see many tickets out there, you could be screwed. Once again set your price in your mind and don't go over it. If $500 is your price, put that much in your pocket and a few bucks for walking around money and that is it. When someone asks for more, just say hey this is all I got. Worst thing is he says no and you just go back to work. Hang out at a local bar for awhile if the prices aren't to your level and go back out after a bit and see if anything else has hit the market.

Accept the fact that your chances of getting in aren't 100% before you get there and then you won't be too disappointed or pay way too much.

I made it to a Superbowl, a Final Four, 3 Rose Bowls, a NBA Final game, Kentucky Derby, US Open golf and tennis...I could go on and on, all before I turned 21 by buying outside the stadium. The key to doing well on the buying side is to set a price, but expect the worst. Toughest tickets I ever had to deal for were games no one would remember. There just weren't tix out there and I just said forget it and skipped the game. Those are tough to be sellers for and even worse to be a buyer. The market ain't perfect, that is for sure.

 

[Railbird]

This Redsox game sunday is bigger than anything you mentioned, and this is Boston not Seattle, people in Seattle would rat out there mothers for 20 extra bucks. This game you will have 5000 fans begging for tickets, in fact the Saturday game with Pedro and Clemens is the biggest baseball ticket of all time, you will have 1500-2000 scalpers begging to pay 1000 each for tickets and 80% of them will be shutout, so I would say the chance of Claude even getting to see a pair for sale on the street is very slim, let alone being able to afford the pair.

 

[sickgambler]

hey boys, thanks a lot for your feedback.. Rail, one thing for sure, is Claude will be sitting at that Bosox game, mark my words. I ain't driving all that and be there, only to go watch it at some dump of a bar. I will pay as high as 1300 for the pair, and maybe a tad more, if i have to.. Remember, I am only paying half of it, as my other buddy will be paying his share.. So 500, or 600 per ticket is not much of a difference for me as I am only paying half of the pair. IOW, paying 700 instead of 600 will not stop me from seeing a WS game at Fenway, believe me. I am 100% sure i will find something. You haven't seen me in real life. I am a go getter. I am not shy. I will hound each scalper.. I have a big mouth and not shy, which is my strength. I am a very good negociator and a good salesman..Remember, I am not going to see Pedro/Clemens here. It's only Burkett/Wells..I will be at that game. I know how to talk to scalpers. i have hung around scalpers all my life, so i know their styles inside out..If you give me a number, I will call you from my cell during the national anthem and you will hear me sitting in Fenway singing the star spangled banner with my right hand holding my cap to my heart, and my left hand holding the cell talking to you..I'm going to take pictures too to prove to you that I made it in there..

Off topic, can anyone recommend me 3 good places to see when I visit Boston please? We will only be there for 1.5 days, and we are 2 couples..Is there anything in Boston worth seeing besides Cheers the Bar..

thanks a lot..

And thanks rail and billy boy for the great feedback.. You boys are key for me here.

[This message was edited by sick gambler on October 09, 2003 at 04:56 AM.]

 

[sickgambler]

looks like I won't be going to the game afterall. I am not very happy, as I was really looking forward to this trip..

One of the girls can't make it because she is invited to her relatives for Sunday, and we can't go 3 people, it won't be as fun.. But maybe it's for the better, as you know the saying, there's a reason in life for everything, and maybe this all happened for a reason. Maybe I was going to get into an accident and die, or I might not have found tickets probably under 1 dime apiece, after seeing Game 3 and now the rivalry has become even more intense.

It really wouldn't have been fun and I would have regretted going had I gone and not got into the game, although I really was determined to watch this game live, but I doubt my buddy would have paid this amount.

Anyhow, better this way because I drank half a gallon of wine tonight, and I am in no state to drive now, seeing I'd have to leave in the next 30 minutes if we were to have gone.. I am also dead dead tired... so maybe it's for the better. There will be other times I am sure to go to Boston, as it's only about 5 hrs by car.

Thanks again all you boys for the tips, and I will be sure to use this advice next time I go to Boston.. which won't be far away.. Thanks again to all.