Ticket Purchases Don't Have to be Painful

There are countless ways for a sports fan to secure prime seats for the big game without paying a big price.

I feel so strongly about the secondary ticket market and the acquisition of tickets that I wrote a book on the subject.

I was tired of being priced out of the market when I wanted to attend my favorite team's game and I couldn't believe the ticket prices being charged to see my favorite band in concert.

And this was before the tickets hit the secondary market!

In 1997, I started a practice of purchasing tickets from ticket scalpers on the street who saved me, and many sports fans around North America, thousands of dollars over the years. I am still using these methods today.

Recently, I watched the Anaheim Ducks with the Stanley Cup in Game 5. Ticket price: $0.

I watched The Police rock Staples Center twenty seven rows from the stage. Ticket price: $50.

A Dallas Cowboys' fan sent me an email about his success in securing a $120 seat for a home game vs. the Rams for $80.

"What about really big games like the World Series?" you might ask...The methods work here too.

One way to get the best seats in the house for a fraction of the face-value price is to keep this in mind: 90 percent of success is just showing up. That's right, just show up.

"But the Ticket Scalper rips the sports fan off!" I've been told countless times. In many cases this can be true, however, as a sports fan, if your plan is to go to the game, you have to do your homework to prevent this from happening.

Knowing what to say and how to say it is a good place to start. Knowing the seating chart like the back of your hand is another. Being able to tell at a glance if a ticket is located in a nose bleed section is a major advantage. Additionally, knowing the face value of the ticket in advance can save you a lot of money in the negotiating process.

That's right, negotiating process—it is a process.

If you work hard for your money and want to keep your cash in your wallet, take a little time to prepare and remember this rule: Never, ever negotiate from your car...ever!

There are many more rules to learn. Want to know more? You can check out my book at www.thepoormansticket.com or email me.