Ticket Brokers Hoarding TBF Tix?

[BluegrassDustin]

My concern is less with the general "over face" one-man seller operations on CL and other places (because I do have faith that true Festivarians will not pay/sell over face, and will flag the people who are trying to sell as such), I am more concerned with the fact that the entire first page of Denver Craigslist and other such resources are flooded with "By Dealer" posts selling tickets, making it difficult for legitimate Festivarians to wade through all the BS trying to find real tickets (99 percent of the time, these broker sites do not offer face value tickets, they are above face).

The reality is that it's likely the same couple of people/groups that are making all those CL posts in order to do exactly that, flood the CL pages so that people only see their posts. It creates a false demand, and leads to the illusion of there being no other options. It's a slimy sales tactic, but it's a tactic none the less...

If they are larger ticket broker operations selling festival passes for over face value, is there a way we can shut them down in their entirety?

That is to say, instead of just "flagging" each of their posts--  based on the specific ticket codes, is there a way to void the tickets that brokers have bought with the sole purpose of reselling for profit?  

In short, no.


....and it drives me crazy.  


The only thing we can do, as stated before, is flag CL posts and make sure EVERYONE knows that paying over face value for tickets only encourages people trying to make a profit off of tickets to come back next year and try again (because it worked). If they aren't making money, they won't waste their time.


 

I do hear your pain....but it's not like they used bots to slam the onsale and bought out all the tickets before any festivarians could get in....people with more clout that Planet Bluegrass (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam come to mind) have been trying to stop scalping for years.  All we can do is buy tickets when the go on sale and never buy for over face.  That is the only weapon.

The other "x factor" here is not just our lineups over the past few years, and social media, but that acoustic music in general is becoming more and more popular. There seems to be an "anti-electronica" movement happening parallel to the tsunami of electronic music popularity sweeping the world.

Think of it like this:

How many times, prior to the past couple of years have you seen acoustic instruments/music on a network television?

Now think of how many times you've seen acoustic music on network television in the past, say, 3 years. Off the top of my head: Steep Canyon Rangers, Avett Brothers, Trampled by Turtles, Mumford & Sons, Civil Wars, AKUS, Rodrigo y Gabriella, and many, many more.

There are simply more and more people being exposed to the wonderful music we all love...

[completejohn]

I think most Festivarians buy tickets without caring who is playing.  We KNOW it's gonna be great no matter what.

So how about this:  put out a horrible schedule prior to ticket sales.

Headliners Coming to TBF!  TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Englebert Humperdink!  The Bay City Rollers!  The 4th grade Rico Kazoo Stomping Kids!  Fiddle Tuning Workshop for Beginners!  The Incredible Crying Baby from your Last Flight!  Jethro Null!  Some Drunk Guy who just bought his First Banjo!  The Hermits (no Herman)!  Fred Zepplin!  The Pips (no Gladys)!  Delores County Hog Calling Champion!  Ryan Adams!

Then after the Festivarians buy our tickets, PB announces the real line-up.

[HuckinFappy]

Delores County Hog Calling Champion!  Ryan Adams!

Study up on your punctuation, I think you meant:


 Delores County Hog Calling Champion, Ryan Adams!

[Zoeonelove]

I think most Festivarians buy tickets without caring who is playing.  We KNOW it's gonna be great no matter what.

So how about this:  put out a horrible schedule prior to ticket sales.

Headliners Coming to TBF!  TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Englebert Humperdink!  The Bay City Rollers!  The 4th grade Rico Kazoo Stomping Kids!  Fiddle Tuning Workshop for Beginners!  The Incredible Crying Baby from your Last Flight!  Jethro Null!  Some Drunk Guy who just bought his First Banjo!  The Hermits (no Herman)!  Fred Zepplin!  The Pips (no Gladys)!  Delores County Hog Calling Champion!  Ryan Adams!

Then after the Festivarians buy our tickets, PB announces the real line-up.

 

[BluegrassDustin]

I think most Festivarians buy tickets without caring who is playing.  We KNOW it's gonna be great no matter what.

So how about this:  put out a horrible schedule prior to ticket sales.

Headliners Coming to TBF!  TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Englebert Humperdink!  The Bay City Rollers!  The 4th grade Rico Kazoo Stomping Kids!  Fiddle Tuning Workshop for Beginners!  The Incredible Crying Baby from your Last Flight!  Jethro Null!  Some Drunk Guy who just bought his First Banjo!  The Hermits (no Herman)!  Fred Zepplin!  The Pips (no Gladys)!  Delores County Hog Calling Champion!  Ryan Adams!

Then after the Festivarians buy our tickets, PB announces the real line-up.

Still hating on Ryan Adams, John? 

You're missing out...

[Skubes]

Well I didn't want a "more than good chance".  I have a 100% chance because I DID get my tickets and I DID get the campsite I wanted.

I just don't believe that my buying a ticket for a little over face value a month before the fest - damages so many other people's chances at getting a ticket for face value - that's a little far-fetched.  Now, if EVERYONE was buying a $250 ticket for $500 -$1000, then yes, we may have a problem.  Now - not the case.

Champagne, I'm sure you mean well, but this is the attitude this exact post is trying to discourage.  Yes, even one, is one too many.  One scalper sale means its working, and says to come back and do it all again next year for more profit at our expense.

[Pirate Looks at --]

Ok- I'm going to try not to be too hard here BUT see that is exactly what we are talking about.. Tickets should not EVER be bought over farce.. If you would have come to this board, there's a more than good chance that you could have gotten the TP fix at face... AND the only reason those tic are blow only 300 on stub hub is because people have not been buying them..... They were at 500-2000 several months ago......

One of the things those of us who "live" on the list have to understand is that there are thousands of people who have a "chance" at winning the lottery. Most of those don't even know we Forum people even exist! That being said if some of these tickets are a few dollars over face it maybe because StubHub needs to get their pound of flesh. Last I checked they are not a non profit organization and they will get their cut. That being said maybe PB could make sure to publicize and even include it in their mailings of tickets that there are only 3 good ways to dispose of unwanterd tickets. Sell them to friends who will use them, for face value, send them back to PG, or post them on the list. We know that we are wonderful, trustworthy people but they don't. They know they will get their money through StubHub and that, it is "secure". All you have to do is listen to the news to find out about all the scams that are out there people are frightened. So PG let em know that we are not the people your parents warned you  about. We will handle those precious tickets with care and find them a safe home, and pay for them too. My 2 cents worth!

[Debbiefromtucson]

Good points made.. Guess I have been in the bubble too long.. BUT, what about all those tickets that were posted on Stubhub when they could not have existed yet???

[JoeBu]

That is something to keep in mind too.  I recently sold a ticket for $60 (Face value) on Stubhub.  I got $51 after the sale.  I looked it up and Stubhub takes 10% from the buyer, 15% from the seller of the sale price.  So one could argue that face value of a $60 ticket is $69 on Stubhub, so if the seller want's their full money back on a $250 ticket, they'd have to sell it for 287.50 ....who knows what is morally face value in that situation.     

[Mark of Bloomington]

I am in the same boat as Completejohn.  We will be at Telluride no matter who PB puts up on stage.  It is all about the experience.  If there are two back to back bands we would not really want to hear, it would be time for a little walk or at least Bloody Mary time at Floradora's Saloon.

I was a little disappointed that I waited until I got home from work the day tickets went on sale and the Holiday Tickets were gone already.  This December I will take a half a vacation day and stay home until I get my tickets.  One of the problems with being in the Eastern Time Zone.

[Hot Sugar]

Delores County Hog Calling Champion!  Ryan Adams!

Study up on your punctuation, I think you meant:


 Delores County Hog Calling Champion, Ryan Adams!

  To the both of you!  I still cringe when I think of his 2008 set, but I love his new album. I'd even be willing to give him another shot at TBF, something I never thought I'd say.

[ShatteredArm]

I think most Festivarians buy tickets without caring who is playing.  We KNOW it's gonna be great no matter what.

So how about this:  put out a horrible schedule prior to ticket sales.

Headliners Coming to TBF!  TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Englebert Humperdink!  The Bay City Rollers!  The 4th grade Rico Kazoo Stomping Kids!  Fiddle Tuning Workshop for Beginners!  The Incredible Crying Baby from your Last Flight!  Jethro Null!  Some Drunk Guy who just bought his First Banjo!  The Hermits (no Herman)!  Fred Zepplin!  The Pips (no Gladys)!  Delores County Hog Calling Champion!  Ryan Adams!

Then after the Festivarians buy our tickets, PB announces the real line-up.

I suggested in an earlier thread that four days of just Edgar Meyer should solve the problem.

[Mark of Bloomington]

I would go for four days of Edgar.  He is kind of a home boy.  Got his Masters right here in Bloomington at Indiana University's School of Music.

[Pirate Looks at --]

Debbie, obviosly those tickets that I saw last week on Ebay for $1300.00, and those you mentioned are the people that we really want to avoid, and no one should buy those tickets, I think if people are trying to cover their costs that's sort of Ok. So Dustin you can make us happy by makeing sure that people know thjat the best way to sell their tickets for face value, need to list them at face value.....Right here!

[Mark of Bloomington]

We the People of the Forum just assume that everyone knows of the Forum.  I am sure all of us would try to sell our unneeded tickets here at face value, but there are many first timers or those who have only been to the TBF a couple of times may not spend their hours and days on the internet.  Those people do not even know that this forum exists.  I find it kind of hard to be real angry with the innocent.  They see the Festival is sold out, so they do what they think is the next best thing.  They purchase their tickets on the aftermarket.  Just as people do here for Colts, Pacers, Hoosiers and those ugly Boilermakers.  It is the people who purchase tickets with the primary goal to resell them at a profit who I reserve my anger for, not the innocently naive buyers.