Yesterday’s discussion prompted some passionate responses. Y’all in Flushing might want to call an emergency meeting. By the way, I still have gotten even $6 for the tix I can’t use tomorrow.
From the post “Robbing Peter To Pay Paul In The New York Mets Tic…“:
well said. if the secondary market crashed this year, I think the primary market, to an extent, crashes next year.
a year ago, we were made to believe that the only way to get into Citi Field (which we all wanted to do a year ago) was to buy season tickets, with the idea being to get plan holders to upgrade out of fear. then, eventually, they released those mini plans, and i really believed that there wouldn’t be much left for individual game tickets, and probably so did many others, because a lot of people bought those packages for the 15 game “Saturday” plan with 5 weeknights. deceptive? yes.
if ticket holders were part of a union, maybe we could have sued.
for 2010, my guess is a drop in EVERY ticket package out there. but remember that most of the StubHub market was made from those packages’ leftovers and not from individual game ticket holders who bought and couldn’t go. i think the Mets will end up with a lot of tickets in their hands on the primary market and not so much on the secondary market. it will probably be a buyers market, just not as much (hey, would you rather see the Mets get your service fee or StubHub? I’d rather go to the box office in person and avoid both).
…
I have 15-packs, and I can’t even GIVE the tickets away – most of the Mets fans I know don’t even want to go for free.
I declared a major victory the other night when I was able to sell my tickets for $10 each ($8 after fees) to the Thursday night game.
…
I can say for sure that no way I re up for my seasons without a dramatic price decrease. Had 4 in 127, moved to 331 for the second half, after the Mets kept under cutting our stub offers with half price baseline boxes in “Flushing Flash” email blasts. These seats average face of about $87 per seat. I’d say I’m willing to pay $30 for these seats tops. I’d much rather commit my money to games I actually want to see then eat all those crappy weather and unappealing opponent tickets.
I am guessing most holders feel the same way. This in turn means a major revenue drop for the team. Consequently, I can’t see them spending anything to upgrade in the off season. Making me even happier to bail!
Posted by Anonymous to The Mets Police at August 18, 2009 10:59 AM
I had a weekday upper level outfield plan, I managed to make a little money and see a few games for free, but these past few weeks I’ve had trouble giving the games away. Even with that being said though, there is no way I would have made money without selling opening day. Next season unless the prices are reduced by at least 50% and the perks are increased, I am out.
…
Well, I bought Friday and Saturday Plans despite the fact they were misrepresented by including five weekday games each, which is inconvenient for a 9-to-5 worker who lives 90 minutes from Wilpon’s Folly. That was my choice. I figured I could easily sell or trade tickets I didn’t want, but no one could forsee how jinxed 2009 would be. I’m stuck, like many others. And as my soap opera with the Mets Disorganization continues, by not refunding my $23 for a blocked solo I bought, they’ve lost $2,000 from me in 2010.
The Mets will be the new St. Louis Browns if they don’t read the economy correctly for 2010. For example, Jets season tickets are on sale on this Web page; my company is offering decent Jets season tix and plans at a 20% discount. I’ve been a Football Giants fan since 1970, and I bought a ticket at face value from the Giants. All this would be UNTHINKABLE a year ago, before the economic collapse.
In 1970, the highest-priced ticket at Shea was $4.50 (about $30 in 2009 dollars, and yes, I know the players’ salaries are higher ). However, a Cubs fan I know walked up to the box office at Wrigley on gameday and got a solo four rows behind home at the Cubs highest price—$80—and their payroll and fanbase ain’t like them Buccos.
From the MLB field to the tragic minors to incompetent PR shills to the awful minor-league park the Mets imposed on us, the state of the Mets is morbid.
Maybe I’ll hit a game or two in 2010 for comic relief.
…
…
I had season tix for several years, and I gave them up after last season from a combination of cost and the recession. Needless to say, i’m thrilled that I did. The going rate as of last month for Mets tix was at least 50% off. I’m sure its lower now, especially if you have primo seats where the mkt value runs as low as 20% of list price and lots of tix never get sold at any price.
I have zero intention of buying season tix next year. Even in 2006-2008, it was extremely difficult to sell games during the season that I couldn’t go to, unless it was opening day or the Yankees. This way, I can pretty much go to any game that I want (with a healthy discount off list). There is no way seats will sell above list unless the Mets decide to cut prices by 50% or more. Therefore, why buy seasons? I can’t see any upside. I was recently offered seats in a suite with unlimited food to a weekend game at less than 100 bucks/seat! And if you are unlucky enough to try to sell seats in the 500 level, you will be lucky to get 10 bucks for each one.
The Mets are going to be facing some tough decisions next year, but their problems are our gains.
By the way, while this isn’t the biggest blog in the world, it does get over a thousand unique visitors every day and not a single person has yet revealed themselves to be part of the market research that David Howard said the Mets did. That’s odd. I also continue to find it odd that to the best of my knowledge none of the blogs (even Metsblog) or the beat reporters mentioned it. Nobody on twitter. Howie and Gary never mentioned it while I was listening or watching.
So if you were part of the research, I’d love to hear from you.
Main Mets Police page
Follow us on twitter @metspolice
Facebook page
send ideas/guest columns to shannon at metspolice.com
I'd bet that next year will see the Mets lower ticket prices without lowering ticket prices.
That is, keep the prices for each section the same for each game pricing category, but shift the games around within the categories. Keep opening day and the Yankees games as Platinum — because people will go to those games no matter what, but move some games from gold to silver, some from silver to bronze, and some from bronze to value. If they do it that way, the season ticket and plan holders will notice that they're being asked to pay less money, but the team won't have to deal with the PR issues that would come with actually reducing the numbers on the price list.
That said, all the folks who bought plans either because they thought it was the only way to get in at or near face value will drop their plans next year. There will be more inventory at the box office, less inventory on StubHub, and prices on the secondary market might actually rise for the handful of games for which there's high demand, as fewer people will be dumping tickets.
Personally, I've had great experiences with StubHub this year, but won't have any problem with going to the box office if my prediction is right, with one small exception. StubHub lets me see a very clear picture of their inventory, and I can easily select the exact section and row I want. The box office's online interface gives me nowhere near that level of control. I can't even specify that I'd rather be on the 3rd base side than the 1st base side, so that my kids don't have the sun in their eyes the whole game…
I have been a season's ticket holder for perhaps ten years in loge box, now in Excelsior Silvers, first row.
One of the posters mentioned how even in 2006-2008 it was difficult to sell tix, and I too have found that my tix hardly ever commanded a premium. And of course it's always been difficult to give tix to my clients, most of whom are women, most of those women that are interested in baseball tix want the other teams tix, so it's always been tough. And painful.
So finally, finally, this was the year, this was the year that I've been waiting for, the year when people would WANT tix, they would WANT to go, they'd be thrilled to go, and worst case–I'd sell my extras surely at face value, no?
So one of my shareholders in my full season's tix backed out this year, and so I got greedy. Rather than try to replace that part of the plan, I decided that with such big demand, I'd keep more games.
I have lost thousands of dollars. Even the subway series didn't command a premium. And it's not surprising. Who wants to pay $200 for a baseball ticket? I have some games coming up against the Nationals, I paid $125 a ticket, and it's almost comical. So perhaps I'm twisted, but rather than sell that one game at over 50% off, I'd rather just give them to my UPS delivery guy.
I also drank so much kool-aid that I also bought two mini plans in Left Field Landing. My thinking? More people would want to buy the less expensive tix, and that they would be good for my daughter, but guess what, I've also lost on them. To be honest, I'd almost prefer to sit in Left Field Landing than Excelsior Silver, it's more fun out there.
So I confess, I went overboard and got burned, pretty seriously burned.
Economy, injuries, yes, yes, yes, but I've been to the mountain, the mountain is CitField and the only way is down.
So next year? There is NO WAY I would ever renew my Excelsior Silvers. My $125 tix should be $55 each. To be honest, these seats are very good, but still pretty far from the action, even in first row. The Mets were smart, not allowing us to actually sit in our seats, cause had I, I would have thought twice, but that's in the past. Did the Mets think that the high price would be acceptable by throwing in the admissions to the Caesar's Club? If so, then I have to laugh, as I see zero benefit from that place where people can NOT watch the game and hang out.
And as for StubHub, it's the golden goose that kind of ruined things. MLB and the Mets embraced StubHub and presumably gets a cut of the action, and because of StubHub I have been slaughtered. Why should someone pay my face value when they can buy similar tix for way, way less, and if STubHub is causing my tix to be worthless, then the Mets lose out because I no longer want my tix. So they made their cut but created a marketplace which has destroyed our value.
And even if the Mets had been in contention, I'd still have lost because who wants to spend $150 on a ticket to see the Mets play the Arizona Diamondbacks? The economy hasn't helped, but still…
I have a friend who has Yankee tix which are just as good as my Mets tix, and they are $50 less per game at $75 each. Go figure.
Anyway, enough of my rambling therapy.
There was no gun to my head, I got cocky, greedy, cause we had climbed the mountain, and now it's time to get off of it.
I, too, am a Excelsior Silver 1st row ticket holder. What a scam…I was much closer in section 3 Loge reserved then I am now! Also…please..I emplore all of you to look at other teams season ticket prices. There needs to be a blog about other team ticket prices on this site!! My seats in the World Champion Philles stadium would be $60 or less. They give so many perks…I got NOTHING!!! Most stadiums charge only $30-50 dollars for field level close to the dugout. What was I thinking when I got these seats. So Mets…I am out!! I am done!!! I have been a season ticket holder for 20 years…but I am officially finished unless prices are cut at least in half!! Do you hear us Mets!! Enough of the rip off prices. You want an empty stadium…keep the prices where they are!! I lost so much money this year that I could've bought a new large screen TV and watch the games in HD!!! My only concern is that they will try to give season ticket holders a "discount" if we renew…but it wont be enough. I hope everyone sends a letter to Mets VP David Howard and let your voices be heard. It is time for a change!!
Great thread, I also UPGRADED! from a Sat. plan at Shea to a season plan at Citi. I have been a Mets fan my whole life and realize if we do not pay they will not spend but this has gotten ridiculious. I hope the Mets have the smarts (I also play the lottery regularly) to come up with some plan to keep the plan holders happy, we are there bread and butter