Buying Tickets In The Mail In The Old Days

As a kid I remember Broadway show commercials with mailing addresses for tickets. How exactly did that work? You send them money and they send you tickets. Did you get any say as to where you sat? Were people less entitled and complainy then? I just don't see how that would work out at all. 

It was generally a check, not cash.  For sports tickets you could pick a price level and they supposedly sent you "best available" for that level

We used to do mail order tickets all the time since we lived in Philadelphia and it wasn't convenient to drive to New York to go to the box office.  The last shows that I remember doing mail order for was Sunset Boulevard and Victor Victoria.  You would check the listings in the Theater Directory in the Sunday New York Times and each show would list a mail order address for the theater.  They would ask you to list alternate dates you wanted to see the show and the section you wanted to sit in. You didn't get to choose a row or specific seat.  You would make the check out payable to the theater for the amount of the tickets, no extra fees and mail it in.  It would usually take a few weeks to get your tickets back.  This was always based upon availability and on a few occasions we would get a note back along with the check saying the dates we requested were sold out.  It wasn't convenient like it is today, but it was the only way back then.  If it was a show we just had to see and couldn't miss, we would do the drive up to New York to go to the box office.  We had to do that 6 times to finally see Liza in The Act because she missed a few shows that we had tickets for and had to keep exchanging them.  I have a picture of the listings from back when Victor/Victoria was still accepting mail orders, just don't know how to post it here.  I still keep all the old New York times print ad's, love to look at the listings and full page color photos from old days.

Back in the mail order days print advertisements would usually have a short line describing how to order by mail (and a reminder to include a self addressed envelope).

Many shows published a full size order form in their ads or flyers. See example below.

Dollypop said: "...and this is why I can't understand all the fuss and feathers about "good seats" today. I am used to getting whatever was sent to me and I was thankful for it."

Because that hasn't been a lot of people's realities — at least among those who post here. That's what's worked for you, but for people who are used to being able to be more specific, that's how they move through life. (I grew up with 12 channels on the TV, but I understand wanting more, and it's nice to have more now.)

I remember my first trip to Broadway, you could either mail in a ticket request or call. I called about Phantom tix and the operator offered me front row seats. I never thought to ask if they were front center or front extreme side  and she didnt' explain so for months I was so excited and expecting to be front and center for Phantom and then I get there and I'm all the way at the end of the row and I had a terrible view. Lesson learned!

kade.ivy said: "Can we take a moment to appreciate that the top ticket price for Hello, Dolly! on tour in 1966 was $9, which inflates to around $75 today? One would be lucky to find a rear mezz seat to a non-hit show for that price today, eh? "

My mother and I were in the Opening Night audience of HELLO, DOLLY! on Broadway. When sat 6th row center in the orchestra. I still have the ticket stubs. They were $9.90.

I was also in the audience for the closing performance (12/27/70). The seats were a bit further back in the orchestra section and they cost $7.50.

Updated On: 5/19/21 at 02:32 PM

LizzieCurry said: "Dollypop said: "...and this is why I can't understand all the fuss and feathers about "good seats" today. I am used to getting whatever was sent to me and I was thankful for it."

Because that hasn't been a lot of people's realities — at least among those who post here. That's what's worked for you, but for people who are used to being able to be more specific, that's how they move through life. (I grew up with 12 channels on the TV, but I understand wanting more, and it's nice to have more now.)"

 

I had less than 12 channels on TV in my younger years. That may explain why I rarely go beyond Channel 13.

 

I remember it well.  When tickets first went on sale for "Miss Saigon," it was all through the mail.  I filled out the form from the newspaper, put my dates in that I wanted to see the show, and mailed it in with my check.  Saw the show twice the first week of May 1991.  Had my tickets for over 1 year before seeing it.  Then when the show was cancelled, I never sent my tickets back in.  I held on to them.  There was no way that the largest advance ticket sale of Broadway show wasn't going to be saved.  And, it was.  

Bettyboy72 said: "As a kid I remember Broadway show commercials with mailing addresses for tickets. How exactly did that work? You send them money and they send you tickets. Did you get any say as to where you sat? Were people less entitled and complainy then? I just don't see how that would work out at all."

It wasn't that complicated. I saw JC Superstar that way. You mailed a letter with a check. I stated that I wanted seats between row C and H center orchestra.   I'd give a range of dates like May - June and I'd specify day restrictions or that any day and time was okay.  They did answer the phone back then to verify if a date range was possible.

Then they'd send the tickets within a week.  I don't like mobile ticketing b/c I like to save tkts from shows I attended.