Posted: 4/11/16 at 10:09am
TM gets a cut of TM resales and then the producers get a very small percentage of TM's cut. no clue if they openly admit that or not but it is a fact.
Posted: 4/11/16 at 10:17am
And your proof is? (I'm not saying you are right or wrong, but unless it can be proven....)
Posted: 4/11/16 at 10:46am
feel free to PM me if you're really that curious...
Posted: 4/11/16 at 11:23am
sarahb22 said: "There are already a lot of people on social media complaining that the only people who can get in to see Hamilton are rich old people (unless you have a crystal ball, live in NYC, or can wait a year+ to see it) because nobody else can afford the tickets."
Yes, but you're forgetting that, aside from the scalpers, the majority of people going to see Hamilton this July are people who have nearly waited a year to see the show (or more if they couldn't attend the Off-Broadway run), after planning ahead and buying sub $200 tickets. The entire house isn't being scalped, most of it was sold to patient theater patrons who are finally getting to attend. And tickets to the Off-Broadway run last spring were going for $1000+ and the first wave of Broadway tickets sold out and were scalped, as well, so nothing happening at this point was impossible to predict in advance, since we are past the initial block of Broadway sales.
Posted: 4/11/16 at 2:11pm
haterobics said: "Yes, but you're forgetting that, aside from the scalpers, the majority of people going to see Hamilton this July are people who have nearly waited a year to see the show (or more if they couldn't attend the Off-Broadway run), after planning ahead and buying sub $200 tickets. The entire house isn't being scalped, most of it was sold to patient theater patrons who are finally getting to attend."
You're right, of course. I guess it just feels that way!
Posted: 4/11/16 at 2:56pm
And you do know, we all (at least the majority of us) agree that the scalping situations stinks...there just isn't anything to be done about it unless legislation is passed.
Posted: 4/11/16 at 4:15pm
$3000.for 120mins. of pleasure-???---I'd rather spend that on a hooker and play the Hamilton CD at the same time OR have a month in Bali ,2 weeks in Hawaii or 10 days touring the Great Barrier Reef--it's called priorities and if your health holds out the show will still be around 20 years from now so go see and support something else and forget all this Hamilton nonsense, you'll live if you don't see it.
Posted: 4/11/16 at 4:22pm
....yes, and there are also people who CAN and WILL pay that amount for a musical. Even if they don't WANT to. again, we go back to free market 101 and supply & demand economics. once people stop paying $3,000 per ticket, there will be no more tickets priced at $3,000
Posted: 4/11/16 at 4:51pm
I certainly understand the law of supply and demand, but I am truly amazed at the fervor and frenzy for H tickets, so much so that people will wait in line for 24 hours. If you are making an income as a line sitter that may be an exception, but even that inflates the price. However, I looked at Seat Geek and was shocked to see what they are charging. I mean $1300 - $1400 per seat? Is the box office charging those prices? Also, if someone cancels a couple of $167 seats, does the next person on the line pay that, or the inflated prices?
While we are fortunate enough to afford it, I could not in good conscience buy tickets at these incredible prices. I just couldn't. The show is ground breaking and wonderful and I'm not trying to discredit its' merits and originality, I'm just baffled at some of these tactics. There comes a time when high customer demand, sadly, turns into absolute greed.
Posted: 4/11/16 at 4:55pm
Right. You're making a moral argument about when and how free market capitalism turns into greed. But that's not the issue here. Also... Inflation on a LUXURY is not greed. Inflation on BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS, like access to drinking water or access to healthcare, is greed. There's a major difference.
Posted: 4/11/16 at 11:11pm
I know in some cities scalping is legal but only up to 20% (or other percentage) over face value. I know for TM reselling they have a minimum on what you can charge the ticket (so for a $100 face value ticket, the lowest you can resell that ticket for is $60) whereas on stubhub you can set whatever price you want.
I think in the future if this really gets out of hand NYC or NY state may set a scalping max limit (perhaps 30% over face value?) Who knows but just an idea. If Ticketmaster can set a minimum value on what you can resell a ticket, why not a maximum value as well?
My friends and I were discussing this since we tried to buy Hamilton tickets for this month back in the fall when the seats were first released and back then we noticed most of the seats left were partial-view rear orch seats. Every single day. Sure, at times there was a premium ticket here and there available. We think the box office doesn't release ALL the tickets available but rather only sells a portion of it to create demand. We also think the box office probably works with Ticketmaster or stubhub or what not since 2-3 months from day of performance you'll see hundreds of tickets available on Stubhub... yet somehow on the day of or a few days from the day of performance, stubhub availability for that day dwindles down to roughly 10-20 tickets available. Just odd.
Even if you go to the box office, there's a woman or guy outside who will automatically tell you single partial view seats are available for next Feb 2017.
These are all just theories but some of them makes sense.
Posted: 4/11/16 at 11:20pm
pupscotch said: "The scalper ticket prices have gone way up since the Grammy performance though. I purchased tickets for February for $750 each in the second row in January, and now those tickets are sold for upwards of $2000! It's getting a little absurd.
"Very True. I looked at tickets on StubHub in early Feb to go in April for my birthday when I thought $290 in the rear mezz was too steep. After the Grammy's...same seats, same day were $550. Ended up goinf last week for $530 in rear mezz left row A. AMAZING SHOW but wish I had bought them in Feb!
And there were no empty seats in my section.
Posted: 4/11/16 at 11:36pm
That's nice, but I don't live in New York City. I have ONE week a year that I can get away to go on a long trip, and that's the week after July 4.
You can try being on StubHub as of 3pm and check every 15 minutes as tickets start dropping little by little at that time. The $530 seats in the rear mezz I bought were $700 in the early afternoon.
The StubHub offices are at the Marriott Courtyard hotel on 40th Street between 5th & 6th Ave. Hang out in the hotel lobby and refresh until you're ready to pill the trigger, 30 to 20 minutes before showtime. Take the elevator down to the lower level where the StubHub offices are, give them your order number and get your "PICK UP ONLY" or "INSTANT DOWNLOAD" tickets printed. Then sprint to the theater on 46 St! walking takes 15 minutes so walk BRISKLY!
Next to the RRT, there is a FedEx Kinkos on the 8th floor of the Marriott Marquis Hotel and they close at 7pm. Only good if you buy an Instant Download ticket. Same goes for the Staples on 47th & 8th.
At least being by StubHub, you have the option to buy the Instant Download ticket or the Pick Up only ticket.
GOOD LUCK!
Posted: 4/12/16 at 6:26am
Remember when people thought paying $100 for a ticket to "Nicholas Nickleby" was insanely expensive?
Posted: 4/12/16 at 8:09am
If Ticketmaster can set a minimum value on what you can resell a ticket, why not a maximum value as well?
yeah... let's get more government regulation interfering with free market commerce! that sounds like a great idea!!!! /sarcasm
Posted: 4/12/16 at 8:15am
JM226 said: "TM gets a cut of TM resales and then the producers get a very small percentage of TM's cut. no clue if they openly admit that or not but it is a fact. "
A fact proven by what? I'm not disagreeing with you but I'm curious. If it's a fact, as you state, why not tell us the source?
Posted: 4/12/16 at 8:18am
as i said to dramamama, you're more than welcome to PM me. cheers
Posted: 4/12/16 at 8:23am
I don't understand why it has to be sent in a private message if it's a fact?
Posted: 4/12/16 at 9:21am
because it is not an openly admitted fact... AS I SAID IN MY PREVIOUS POST. it doesn't matter to me whether or not you believe me. but i'm certainly not divulging on here
Posted: 4/12/16 at 4:11pm
Wick3 said: "I think in the future if this really gets out of hand NYC or NY state may set a scalping max limit (perhaps 30% over face value?) Who knows but just an idea. If Ticketmaster can set a minimum value on what you can resell a ticket, why not a maximum value as well?"
Albany changed the law to make ticket re-selling legal so as to get tax revenue. Setting a maximum is counter-productive to that since the more profit made, the higher the tax bill.
Posted: 4/13/16 at 9:09am
I am still wondering about the TM resale tix for the fall. I have seats for Thanksgiving Weekend I purchased on TM the day they went onsale that are being held by TM that I am unable to list on resale or transfer, yet I see there are resale tix already on TM for the exact performance? Why would some buyers be able to list them for sale and others are not?
