Do not buy tickets over face value thread

[djmattdunn]

It has been recommended to not buy Burning Man tickets over face value from any source.

Is this the most effective way of letting the scalpers know that their industry is not welcomed?

[Tanzremix]

A nice but unworkable idea. Trying to shut scalpers out isn't going to work with the current methods employed in the ticketing process; if people can scalp they'll scalp. I would imagine for most people (obviously excluding the vocal minority on here) it doesn't really matter that much, and if they ultimately need a scalper for a ticket that's the direction they'll go.

[djmattdunn]

not cut em out, cut em down.

ive never paid more than face value for a BM ticket from a second source and i'm not going to do that now or ever.

"if people can scalp they'll scalp"

correct, so lets not enable them to scalp by spreading the word to "not to buy BM tickets over face value".

[JayBobBoy]

YOU CAN SPREAD THE WORD ALL YOU WANT. I TRULY HOPE IT HELPS. I WON'T HOLD MY BREATH THOUGH.

ECONOMICS AT WORK.

[AntiM]

If you see a scalping sale before June by an individual, report it to the ticket team... don't get the listing yanked, send it to the BMORG ticket office. They can do something about the ticket order if things are hinky.

Stubhub and other outlets, not so much.

[ZaphodBurner]

AntiM, I'm trying to figure out a way for Oregon burners to set up our own regional volunteer hub. The org is going the computer route and having problems.

I think it would be better to have a mechanism for burners to get together and trade tickets face to face, or just talking to each other over Skype, or just the telephone. It involves transfer of money so brains other than mine would have to be involved, but, here's the thing:

If we can find grass-roots, burner-style ways for actual burners to get tickets to actual burners, we can monkey-wrenching the internet scalpers.

Unfortunately, just hooking up with people who have extras is turning into a popularity contest: People who ordered additional tickets get to sell them to whomever they want. On the flipside, the Sparkle Pony ratio will be at an all-time high because, hey, who's gonna sell their only spare ticket to the fat, nerdy couple or some guy from Prineville?

I'm trying to figure out where I can go to find out what I can do to help. It might be the only way I'm able to participate this year.

[u2pilot]

If you watch StubHub, you will see the scalping is already in full swing. Ignore the expensive tickets and watch the bottom end. The quantity of $625 tickets was bouncing up and down all day, and the cheapest available now is $635.

So put yourself in the shoes of someone overseas. He's bought some expensive airline tickets for the event, and he's put down a $1000 deposit on an RV. Then suddenly he can't get tickets at face. But for a couple hundred over face his worries about tickets go away. Or maybe someone's seriously into a big art project and worried about not getting in. An extra $200 makes that problem go away today, rather than having to wait 3 weeks for STEP (which is almost guaranteed to be a colossal failure), or 2 months for a sale in which the number of buyers will outnumber the tickets by probably 10:1. If he bought this morning, it would have been $625, and now it's up another $10. Buy now, or perhaps find the $1000 tickets are your only option.

Or for fun, let's say you have some extra tickets and can't cover your rent. What are your options? Wait 3 weeks for STEP to come up, then pay a restocking fee so the ticket can go back out to a scalper. Or just put it on Stubhub yourself (figuring that's where it's probably going to land anyway), and make a few bucks.

When my granddaughter died last year just before the burn and I couldn't go, I gifted both of my tickets (even while they were selling on eBay for over $1000). Just saying I'm not a scalper or scalper customer, but it's completely delusional to think asking people to not buy scalped tickets or sell their tickets over face is going to have any effect.