Cubs-Sox tickets still left online, with lower prices than last year
Fans eager to attend the Cubs-White Sox games at U.S. Cellular this weekend are likely surfing the online ticket re-sellers, where thousands of tickets are still available and at lower prices compared to last year.
While the three games are technically sold out, many individuals or companies that hold such tickets are turning around and offering them via online brokers, where prices range from just above face value to hundreds of dollars. Package deals - including 20 tickets, two parking passes, food and soft drinks - could run as high at $6,700.
Still that's lower than last year, according Jennifer Swanson, spokeswoman for Rolling Meadows-based TicketsNow.com, owned by Ticketmaster.
"Lots of factors are in play here. Last year at this time both Chicago baseball teams were at or near the top of their respective divisions. There was even World Series chatter in the air," said Swanson. "The price drop at Wrigley this year had a lot to do with the fact that it was a midweek series. Yet even though the U.S. Cellular series is being played over the weekend, the Wrigley series tickets have still outsold this weekend's series by 19.5 percent."
In 2008, the average sales price for a Cubs-at-Sox ticket was $126. This year, that average price has dropped to $116. The average sales price for the Sox-at-Cubs series was $164. This year, it dropped to $106, Swanson said.
Premium-level tickets purchased directly at the ballpark could range from $9.50 to $67, according to other upcoming series games.
Still the jacked-up ticket prices online don't necessarily affect regular sales. That's why the Sox have a relationship with StubHub.com, so season ticket holders could resell their tickets without eating the cost if they can't attend a game, said White Sox Vice President and Chief Market Officer Brooks Boyer.
"Secondary ticketing is like the horse is out of the barn. It's done everywhere," said Boyer. "But secondary ticketing allows fans to sit where they want. If they want a prime location, they can get a prime location."
And lots of prime spots are still available. TicketsNow.com had about 1,000 tickets left for Saturday's game, with prices ranging from $48 to $637. Sunday's game tickets ranged from $64 to $348.
Besides the sagging teams, the tough economy and higher unemployment have contributed to the lower ticket prices, said Mike Garvie, director of purchasing for Vernon, Conn.-based TicketNetwork.com.
"Most people just don't have the discretionary spending money they had before," Garvie said. "We've seen ticket prices down 15 to 20 percent lower this time across the board for baseball tickets."
Despite the lower ticket prices, consumers should be prepared for all the extras tacked onto the final cost. Each online ticket seller has a list of extra charges. At TicketsNow, for example, there are a 15 percent service charge per order ($5 minimum), FedEx delivery and taxes, including the city of Chicago Amusement Tax.
StubHub, an eBay company based in San Francisco, has a service charge of 10 percent of the overall purchase price. So $100 for tickets would cost $110. Then there is a $4.95 delivery charge per order, not per ticket, said StubHub spokesman Sean Pate.
StubHub.com has roughly 2,000 Cubs-Sox tickets available at prices starting about $30 for non-auction listings. The average ticket for tonight's game sold for $85 each. Nearly 5,000 have sold for that game alone, said Pate.
This site, like some others, ensures the authenticity of the tickets it sells.
"In the case of most baseball clubs, including the White Sox, this is enhanced even further because of our integration with the team's season-ticket holder account," said Pate. "When a ticket is sold on StubHub, the original ticket is canceled and cannot be reused. A new ticket is generated by the team's ticketing systems and sent to the buyer."
Another deterrent for fraud on StubHub would be that sellers are financially liable for sales.
"If they were to sell a ticket that was not authentic or a duplicate, they would not be paid, and they would be charged for the replacement we must give the buyer," said Pate. "In addition, they are prohibited from selling on the site again. So (there's) very little impetus for seller's to commit fraud."
Sample of ticket prices, with the extras
Rolling Meadows-based TicketsNow.com, owned by TicketMaster, is one of several online re-sellers that has tickets for this weekend's Cubs-Sox tickets series. Here are some examples of what you could pay:
Four tickets on Sunday, Section 128, Row 5:
Each ticket price:$ 348.00 x 4
Service charge for each ticket: $ 52.20 x 4
FedEx Shipping:$ 24.95
Taxes $ 38.77
TOTAL:$1,664.52
Four tickets on Sunday, Section 558, row 11:
Each ticket price:$ 54.00 x 4
Service charge for each ticket:$8.10 x 4
FedEx shipping:$ 24.95
Taxes$4.36
TOTAL:$277.71
Source: TicketsNow.com, June 24, 2009