Selling concert tickets can be tricky. There are many factors that go into determining the right price to list tickets for sale. If you price them too high, they may not sell. But if you price them too low, you could be leaving money on the table. Finding the optimal price to sell your Bruce Springsteen tickets requires doing some research on current market prices and demand.
What are some quick things to consider when pricing tickets?
Here are a few quick tips on pricing Springsteen tickets for sale:
– Check online ticket resale sites like StubHub and Vivid Seats to see the range of current prices for similar tickets to the same concert. This gives you an idea of the current market value.
– Consider the seat location – lower level and floor seats tend to have higher resale values than upper level seats. Center sections are more desirable than far left/right sections.
– Weekend shows often sell for more than weekday shows. Friday/Saturday tickets are in higher demand.
– Bigger markets like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles may have higher demand and prices than smaller cities.
– The closer you list the tickets to the event date, the lower the price should be. As the event nears it gets harder to sell at full market value.
– Popular opponents like Bruce Springsteen can maintain higher prices over time compared to less popular bands.
How to estimate the original value of the tickets
To determine how much you can realistically sell your tickets for, first look at what you originally paid. Bruce Springsteen tickets were likely expensive when they first went on sale. Some key factors impacting original ticket prices include:
– Venue size – Smaller venues under 10,000 seats have lower ticket allotments, driving up demand. Larger stadiums with over 50,000 seats have more supply.
– City/region – Major metropolitan areas with large fan bases command higher prices. Secondary markets see less demand.
– Day of week – Weekend shows are more desirable and expensive than weeknights.
– Tour popularity – Well-reviewed, heavily advertised tours fetch higher prices. Nostalgia acts like Springsteen do well.
– Seat location – Floor seats are most expensive, then lower bowl, club level, upper bowl. Distance from stage matters.
– Special packages – VIP experiences with meet & greets or exclusive merch can raise costs.
– Dynamic pricing – Big artists use demand-based pricing, with prices rising as tickets sell. Good seats get more expensive.
– Face value – The artist’s management sets pricing standards. Marquee acts like Springsteen tend to have higher face values.
If you combine these factors, it’s reasonable to estimate that good lower bowl Springsteen tickets may have originally sold for $150-$400 each, while upper deck seats were likely $100-$250 each.
How seat location impacts resale prices
Where your Springsteen seats are located in the venue makes a major difference in resale pricing. Some guidelines:
– Floor/pit: Most desirable, closest to stage. Can sell for 2-3x face value or more.
– Lower bowl front sections: Near stage, lower rows command premiums. Expect to get 1.5-2x face value or more.
– Lower bowl mid sections: Middle rows still have good views. Can often recoup full face value or slightly more.
– Lower bowl rear: Cheaper than closer sections. Often resale at or below face value.
– Club level: Smaller premium sections in mid-upper level. Slight premium over regular upper level seats.
– Upper level front sections: Allows views of full stage show. Resale at or slightly below face value.
– Upper level rear sections: Cheapest seats, farthest from stage. May only resell at 50% or less of face value.
Of course, exact resale prices depend on overall demand factors like city size and tour popularity. But the takeaway is that seat location is key – sell floor seats or lower bowl for the highest returns.
How the timing of the concert and listing impacts prices
When you list your Springsteen tickets also determines what price you can realistically charge:
– 6+ months out: If selling tickets far in advance, you can try pricing near the high end of estimates, as early buyers tend to be hardcore fans willing to pay more.
– 3-6 months out: As event nears, lower prices slightly to attract more buyers. But still expect to recoup well above face value.
– 1-3 months out: Consider lowering prices more significantly to account for increased supply from other sellers. Find pricing sweet spot between high demand and acquiring buyers.
– 2 weeks out: Last minute buyers appear, but often want deals. Consider selling at just above or even below face value to unload tickets.
– Under 1 week: Very hard to find buyers willing to pay over face value this close. Focus on recouping some costs.
– Day before/Day of: At this point, any reasonable offer should be considered to avoid eating the ticket costs. Unload below face value.
The best time to sell is typically 2-6 months out – enough lead time where demand remains high, but close enough to lock in buyers before massive supply hits the market.
What does current ticket resale data suggest?
Now that we’ve covered estimating original prices and how seat locations and timing impact resale values, let’s examine some current pricing data points:
Date | City | Seat Location | Asking Price |
---|---|---|---|
August 24 | Chicago | Lower bowl, section B row 12 | $275 |
September 18 | New York | Floor, section GA | $549 |
October 5 | Seattle | Upper level, section 212 row 18 | $169 |
November 12 | Dallas | Lower bowl, section A row 7 | $325 |
December 1 | San Francisco | Floor, section GA | $599 |
A few observations:
– Floor seats are selling for 2-3x face value in major markets like NY and San Francisco.
– Lower bowl seats closest to stage are commanding 200-300% of face value. Upper sections of lower bowl are 150-200%.
– Upper level seats are often listed below or around face value.
– Demand and prices are higher in bigger cities like Chicago and NY.
– As tour progresses, prices are declining slightly but good seats still selling above face.
Using these data points, we can estimate a pricing range for different seat locations in various markets.
Price recommendations based on location
Given this analysis, here are some pricing recommendations for Springsteen tickets by seat location:
Floor Seats
Big city market (NYC, Chicago, LA) – List at $400-600 and accept offers above $350.
Smaller city market (Columbus, Kansas City) – Try $300-500 and accept over $250.
Last minute sales – Consider offers over $200.
Lower Bowl (front 15 rows)
Big city market – List at $200-350 and take offers over $175.
Smaller city market – List at $150-300 and accept $125+.
Last minute – Consider offers over $100.
Lower Bowl (rear 15 rows)
Big city market – List at $100-250 and take over $125.
Smaller city market – List at $75-200 and take over $100.
Last minute – Consider offers over $50.
Upper Level (front sections)
Big city market – Try listing at $75-150 and accept over $60.
Smaller city market – List at $50-125 and take over $40.
Last minute – Consider any reasonable offer.
Upper Level (rear sections)
Sell below or at face value – try $40-100 and take the best offer.
The goal is to balance pricing high enough to maximize profit, but not so high that you miss out on buyers and are stuck with tickets. Monitor sales activity and adjust prices accordingly. Good luck!
Using Craigslist and Facebook to sell tickets
In addition to online ticket marketplaces like StubHub, here are tips on using Craigslist and Facebook to sell Springsteen tickets:
Craigslist
– Take clear photos of the tickets that show barcodes/seat info. This builds legitimacy.
– Note the original purchase price and face value. This helps justify your asking price.
– In the post text, emphasize great seat locations and sections to drive interest.
– Respond promptly to inquiries and avoid scams insisting on payments outside Craigslist.
– Meet in a safe public place like a coffee shop to complete the transaction.
– Always accept certified bank checks or cash payments only. Avoid wire transfers.
– Join Springsteen fan groups and post tickets for sale there. Engaged followers provide a targeted audience.
– On your own profile, post tickets for sale and boost the post’s visibility with paid promotion.
– Post detailed information on ticket locations and pricing to build interest.
– Require buyers to have real Facebook profiles with friends and activity. Avoid brand new or suspicious profiles.
– Only accept payment via goods and services on PayPal or Facebook checkout. Never take direct bank transfers.
– Require identification matching the name on the PayPal/Facebook account at pickup.
With some simple precautions, you can securely sell Springsteen tickets on these platforms and reach local fan communities eager for seats.
Avoiding scams and fraudulent buyers
When selling tickets online, especially for high-demand artists like Bruce Springsteen, it’s crucial to watch out for scams and fraudulent buyers. Some red flags include:
– Buyer insists on paying with cash transfer apps or crypto vs goods/services payments. This allows chargebacks.
– Buyer offers to “overpay” and requests refund of the difference. This is a fake payment scam.
– Buyer requests tickets to be shipped before completing payment. Don’t send anything until payment fully clears.
– Communications come from a suspicious looking email address rather than a real person’s name.
– Buyer claims they had a non-refundable emergency and can’t make the event anymore. This could be a bait and switch tactic.
– Buyer offers vague responses when asked detailed questions about reasons for purchase, favorite songs, past concerts attended, etc.
– Poor grammar, spelling, or other indicators of foreign scammers who don’t speak English well.
– Newly created social media or selling platform accounts with no profile information, pictures, friends or reviews.
Trust your gut. If anything seems suspicious, avoid the sale. Only complete transactions with legitimate looking buyers who pay transparently through approved platforms. Meeting locally also avoids scams. Protect yourself!
Alternatives if you’re unable to sell tickets
Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself unable to sell your Bruce Springsteen tickets as the event approaches. If that happens, here are some alternatives to recover value:
– Many credit cards provide refunds if you’re unable to use event tickets purchased on the card. File a claim for consideration.
– Reach out to the original ticket seller and ask if they’ll buy back unused tickets. Some have buyback programs, often for future ticket credits if not cash.
– Donate the tickets to a charity auction. Even if you can’t resell them, this converts the tickets to a tax deductible contribution.
– Check if the venue or artist allows transfer of tickets to a future show. Postpone your plans to a later date if you can.
– Most shows have official fan exchanges to swap tickets. You likely won’t get cash, but can often trade for comparable seats to another performance.
– As a last resort, eat the cost and actually attend the concert yourself. You’ll still enjoy the show and recoup a portion of the price in memories.
Don’t assume unused tickets are worthless. Explore all options to extract remaining value through refunds, exchanges, tax benefits, and buybacks. But act quickly, as options dwindle closer to the show date.
Why buying tickets solely to resell for profit is risky
While reselling tickets you can’t use is reasonable, buying tickets purely to flip for profit carries risks:
– Competition from professional brokers is intense. They have tools to buy huge blocks during pre-sales. Hard to compete at scale.
– Predicting demand is difficult. A tour can underperform expectations or you may buy non-optimal seats. Upside is limited.
– Reselling fees eat into profits. After marking up your prices, you pay 10-20% to platforms. Margins suffer.
– Getting stuck with excess inventory is possible if demand softens. Eating the cost of unsold tickets wipes out profits.
– If caught, venues and artists often blacklist “scalpers” from future purchases. Hurts ability to operate.
– Anti-speculation laws are on the rise. New regulations restrict for-profit resale in some regions. Compliance is tricky.
– Ethics are questionable. Fans resent professional brokers driving up costs. Public perception of “scalpers” is often negative.
– It prevents real fans from obtaining tickets directly. Greater chance tickets end up with non-fans.
Occasionally profiting from an extra ticket or two is fine. But leave mass-scale ticket brokering to the professionals. For most, the risks outweigh potential rewards.
Taxes on ticket resales
If you do manage to sell Springsteen tickets at a profit, be sure to account for applicable taxes:
– In the U.S., all profits from ticket resales are generally taxable as ordinary income. The same rates apply as your wages.
– You’ll receive a 1099-K form if annual sales on a resale platform like StubHub exceed $600. This income must be reported.
– Keep detailed records of your ticket cost basis, fees, and final sales prices. This documents your profit properly.
– Sales taxes may apply. In some states, you must collect and remit sales tax on ticket resales.
– Foreign sellers may not be subject to U.S. taxes on their sales. But check your own country’s rules.
– If ticket selling qualifies as a business, you may be able to deduct expenses like listing fees. Consult a tax professional.
Don’t let unexpected taxes eat into your profits. Keep accurate accounting and budget for what you’ll owe the IRS and state. It’s the cost of doing business.
Ethical considerations
There are some ethical considerations as well when reselling tickets:
– Don’t falsely represent details like seat locations to sell at higher prices. Provide accurate listings.
– Avoid using bots and other unfair advantages to beat normal fans to hot tickets. Keep it ethical.
– Be transparent in your pricing. Excessive markups price regular fans out of events. Consider reasonable limits.
– As a fan yourself, avoid directly competing and driving up prices in fan communities you participate in.
– If unable to attend, consider giving (not selling) tickets at cost to less fortunate fans who otherwise couldn’t afford to go.
– Adhere to any ticket limits or anti-scalping measures. Ignoring those rules for profit raises ethics concerns.
– Reflect on the intent and why you bought the tickets. Are you serving fans or just out to make a quick buck?
Reselling at moderate profits to efficiently redistribute tickets is fine. But don’t lose sight of providing value to fans in the spirit of live entertainment.
Conclusion
Selling tickets is about balancing profit potential with moving them efficiently. Study current market rates, but also discount to spur sales at the right times. Consider competing platforms, promotions and fan communities. Avoid scams and unethical behavior. Account for taxes and fees. Provide fair value to fans to succeed in a responsible way.