Tis the season… to buy tickets! Be it sports, music, theater or comedy, nothing is more thoughtful or unique than buying a loved one a ticket to see some live entertainment. And while it may seem intimidating to make this pricey purchase on your own, it doesn’t have to be. We’ve put together a handy guide filled with tips and tricks to get you shopping like a pro!
If you’re buying a ticket for a significant other, chances are you’re pretty familiar with their schedule and weekend plans. However, it’s always a good idea to check with their friends and make sure they have nothing planned for the specific date you are looking to get tickets for. Buying for a friend? Ask their significant other, coworkers or siblings. The Facebook messaging app comes very in handy for stuff like this!
Whether the event you’re looking to buy for is sold out or not, you should still shop around various ticket sites–be it primary or secondary–to find the best deals.
The website SeatGeek aggregates thousands of ticket listings, and with their DealScore feature users can find the best deal based on the ticket location and comparative listings. You’d be surprised at how cheaply you can find some sports games and concerts, especially once it gets closer to the date of the event and brokers are forced to drop their prices. (Looking for NFL tickets? Click here to find out the best way to save money on tix!)
Many concert and sports venues are beginning to enforce stricter policies regarding their will-call tickets. If you purchase a pair of tickets for your friends for the holidays, make sure the person whose name is on the credit card does not have to be present for the pick-up. Some venues may allow you to call in advance to switch the ticket-holders name, but not all. Websites like Ticketmaster, however, will let you transfer E-tickets to friends free of charge.
While you may have to transfer your gifted tickets to a friend (as mentioned above), it’s always nice to have something to unwrap on the holidays. If you’re able, choose the option of having the hard ticket printed and sent to you over an E-ticket. It makes the gift more of a collectible item, plus you can use some of these cool Pinterest ideas to present it in an extra special way!
Sure you’ve gotten your friend (or lovah) in the door with your awesome ticket present. But you want to make sure they can actually see the concert, right? Find out exactly what to expect when you head into the venue by studying up on the seating.
Ticket aggregators SeatGeek have an ever-growing collection of interactive maps listed with each event, so even if you don’t buy through the site you should still utilize them. As you hover over each listing, the dot on the map will highlight showing you the section and row the ticket is in. Some venues on the site even have view-from-seat enabled, with actual photos that show you exactly what you’ll see.
Good luck and happy holidays!