Do Angels Ticket Specials Anger Season Seat Fans?

by Rev Halofan on Mar 28, 2009 2:50 PM PDT in Angels News

Some caveats to Game Telecast-promoted Angels ticket specials apply - because they are on the internet, there are per-ticket convenience charges and a service charge for the whole order. Sometimes there are minimums of 4 tickets. So they just are never really as cheap as they imply, but they are a big discount off the stated price at the ticket window and deeply undercut the already-discounted season ticket prices.

Nevertheless, during Saturday afternoon's Spring telecast, the Angels promoted a $3 Upper View ticket special for games on April 7, 8, and 9. Some Lower View seats are $5 and the RF and LF Pavillions are $10.

With no sign of a rapid improvement in the economy, this will of course cause a domino-effect on season seat holders selling midweek games. Discounts will be the norm for all but the three high-draw teams (Dodgers, Pinstripers and Chowds). It is easy to predict that almost every midweek game this season will be undercut in price.

Season Seat holders are not going to be happy - they are by far the crankiest Angel fan contingent, constantly moaning to management about everything from regular fans wanting autographs to inadequate railings at a stadium they have been visiting for thirty years. They will just not be getting value for their seat purchases as the resale value of most games (Sunday thru Thursday games are the most difficult to re-sell and account for 55 of 81 Angel home games). Even though they have better seats, they paid ten times the advertised price as far as the market is concerned.

In essence, the Angels are in competition with season seat holders who resell their tickets. Broadcast media funnels Front Office offers to the fans during each telecast, thus determining the market price or seats (and disingenuously avoiding the mention of ridiculous ticketmaster surchages). Meanwhile, season seat holders are cloistered in the Stub-Hub ghetto, forced either to eat a chunk of their investment (after a good part of the sales pitch for buying the tickets was the chance to conveniently resell them for a profit) or, oh dear... not that ultimatum... to attend every home game.

I definitely called this one in a December Essay here.

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how do i get those cheap tickets? directv is a jerk and plays cubs game over angels

sorry to undermine your post ;p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlTvSUCCqPo

by ANewFoundThrice on Mar 28, 2009 2:59 PM PDT reply actions

no harm no foul

You are proving my point (and Arte’s as well).

by Rev Halofan on Mar 28, 2009 3:02 PM PDT up reply actions

We seriously thought of reducing our number of seats this year

I anticipate selling a number of games for a buck or 2 a piece. We’re having a reunion of sorts next year and if it wasn’t for the all-star game next year we would have not renewed all our seats and not sure we can afford that.

GA GA he's the man, if he can't do it, no one can

by Moondoggy on Mar 28, 2009 3:06 PM PDT reply actions

I just wish I could make it back for a game.

Alas, it is not looking like it is going to happen this year. Maybe next, if I am lucky. The 14 hour flight is a killer (not to mention expensive).

by matthiasstephan on Mar 28, 2009 3:16 PM PDT reply actions

Where's home?

by sothball on Mar 28, 2009 4:46 PM PDT up reply actions

Dear Season Ticket Holders,

Oh well.

Love,
your greatest fan

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring".
Rogers Hornsby

by ladybug on Mar 28, 2009 5:18 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs

Seriously.

cry me a river.

Netherlands-2 Dominican Republic-0

by HaloDutch on Mar 29, 2009 4:10 AM PDT up reply actions

Yes, it is anger-inducing...

I gave up my F107 tix for 2009. I lost quite a few sales due to the weekday specials. So, I ended up attending 41 games. It was fun, but I liked coming out positive $-wise in 2007 and attending 25 games. 25 was a lot more feasible compared to 41. 41 was downright hard work, especially while trying to raise kids and work two jobs at the same time!

Now, as a non-season seat holder, I can surely comprehend the desperation to put rear ends into the seats by the Angels front office. However it just solidifies my move to not renew.

I guess it’s like those folks that have been with one car insurance company for 30 years … you get robbed blind by not shopping for new insurance every 2 to 3 years. Season seat holders need to cancel and renew every few years, as well.

Blogging is FUN!

by Downing Rules on Mar 28, 2009 6:04 PM PDT reply actions

Season ticket holders still get the best seats at the stadium

But this evens out a little bit for the fan who just wants to see a random game.

I swore off attending as many Angels games, when the decision was made to choke off access down to the field level seats [during batting practice], but these ticket deals have made me basically break down.

The prices make me want to attend every home game I can get to – even if tickets against ‘premium teams’ are regular price.

by BBFan1 on Mar 28, 2009 6:11 PM PDT reply actions

Rev

Did you renew?

by Sethy on Mar 28, 2009 10:21 PM PDT reply actions

No.

I have mixed feelings about not doing so.

by Rev Halofan on Mar 29, 2009 1:20 AM PDT up reply actions

well if you're ever in need of a seat at a reasonable price...

drop a line

GA GA he's the man, if he can't do it, no one can

by Moondoggy on Mar 29, 2009 5:53 AM PDT up reply actions

Torii is going to miss you!

by MH252525 on Mar 29, 2009 9:22 AM PDT up reply actions

Section 240 will never be the same

by Sethy on Mar 29, 2009 1:38 PM PDT up reply actions

i will be around. Gotta say hi to Barbara!

by Rev Halofan on Mar 29, 2009 1:39 PM PDT up reply actions

I can understand

but let’s face it….as usual something got totally abused and prostituted.

I know of one season tix holder that I was speaking to during a game who told me he had season seats in 3 areas. He used the one for personal and sold the other seats making a killing during prime time games. He told me about world trips and a car he was able to fund from doing this. He said his highest sale was around a thousand for seats a couple of years ago. THAT isn’t right.

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring".
Rogers Hornsby

by ladybug on Mar 29, 2009 8:19 PM PDT reply actions

This were da good ole daze…

by Rev Halofan on Mar 29, 2009 10:09 PM PDT up reply actions

Welcome to Capitalistic America!

Making profits… this is a capitalistic society. What’s wrong with an ordinary person doing the same thing, capitalizing?

I can sympathize with that person you spoke with … he (she) is smart.

I funded a trip to Seattle to see the Rams-Seahawks Wild Card game from selling two pairs of tix (to the same game) I had bought on Ticketmaster. The proceeds funded my plane ticket, hotel (1 night), rental car and my single ticket in the front row behind the Rams bench. BONUS! Where’s the sin there?

Also, I bought 3 tix to WS game 1 in 2002. In the front row of the LF box seats. Sold 2 at ~$1000 each and kept the 3rd for myself. BONUS! A front row ticket to the series and a few bucks in my pocket (after spending on lots of World Series Memorabilia at Game 1). Where’s the sin in that?

I had season seats in F107 in 2007 and 2008. I broke even over two years and still saw 65 games!

What’s the problem? You sound a bit jealous that you couldn’t think of such a brilliant scheme to fuel/fund/feed your passion for the Halos.

I cannot afford to attend all of those games. I cannot afford to fly to see my football team play. But, through the amazing ability our country has provided to buy and sell something at “market value” I can afford to go. I don’t force people to pay the rates they pay for the tickets.

I love this country!

Blogging is FUN!

by Downing Rules on Mar 30, 2009 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions

the critique didn't seem to be of capitalism

but of capitalists.

And hose are TWO distinct things.

by Rev Halofan on Mar 30, 2009 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Your love-fest with free-market capitalism would come to a screeching halt if...

sporting events were ever stripped of their tax-deductible entertainment status.

Yeah. Your entrepreneurship is built on a very large, rock-solid, foundation of government subsidies.

by Stirrups on Mar 30, 2009 11:11 PM PDT up reply actions

oh you mean all those tax deductions

so I should pay taxes on my income instead of deducting my lifestyle with a luxury box at the stadium paid thru my corporation… should I call you PARTY POOPER or guilt trip you by calling you UNPATRIOTIC???

by Rev Halofan on Mar 30, 2009 11:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Depends.

Where does one get their sugar-sweetened, chemically-flavored, purple water libations?

Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck?

by Stirrups on Mar 31, 2009 9:14 PM PDT reply actions

meant as reply to Rev @ 3/30/2009 10:41pm

by Stirrups on Mar 31, 2009 9:14 PM PDT up reply actions

I Let My Seats Go This Year Too

Last season I couldn’t get face value for my seats (T208) from Sunday through Thursday. My son turned 18 and had a lot more things (GIRLS) to to do rather than going to games with pops during the summer. My daughters only liked going on Fridays for the fireworks and my wife was only willing to go on Saturday nights. In 2007, I was getting 1.5X to 2.5X face value during the week. With prices going up and the economy going down, well, sadly, I punted.

by Old_Ironside on Apr 1, 2009 12:51 PM PDT reply actions