Concerts / Avoiding Ticket Brokers...

[Francisco]

First thing: Let me just say, I hate ticket brokers, and how they operate.

Through a rumor - I've heard that Paul McCartney is going to be performing in my area in August. As a huge fan of him and the Beatles, I obviously want in - and a decent seat as well.

I've done a little research, and through ticket brokers, the seats in a similar venue start at ~$200 and range up to $1850 - well above face value.

I'm sure the instant tickets go on sale, the phone lines, box office lines and websites will be flooded with scumbag ticket brokers buying up all the best seats, so they can charge a 300% markup on them.

Does anyone have any good tips as to how to get decent tickets to a high demand event without having to go through these crooks?

(I really don't want to spend more than ~$400-500 on a ticket, and I'd rather have that money go towards a GREAT seat, rather than a poor one)

[Trichocyst]

Try to get on the presale list. It's usually as easy as signing up for a band's mailing list or fan club.

[Celeste]

I hate ticket brokers. I totally know what you mean about their bullshit mark-up prices. It's too bad it's entirely too legal to do. :/

[Rysa]

I hate ticket brokers too. Tool is coming to DFW in July and I barely snagged tickets before the concert was sold out. I paid $90 bucks a ticket and ended up with crappy seats because the web-site was just flooded with people trying to buy. It took me 15 mins of spamming Ticketmaster before I was able to get 2 seats. There are over 100 tickets on stub hub going for $200-300 each. The show sold out in like 20 mins. I just don't see how this is legal.

[Tyche]

One of the clients that work at my center has a mom who runs all of the ticketing for the various events in my area. She got me 3rd row seats to disney live four days before the show and weeks after it had sold out. She got a friend of mine front row seats to a taylor swift concert four days before they went on sale (and sold out in about 8 seconds). I don't abuse her, and I certainly won't ever use her for financial gain, but when I need something for my kids, or there's something I just cannot miss (Chevelle concert a couple years ago), I'll ask for her help. I know this really doesn't help you, but maybe you can stalk a ticket lady and swoon her before they go on sale.

[Francisco]

Another question:

I have a verbal agreement to buy tickets from someone off Craigslist.

The tickets are pricey (2/$650) so I'm a little worried about the legitimacy of the tickets, and the guy selling them (he sounds okay, but you never know).

I assume I should check for a hologram on the tickets, as well as the date/time/etc of the event. What else should I check?

Also, once I have the tickets in hand, and he has my money, what's to stop him from reporting them stolen, and getting new ones?