Comparing Selected Primary and Secondary Ticket Prices
By Alfred Branch, Jr.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, savvy theatergoers can find ticket deals on the secondary market for one of Broadway’s more popular musicals this season, Mel Brooks’ latest smash, “Young Frankenstein”.
Based on a review today, Dec. 5, for a Dec. 6 show at the Hilton Theatre in New York, prices for various tickets from primary ticketer Ticketmaster and ticket broker CoastToCoastTickets.com showed that the secondary ticket reseller had some better deals. “Young Frankenstein” does not report its gross ticket sales, but according to estimates the show racked up about $1.6 million in gross ticket sales last week.
CoastToCoastTickets.com was selling Orchestra Level tickets for the show, minus convenience and shipping fees, for $66 each, while those same seats were selling for a face value of $120 a piece, minus convenience and shipping charges. Balcony Level seats were also a bargain, selling for $36 each on CoastToCoastTickets.com, compared to $50 to $75 a piece from Ticketmaster. In both cases, convenience and shipping fees again were not included.
In recent months, secondary ticket brokers have come under considerable criticism for allegedly hijacking the ticketing industry, and while there are examples of exorbitant prices for hot shows, observant consumers will find that the burgeoning secondary market often presents significant deals.
On the sports front, deals for tickets to New York Knicks games still abound, similar to deals reported last week for tickets to Knicks games and other teams.
TicketSpot.com today, Dec. 5, was selling Club Level tickets to the Knicks/76ers game for Dec. 8 for $182 each, compared to $244.50 a piece from Ticketmaster and $280 each from the team’s official TicketExchange. Tickets for 200 Level seats, found today for the same game, were selling for $72 each from TicketSpot.com and $99.50 and $111.15 a piece from Ticketmaster and the Knicks exchange, respectively.
(The image accompanying this story is from Playbill.com)