Experience with scalpers at Gopher games?

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CWCWCW

CWCWCW

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As a season ticket holder, I've never approached a scalper outside of TCF Stadium.
I need to buy 2 extra tickets for Fridays game. I checked a couple sites and although much cheaper than a season ticket, most still want in excess of $40 per ticket.
Anyone have an idea what the going rate would be from a scalper on Friday night?

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CWCWCW said:
As a season ticket holder, I've never approached a scalper outside of TCF Stadium.
I need to buy 2 extra tickets for Fridays game. I checked a couple sites and although much cheaper than a season ticket, most still want in excess of $40 per ticket.
Anyone have an idea what the going rate would be from a scalper on Friday night?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Try the tailgate lots first. Those are real season ticket holders. They will usually ask a fair price. I personally don't mind paying it to a fellow Season Ticket holder.

No i don't know the going rate for this season, but act insulted by whatever they are asking and start walking away. I bet they'll ask well how much are you willing to pay. Offer half of what they are asking if they do that. Again be willing to walk, or give the impression that you will. You have the edge. My guess is there will be very few walk-ups for this game. If they don't sell the ticket they have to eat 100% of it. Your half or whatever you pay is better than nothing at all. I've even seen people get them for $10 or less last season. The closer to kick-off, most likely will equal better bargaining power.

Just remember, you can always just walk up to the window if you don't get the price you want, they know this as well.

Good luck!
 

I usually pull up stubhub and then see what the scalpers are offering then take the better deal. Be sure you put fees in with stubhub or it'll change your price quite a bit.
 

I bought scalper tickets for Fresno State. Very, very few ticket sellers. We had a group of 6 and was just looking for cheapest entry. Ended up buying two for $20 each from 2 woman going in, 2 for $25 each from a scalper, a single for $20 and a single for $30. I think it is likely not a cheap scalper market anymore as there is little supply. The drop in season ticket holders combined with high single game ticket prices means little for sale outside at a discount.

Once you are in, however, you can pick and choose your seats. We sat in the upper deck row 3 at the 25 yard line. Good seats.
 

CWCWCW said:
As a season ticket holder, I've never approached a scalper outside of TCF Stadium.
I need to buy 2 extra tickets for Fridays game. I checked a couple sites and although much cheaper than a season ticket, most still want in excess of $40 per ticket.
Anyone have an idea what the going rate would be from a scalper on Friday night?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Been my go to since I dropped my season tickets. My sons play on Saturdays, so until they both play Friday nights, I'm holding off on season tix.

DO NOT ask them what price they are selling them for, or ask them "what you got"?

Lets say that you are willing to pay $30 per ticket and you need two. When you see a seller, walk up to them and say "I can pay $20 per ticket and I need two". It is important that you take the lead. They'll show you the tix, and say that they need $50 per ticket or whatever. Do not insult them, simply tell them you can only go $20 per ticket, but to keep an eye out for you if they're still holding closer to kickoff to look for you. Try this with a few different ones and prepare to wait. At some point, 1 of them should approach you, and you've left yourself a little wiggle room to go up to $30/ticket.

It is more time consuming, so if you're looking to optimize your tailgating/dinner/bar experience, this might not be the best method for you, but it has worked well for me.
 


The closer you get to kickoff, the better price you should be able to drive. This is easier if you are one person and a scalper has any single seats. Those are hard for scalpers to drop.
 

I carry a shank with me just in case... can't ever be too safe.
 


Thanks for all of the advice. I think I'll leave my shank at home.
I'll post my results in case anyone is interested.

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betterdeadthanred said:
I usually pull up stubhub and then see what the scalpers are offering then take the better deal. Be sure you put fees in with stubhub or it'll change your price quite a bit.
Click to expand...

I noticed that tickets were pretty scarce on the street in the last two years, which is odd, as the in stadium turnout has been as a bad as it has ever been.

Last year I'd walk from the east and most of the time I did not encounter much of anyone other that one or two "pro" scalpers with very unrealistic views of the market, which meant for the first time I started to walk to the ticket window and pay the $30 to 40 dollars or so.

This year it has been even worse, and . For some reason the AD decided to raise the ticket prices for single game seats this ear, in the tface of a rotten 2017 season., Pizza deals aside, he ticket prices from were noticeably higher for early cupcakes (and Fresno). I won't get started on the $80 Iowa ticket price, which screwed a lot of Minnesota fans as well. When I was ponying up my $80 at the window a couple of rural MN types walked up and when the cashier said "$260, they looked stunned, and walked away.

I agree the best bet is hang around the close in tailgate lots and hope a regular ticket holder will sell you an extra. I have not had the patience to do that, but a couple times have gotten lucky.
 
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I'd trust others advice more than mine. I haven't had to go that route for a couple of years. I'd still ask around in the Tailgate lots. You might catch someone trying to unload a ticket for someone in their party that couldn't make it.

Good luck!
 

CWCWCW said:
As a season ticket holder, I've never approached a scalper outside of TCF Stadium.
I need to buy 2 extra tickets for Fridays game. I checked a couple sites and although much cheaper than a season ticket, most still want in excess of $40 per ticket.
Anyone have an idea what the going rate would be from a scalper on Friday night?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Buy cheap upper deck tickets at stadium from Gopher ticket office. Once they get in have them sit in seats near you.
 



CWCWCW said:
Thanks for all of the advice. I think I'll leave my shank at home.
I'll post my results in case anyone is interested.
Click to expand...

OK. You were warned. Don't come here sniveling about wishing you had the shank.
 


I got my tickets from someone breaking into my car and leaving them there.

Copyright the Common Man.
 


Breakin' The Plane said:
The cheapest tickets you can buy for Friday night through the ticket office are $50. Talk about having a bad read on the market.
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$55 when you add ticket fee. I just looked there are mountains of seats available. By pricing season tickets so high, the Gophers have painted themselves into a corner. You can't make season ticket holders pay more than single game buyers.

For 2019, I suspect the Gophers will drop prices on upper deck end zone/ corner season tickets and then sell single game tickets cheaply. At least get some to walk-in.
 

Stubhub is down to $39.70 (fees included) for chairbacks in Sect. 114. They're likely to keep dropping.

Those are the cheapest tickets at this time.
 

oak_street1981 said:
I noticed that tickets were pretty scarce on the street in the last two years, which is odd, as the in stadium turnout has been as a bad as it has ever been.

Last year I'd walk from the east and most of the time I did not encounter much of anyone other that one or two "pro" scalpers with very unrealistic views of the market, which meant for the first time I started to walk to the ticket window and pay the $30 to 40 dollars or so.

This year it has been even worse, and . For some reason the AD decided to raise the ticket prices for single game seats this ear, in the tface of a rotten 2017 season., Pizza deals aside, he ticket prices from were noticeably higher for early cupcakes (and Fresno). I won't get started on the $80 Iowa ticket price, which screwed a lot of Minnesota fans as well. When I was ponying up my $80 at the window a couple of rural MN types walked up and when the cashier said "$260, they looked stunned, and walked away.

I agree the best bet is hang around the close in tailgate lots and hope a regular ticket holder will sell you an extra. I have not had the patience to do that, but a couple times have gotten lucky.
Click to expand...

Tough for scalpers to resell a product not sold to begin with.

Much less season tix being sold means there are a lot fewer people unloading them on the cheap. Also feels like even those that are buying season tix only buy what they need upfront to avoid the scholarship donations.

When I was in a group of 5, we had an extra from time to time. Now that I just have 2 for myself, have not had an extra to sell. If it get's to the point that I do, then I am done buying them at all.
 

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