Ah, summer — the ideal season for baseball. There’s nothing quite like enjoying a game with friends on a sunlit afternoon, but ticket prices keep climbing every year.
The average Major League Baseball ticket is now roughly $30, yet desirable spots along the third baseline can cost substantially more, particularly in larger markets.
Luckily, you can snag lower-priced seats for baseball and other sports through alternative ticket outlets. Even better, purchasing from the secondary market often saves time and helps you avoid long entry lines. I usually attend 15 to 20 games annually, and these approaches trim about $150 to $200 off my yearly spending.
These five alternate ticket sources generally offer tickets cheaper than the box office, so you’ll have cash left over for a hot dog and a watered-down beer at your next outing.
1. Scalpers
If you’re comfortable arriving at the stadium without tickets and accepting the risk of not getting in, buying from scalpers might be your best option. (Purchasing scalped tickets isn’t illegal, although resale laws differ by state.)
From experience, there are typically two types of scalpers. Professional scalpers aim to maximize profit and often mark tickets up above box-office prices.
Conversely, some scalpers are simply people who can’t make the event anymore. They’re eager to offload tickets at the last minute, sometimes offering seats $15 to $20 under face value.
The latter group is more common than you might assume. When I visited Coors Field in Denver, I snagged clubhouse seats behind home plate for just $10 from a scalper!
While you can’t be completely certain scalped tickets are genuine, there are ways to reduce risk. It’s smarter to buy from the latter kind of scalper rather than someone clearly flipping tickets for profit. Know the typical price range for the event so you don’t get gouged.
Recognizing how tickets look can help you spot counterfeits. If a seller has more than two or three tickets, ask to scan them quickly to ensure their barcodes aren’t identical — identical barcodes often indicate fakes.
2. StubHub
StubHub is a secondary marketplace where fans can buy and sell tickets online. It’s particularly useful for tracking down sold-out events or hard-to-find seats.
The site’s interactive seating map displays the exact location of available seats and their asking prices. It’s also officially licensed by the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, and all tickets come with a legitimacy guarantee.
I’ve found many solid bargains on StubHub, sometimes paying as much as $25 less than box-office prices. Best of all, StubHub has no hidden fees!
3. SeatGeek
SeatGeek is a ticket search engine that scans hundreds of resale platforms to show the best offers.
Like StubHub, SeatGeek provides an interactive seating chart showing each ticket’s price and location. While I’ve discovered some good deals here, SeatGeek’s prices are often higher than StubHub’s.
4. ScoreBig
ScoreBig operates a bit differently than StubHub and SeatGeek.
The site ranks seating sections in each venue from one to six stars (six stars indicate a front-row seat) and displays the typical discount you might expect for each area. Pick a seating zone and enter the maximum bid you’re willing to pay for a ticket.
If your bid is accepted, you’ll receive a seat from that section. If not, you won’t be charged. ScoreBig advertises savings of up to 60% off box-office prices.
5. eBay
With hundreds of ticket auctions daily — giving you the chance to find deep discounts — and buy-it-now listings for immediate purchase, eBay is another solid place to hunt for sports tickets.
I recently won an auction for two Penguins playoff seats that were each $30 cheaper than box-office prices. Being patient and actively bidding in auctions can lead to the best bargains on eBay.
Before you pay full price at the box office for your next football or baseball game, check these alternative ticket sources.
Your Turn: How do you cut costs on sports tickets? Have you used any of these sites or tactics?
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Savinly is the source of this article. The author is a university student studying statistics and chemistry with a passion for sports analytics and violin tinkering in spare moments.
