Season Ticket Holders Selling Game Tickets To Opponent Fans For Profit

ValJames

Registered User
Jun 9, 2015
189
94
NC
TOUCHY ISSUE:

Now that we appear to have real hockey back in Buffalo it's time to cut out the profit selling of game tickets and get the arena rockin again. Even last night vs Montreal and a large contingent of border crossers when the area got going the team fed off of it in the 3rd period.

The organization will probably have to address this at some point and step in but this is a plea from fellow "fans" who have been through hell with this team to please start cutting it down. I know season tickets are expensive and many holders use selling high demand game tickets to fund there season tickets and perhaps more. But we must come up with alternatives if we want a true home ice advantage and help take further steps in the future.
 

slip

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Aug 19, 2005
16,029
4,494
TOUCHY ISSUE:

Now that we appear to have real hockey back in Buffalo it's time to cut out the profit selling of game tickets and get the arena rockin again. Even last night vs Montreal and a large contingent of border crossers when the area got going the team fed off of it in the 3rd period.

The organization will probably have to address this at some point and step in but this is a plea from fellow "fans" who have been through hell with this team to please start cutting it down. I know season tickets are expensive and many holders use selling high demand game tickets to fund there season tickets and perhaps more. But we must come up with alternatives if we want a true home ice advantage and help take further steps in the future.
Do you own season tickets?
 

ValJames

Registered User
Jun 9, 2015
189
94
NC
I am a WNY transplant and live in North Carolina for health reasons now. I attend 3-4 games a year when we visit family & friends. Last year the opponent fans presence in the arena left a bad taste in my mouth.

Our family had season tickets for 30 years.

Do you own season tickets?
 

ZZamboni

Puttin' on the Foil
Sep 25, 2010
15,399
1,449
Buffalo, NY
I am a WNY transplant and live in North Carolina for health reasons now. I attend 3-4 games a year when we visit family & friends. Last year the opponent fans presence in the arena left a bad taste in my mouth.

Our family had season tickets for 30 years.


Pro tip ... don’t go to any MTL or TOR games. It helps.

I’ve had seasons since 2004 and I always go to 11 of the 41 home games. I sell the other 30 as 3 “ten packs”. I sell them for what I pay so I make no profit. I went to MTL and TOR games the first year or two I had my seasons.
It quickly became lame for me due to the large population of the Canadian fans, and I decided to never go again. Or at least for a long time. I haven’t been back to one of those games since.
Some fans like that atmosphere. I don’t :dunno:

I think you’ll never ever prevent all STH’ers from selling to our Canadian rivals over the border. For many it helps offset the price they pay upfront. But as a poster pointed out, the better the team does, the more chance Sabres fans will snatch up all the games no matter who the opponent is.

As far as wondering what season tickets cost, go to the Sabres website and click on the season ticket info...
 

MayDay

Registered User
Oct 21, 2005
12,661
1,146
Pleasantville, NY
I'm not local or a STH, so I'm not in a position to judge anyone's decision to keep or sell their tickets.

But the cumulative effect results in a pretty bad look for the franchise. And what's more significant, it takes away home ice advantage from the team.

Again, not judging or criticizing anyone, but I really do hope this changes somewhat as the team improves.
 
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Reddawg

We're all mad here
Sponsor
Mar 22, 2007
8,915
4,562
Rochester, NY
I definitely get annoyed seeing all those red jerseys in our lower bowl all the time, but it's not like the Montreal games or the Toronto games are the only ones that draw lots of opposing fans. See it all the time for Chicago games and Detroit games as well...as the team gets better those tickets will be harder for opposing fans to snap up easily...there will be more demand from Buffalo fans and that will slowly but surely squeeze the villains out.
 
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JLewyB

Registered User
May 6, 2013
3,893
1,623
Pegulaville
Those Toronto games are the best. I like the back and forth. It only looks bad when the other team has a lot more to cheer about. I hear our fans doing the same thing when we are on the road too. The Arizona game, we were louder than the yotes fans in their arena.
 

jBuds

pretty damn valuable
Apr 9, 2005
30,876
1,449
Richmond, VA
Those Toronto games are the best. I like the back and forth. It only looks bad when the other team has a lot more to cheer about. I hear our fans doing the same thing when we are on the road too. The Arizona game, we were louder than the yotes fans in their arena.
Vegas was pretty good too until we got mollywopped, wasn’t it? At least at the opening puck drop...
 

HogtownSabresfan

Registered User
Jan 13, 2010
6,624
1,697
TOUCHY ISSUE:

Now that we appear to have real hockey back in Buffalo it's time to cut out the profit selling of game tickets and get the arena rockin again. Even last night vs Montreal and a large contingent of border crossers when the area got going the team fed off of it in the 3rd period.

The organization will probably have to address this at some point and step in but this is a plea from fellow "fans" who have been through hell with this team to please start cutting it down. I know season tickets are expensive and many holders use selling high demand game tickets to fund there season tickets and perhaps more. But we must come up with alternatives if we want a true home ice advantage and help take further steps in the future.

Do you actually have tickets? Or just feel like you can dictate what I do with my money?

Why don't you take my tickets to Calgary tomorrow at season ticket price, big shot? No, you'll buy my US$53 ticket for US$20 on stubhub instead.

This idea that anyone makes money on season tickets is not based in reality. It takes a miracle to break even.

You think you can just take away the ability to trade the popular games and season ticket holders will just be there to buy the crap ones? The STH base has crumbled in Buffalo, tell them they can't sell Habs or Leafs and it will disappear.
 

CatsforReinhart

Registered User
Jul 27, 2014
7,315
1,623
Frankfurt
TOUCHY ISSUE:

Now that we appear to have real hockey back in Buffalo it's time to cut out the profit selling of game tickets and get the arena rockin again. Even last night vs Montreal and a large contingent of border crossers when the area got going the team fed off of it in the 3rd period.

The organization will probably have to address this at some point and step in but this is a plea from fellow "fans" who have been through hell with this team to please start cutting it down. I know season tickets are expensive and many holders use selling high demand game tickets to fund there season tickets and perhaps more. But we must come up with alternatives if we want a true home ice advantage and help take further steps in the future.
That is what is wonderful about a free market. Fan owns the ticket. Fan can sell the ticket to who he wants to at the maximum price he can.

Nothing wrong with that. Even in 2007 the place was half full of leaf fans. Just the way it is. Buffalo is affordable to see a game.
 

Dreakon13

Registered User
Jun 28, 2010
4,276
1,305
Mighty Taco, NY
While I don't like the idea of TOR or MTL taking over our home turf because season ticket holders aren't going and would prefer the profit they make from those games... it's the teams fault for being so bad for so long.

No doubt that will fix itself if/when the team is worth watching again and are playing meaningful games past November.
 
Last edited:

littletonhockeycoach

NOT the Hanson Bros.....
Sponsor
Oct 26, 2008
15,788
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Littleton, Co
It ain't happening because it's not 1975 any longer. Mobility has changed society. Fans of teams are scattered all over the globe and live in cities where the home team doesn't necessarily hold their allegiance.

Games are broadcast and streamed everywhere. Hockey is great live and in person but unless you can afford to sit in the lower bowl, 20 rows up between the blue lines, - or the end corners, you'll miss a lot. The seat in the arena is sometimes the worst place to view a game.

Exception: playoffs and championship games. When that happens, home town fans will fill the seats. (And fist fights outside the arena waiting in line to purchase tixs too......!! I still remember the one broadcast during the Sabres 1999 run..... legendary, stand up punching match.... wow, those guys knew how to fight!)

My family had season tixs for years back in the Aud days. Seats were affordable. Buffalo was still an insular city. Great home town sports town. I had Avs season tixs for more than a decade when I moved out here. Got too expensive. Partners were hard to find. Once the Avs -Red Wing rivalry ended, couldn't even recoup costs off those few games each year..... (Yeah, I regularly sold them to Detroit wagon chasers to help defray the cost of the package. No tiered opponent pricing in those days. Games against the Panthers cost me the same as games against the Rangers or Bruins.....)

Its a very expensive proposition to be an NHL season ticket owner these days and I understand the Sabres are more affordable than most. If you can sell your tickets to someone wanting to pay the price, more power to you!
 
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Ness

New Age Retro Hippie
Dec 5, 2008
3,707
724
Denver
Telling people how to handle their tickets/money is a bold move, lol.

Money in is money in. As long as fans are coming to Sabres games (regardless who they’re rooting for), then the ticket sales department is happy because they’re hitting their goals.
 
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Bobby Bottle Service

Win for Rick
Dec 15, 2005
5,039
3,184
Toronto
If you want to out-bid the Leaf fans, go for it.

I live in Toronto and made the trip down with some work buddies and it was disheartening to get booed in your own barn. Of course the Sabres won, so the drive back to the GTA was enjoyable. If I were a STH, I'd sell those games too.
 
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enthusiast

cybersabre his prophet
Oct 20, 2009
18,572
5,820
I'm sympathetic in the regular season. Come playoff time, there ought to be a law
 

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