When's the best time to buy tickets?

[Snilsson]

Hey,

I've only been to one Hawks game before and the tickets were dirt cheap. It was against the Senators late in the season when both teams were out of the playoff race so I guess that had an effect on pricing.

Now that I live in Chicago I obviously want to go to more games but looking at some of the prices for games in the beginning of the season is sort of confusing. Home opener against the Leafs is crazy expensive (130$++) but that's understandable, however a few weeks later against the Flames it's only 25$ ish and the week after that it's up to 60$+ for mediocre teams.
So my questions are, what's a reasonable price for an upper bowl ticket against a mid/low-tier team and when is the best time to buy them?

Thank you!

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[Crow]

Maybe someone else can speak more generally about pricing changes but the best deals I’ve seen are during other events.

If you don’t like football, buy games when the bears are playing. Same goes for post season baseball. If the cubs are on, you can really find a great deal to see the hawks.

 

[BK]

You should be able to buy them this year for cheap right before the game on the secondary market.

 

[Game suspension]

Don't buy hawks tickets now. Reality hasn't shit on their heads yet.

 

[ColdSteel2]

Yup, right before the game. People have said you could get them below face last year. This year, who knows how cheap they will get, but I expect a lot of empty seats barring some kind of miracle occurring in net for us.

 

[BK]

Don't buy hawks tickets now. Reality hasn't **** on their heads yet.

Reality for resellers or actual season ticket holders that buy the tickets to go to games? There is a difference. Not saying one is a better fan or anything like that but I know our tickets are purchased to go to games and support the team.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

The only caveat that I'd give is that very high demand games like the Leafs might very well get a big bump in price the closer it gets to game day.

 

[x Tame Impala]

The year 2020 (when the Hawks are good again)

 

[BK]

The year 2020

I don't get the joke but that is not a shock if it is a reference to something.

 

[x Tame Impala]

I don't get the joke but that is not a shock if it is a reference to something.

When the Hawks are good again

 

[Game suspension]

Reality for resellers or actual season ticket holders that buy the tickets to go to games? There is a difference. Not saying one is a better fan or anything like that but I know our tickets are purchased to go to games and support the team.

I don't know how many STH they have left for this season. Let's say it is 15,000. How many of those 15,000 go to all 41 home games? Very very few I would imagine. So the average STH needs the secondary market to sell the games they don't want to go A LOT. So good luck to those people this year as they will need it.

Your situation is not exactly the norm BK as you don't even live in IL. How many games are you going to this year btw?

 

[ColdSteel2]

Reality for resellers or actual season ticket holders that buy the tickets to go to games? There is a difference. Not saying one is a better fan or anything like that but I know our tickets are purchased to go to games and support the team.

Well, he has said he did not renew so now the debate moves to how many people buy with the intention of reselling some and how many buy with the intention of using all of the games. That will be settled by the secondary market activity and amount of empty seats.

The Hawks think they are the Bears. We’ll see. I think it’s the polar opposite TBH.

 

[BK]

When the Hawks are good again

I don't disagree. I think that is when the team will be able to make another run (maybe a year sooner) if the Hawk's prospect turn out. I am really excited to see our D in the next few years. They could be scary good.

 

[BK]

I don't know how many STH they have left for this season. Let's say it is 15,000. How many of those 15,000 go to all 41 home games? Very very few I would imagine. So the average STH needs the secondary market to sell the games they don't want to go A LOT. So good luck to those people this year as they will need it.

Your situation is not exactly the norm BK as you don't even live in IL. How many games are you going to this year btw?

I plan on going to 3-4 games if I can but family will use most of the rest and I am sure there will be some sales in there. I know my situation is not the norm but there are a lot of STH that go to most of the games so I think you are off. People my think my situation is nuts but it is really really cheap to fly to Chicago from MSP (basically the only flight is cheap out of MSP).

How many STH's do you think they lost and how many of those do you think are just resellers? I don't think they lost many fan STH but I do think they will have lost a decent amount of resell STHs.

 

[Game suspension]

The only caveat that I'd give is that very high demand games like the Leafs might very well get a big bump in price the closer it gets to game day.

Possibly but I would bet against that. Many STH have not even bothered to put their tickets up on stub hub yet. I used to never really get around to it until late September.

But that is your gauge of interest. If the Leafs opener on a Sunday isn't selling it will be downhill from there. Sunday games do sell better than weekday games as they are much easier for people in the suburbs to make.

 

[Game suspension]

How many STH's do you think they lost and how many of those do you think are just resellers? I don't think they lost many fan STH but I do think they will have lost a decent amount of resell STHs.

I have no idea how many STH are left. My take is many of those that renewed probably brought in partners to share the cost/risk this year. So that and blaming it on Crawford's injury may have saved the hawks this year. It won't next year IMO.

It isn't black and white between 'fans' and 'resellers'. The tickets are certainly expensive in the 100 and 200 levels and getting there in the 300 level. If you are only going to 4 games a year that isn't going to break the bank. You should thank your family for buying up the other 37 games. That's where the cost is. And...oh yeah...we can't forget about those full priced exhibition games. God I won't miss that.

Everything is all fine and good until you notice you could have had the same or better seats for less money in the secondary market. Kinda takes away the appeal of buying all of them up front.

 

[BK]

I have no idea how many STH are left. My take is many of those that renewed probably brought in partners to share the cost/risk this year. So that and blaming it on Crawford's injury may have saved the hawks this year. It won't next year IMO.

It isn't black and white between 'fans' and 'resellers'. The tickets are certainly expensive in the 100 and 200 levels and getting there in the 300 level. If you are only going to 4 games a year that isn't going to break the bank. You should thank your family for buying up the other 37 games. That's where the cost is. And...oh yeah...we can't forget about those full priced exhibition games. God I won't miss that.

Everything is all fine and good until you notice you could have had the same or better seats for less money in the secondary market. Kinda takes away the appeal of buying all of them up front.

It is black and white between fans and resellers but it depends on how you classify them, which I did in my post. Resellers buy with the pure intention of reselling them and "fans" buy them with the intent of going.

You would be shocked at how many STHs go to majority of the games.

Hockey in general tends to be a sport that has more money than typical sports as the cost to play is so great so the STH buying base is different than baseball or other sports.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Unless it’s a marquee matchup it’s cheapest to buy a few hours before puck drop. Things come up and people can’t go and people with unsold tickets slash their asking price because eating a couple bucks under face value is better than eating the whole ticket(s).

Was true even when the team was great. Would get out of work at 7 haul ass to the UC and get seats midweek for thirty forty bucks.

Buying in advance you were lucky to find non SRO for under a $100.

 

[Game suspension]

You would be shocked at how many STHs go to majority of the games.

The majority of games is not 41. Even those die hards you are talking about sell tickets on the secondary market. And even they will be pressed to renew next year.

And I disagree with you. The drop in attendance will not be about getting rid of the fake fans or ticket scalpers. The hawks tripled the cost of my tickets over the 11 years I had them. And now they suck. It is like any other market.

 

[BK]

The majority of games is not 41. Even those die hards you are talking about sell tickets on the secondary market. And even they will be pressed to renew next year.

And I disagree with you. The drop in attendance will not be about getting rid of the fake fans or ticket scalpers. The hawks tripled the cost of my tickets over the 11 years I had them. And now they suck. It is like any other market.

I never said die hards don't sell. You are misconstruing a lot of what I am saying for some reason.

A majority could be 21 games but for this conversation lets say the majority is 30 games. A lot of season ticket holders give the tickets to family and friends for free.

Where did I say anything about fake fans? I clearly specified that resellers are just people who buy the tickets with the sole intention of reselling. It does not make them a fake fan. Fans buy tickets to go to games. Fan does not mean fandom in this case. It is used as a term to imply intent.

You seem to think there is this great exodus when there is no proof that there has been. Are people dropping this year? 100% but that happens every year. There are a lot of companies that buy tickets so that is a factor as well.

I have been fine with price increases each year expect I think the team should have froze prices for the coming season but since they didn't I would expect it to happen next season if the team struggles again. Remember they are in the business of making money and as long as there is a wait list there is a solid chance tickets will go up.

 

[Pandaman11]

Hello Blackhawks fans

I'll be in Chicago for a few in days in Sep, so I wanted to see the preseason game against Detroit. The ticket sale started this week, but F me, the tickets are so expensive! The 100- and 200-seats are all $120+.

Is that normal for a preseason (!) game in Chicago?

And what do you recommend? Buy immediately because they get sold out? Or do the prices drop over time?

Thank you

 

[ColdSteel2]

As has been mentioned, prices drop over time. If Crawford doesn’t play, people will be burning tickets to stay warm.

 

[Pandaman11]

Ok thanks. Hopefully it doesn't sell out over time

(no idea of how it usually works in the offseason, or how people react after a non-playoff season)

 

[Rick C137]

Ok thanks. Hopefully it doesn't sell out over time

(no idea of how it usually works in the offseason, or how people react after a non-playoff season)

i mean they technically all sell out (not sure about preseason) but it’s pretty much always cheaper to buy tickets on the secondhand market on gameday. Especially since you are looking at a preseason game, you’ll be able to get them much cheaper than face if you wait

 

[Kaners PPGs]

I might actually go to a couple games if I can get tickets cheap.