Tips for Buying Event Tickets Online

Here are some tips to getting the best deals:

Be realistic about the market. If it's a popular artist, big game or hyped-up theater performance, you're less likely to get a bargain. Big venues and small cities tend to have lower prices. If you live in New York but can drive a few hours to see the band play in southern New Jersey, you might have better luck finding a ticket. Also, try for matinee or weekday shows and avoid holidays.

Visit several sites and keep tracking prices. Consumer Reports found that prices can fluctuate and vary from site to site. If an artist adds more dates, prices often drop. Resellers can also overestimate demand, posting high prices at first, then lowering them as the event nears.

Be patient. If prices are simply too high in the weeks and days leading up to the event, they might drop the day-of. Sellers become eager to get tickets off their hands once the event begins, since they are worth less at that point. Consumer Reports found that some tickets to Super Bowl XLII dropped to $1,000 on game day.

Check out other options. Before going to the reseller sites, sign yourself up for pre-sale notices. Artists, venues, teams and promoters often send out e-mails with a password for early ticket sales. Check out PresalePassword.net or Presalenow.com as well.

The day tickets go on sale, start at the box office. You may have more luck waiting in line than online. If you're buying tickets on Ticketmaster.com or TicketWeb.com, keep checking for availability. Customers have a few minutes to decide whether to buy the tickets they've clicked on. During that time, those tickets are locked up, but if the shoppers decide not to buy, the tickets become available again to other fans.

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