If You’re Not Rich And Want Good Concert Tickets, Here’s How You Get Them

A number of people are frustrated about how hard it is to buy tickets to hot concerts, like the Jason Aldean show that recently sold out. There was a lot of misinformation floating around Facebook about how certain people had unfair advantages to buy tickets and that was simply not true.

It is certainly acceptable to feel frustrated that you weren't able to buy tickets to the show you wanted. But in all honesty, you were not cheated out of tickets. The process is as fair as it can be, without an anti-ticket scalping law in South Dakota. No one cheated you out of the opportunity to buy tickets, you were just unlucky. Yes, people immediately put their tickets on Stubhub and eBay after buying them, but many of those people are just hoping to score a payday and will likely use the tickets if they don't sell for big dollars.

If you want to get your tickets for the show you want I have three strategies I use to buy tickets. Doing these things will improve your chances of getting tickets, but by no means do I guarantee that you will.

1 - Go All Out To Make The Purchase

I will set up multiple accounts with different emails and card numbers for the site well in advance of the on-sale and use two computers or a computer and a phone or tablet. I will also pair up with one or more people who I plan to go to the show with and we all get online at the same time with multiple accounts. It's all a numbers game. If you need 4 tickets, get four people to get online to try to buy them. This is how we got World Series tickets in Denver in 2007.

If the on-sale is while you're at work, take the day or a half day off. If this isn't possible, see the steps below to improve your chances.

2 - Watch For the Last Minute Ticket Releases

With almost every concert there are a small number of tickets called "promoter holds" or "artist holds" that are set aside by the promoter or artist to do with what they choose. They could give them to their friends, business partners, anyone they want. Usually these tickets are not all used so they are eventually released shortly before the show. Start checking 3 or 4 days before the event and see if there is anything that shows up. It will happen suddenly and without any announcement.

When I saw Motley Crue in 2006 I could have bought two tickets in the seventh row on the floor on the day of the show if I had not already bought mine three months earlier. In 2011 I bought third row seats for Craig Ferguson the day before the show. Those tickets were not available the day before that.

3 - Swallow Your Pride, Overpay, and Hand Pick The Tickets You Want

You can always get the tickets you want on Stubhub or eBay. The good part is that you will be able to pick the seat and section you want. The bad part is you will pay through the nose for it. I have bought a few concert tickets on Stubhub, but mostly football and baseball tickets. The cost is relative to demand. If they are in high demand they will cost a lot. But, do not buy tickets there right after the resale. Prices will be at their highest right away because people are hoping to make a quick buck. Wait until a week or two before the show. If you're willing to risk it, wait until the day before and you may find the prices dropping dramatically.

When it comes to buying high-demand concert tickets it really comes down to one simple question: How badly do want to see this concert?