OT: For those who have bought SB tickets before

Not sure if this is the right place to put this so MODs if it needs to be moved feel free.

So today i purchased flights and hotels ect to SF SB week. If pats make it we will be going..if not we are still going to see the city and take in the atmosphere that weekend.

BUT if pats (knock on wood) make it...i assume it's best to wait till that week to find tix somewhere.,,,as right now cheapest on stubhub are 3500 each and no way we are paying that..but i am not sure how much if any it would drop...2-3 days before it would have to drop no?

Looking for some nice young men to bunk with in SF for SB week

Last year ridiculous. Parking lot after AFCCG 50 yard line for 6000

Week of game 50 yard line 12000

Exact opposite happened in 2011 the day of the game you could get 50 yard line for 4000 each.

Last year the NFL withheld tickets to mess with brokers. My advice is pick a seat and price you are happy with and buy them anytime you see that price whether it is in the parking lot after the AFCCG or the day of game or anytime in between

I bought tickets last year from the NFL Ticket Exchange in the second half of the AFCCG and paid $2700 for upper level on the 20 yard line. After the game, prices jumped by $1000 or more for the same seats..
I was offered 4x that the day of the game...I am so glad I went (after convincing from my wife, " you're always saying you're going to go. Just do it, you never know when they will make it again"-after 28 years of marriage- that's a keeper).
The reason I used NFL Ticket exchange was that I was buying directly from them and assumed if there were any problems ( there were none) it would be resolved quickly and the chances of counterfeit tickets would be less than other sources.

If you do go, go early and walk around,lots of free stuff and celebrity sightings....and family sightings in my case I bumped into Ebner's grandparents ( where do you find two elderly people wearing his jersey )and Josh Kline's family ( 5 people in Kline jerseys)....

One of my friends bought 2 SB tickets from TLTickets the night before the AFC championship. He got a confirmation on the tickets from this site. Two weeks later on his flight to Arizona, he got an email saying they didn't have his tickets. It's the first thing he read when he landed in Arizona. They basically revoked his tickets to pad their profit margin so be careful where you buy your tickets.

A lot of brokers will try to sell you tickets they don't have, hoping to buy them on the day of the game from someone else and then turn around and sell it to you at a profit. The problem is last year many of these brokers could not purchase these tickets from third parties and buyers like yourself were left out in the cold.

Last time I went was SB39 and did a package (included hotel/car/golf too). Don't really want to get into pricing b/c it's irrelevant but I really, really hate worrying about that crap and got everything included.

Eagles fans were ****s. What a bunch of low-class a-holes.

Tough to answer this question. I lucked out and got a ticket through a friend last year. When we got to AZ we met more than a few people who had bought a package or tickets through a broker well beforehand and got screwed out of their game tickets at the last minute when the broker did not deliver (this was all over the media too). Not sure why the demand for the game became so great that brokers did not get tickets from their normal suppliers, except that Seattle was not that far a flight to Phoenix, so maybe a lot more of their fans bought up the tickets than was expected. In 2011 we went to Indy after paying $3500 each for a seat as prices continued to climb the week before the game and we did not want to be shut out. When we got to Indy ticket brokers were selling tickets the day of the game for less than 1/2 what we paid. I was steamed and vowed that if the Pats ever got there again and I went, I would wait until I got there to buy, but after last year, I don't know what to think. I would not have gotten a ticket doing this at last year's game as prices went through the roof right before the game (and lots of people got screwed).

Other years we've reserved through a broker right after the AFCCG and not had a problem. The way it works is you lock in a price, then they send you the tickets a few days before the game once they have them in hand. You'll notice that all the brokers seem to be peddling the same seats, so they all seem to have access to the same pool of tickets. If you have a ticket broker you know and trust, this might be the way to go.

I think it depends on the opponent (if it's Seattle I bet Pats fans will have a lot of trouble getting tix as Seattle is so close to San Fran) to a certain extent and how well their fans travel. If it's Seattle, look out. If it's Carolina, maybe it will be easier. San Fran is also an affluent area, so maybe locals won't mind the stiff prices and that will shrink the pool even smaller. It's a shame that teams are not required to offer their fans (and in my case their season ticket holders) a real opportunity to purchase tickets at face value. Kraft probably releases about 2 tickets to the "lottery." The rest go to club seat holders and the Krafts' friends and business associates.

Thanks all. So it sounds like i could see my price during the AFC chanp game or right after. Or 3-4 days before the game...guess from the sounds every SB is different. I am hoping for Car to make it then and not a team closer like Seattle or AZ. Would hate to find tox only to be screwed out of them by the broaker. But the risk you take i guess

I notice all tix almost all on stubhub said pickup as in when you get there. Is this almost always the case?

Worst case and i miss out on tix. We will still be going and to watch it out there somewhere. And take it in.

NFL tix exchange everyone can use?

Brady2Moss said:

Last year ridiculous. Parking lot after AFCCG 50 yard line for 6000

Week of game 50 yard line 12000

Exact opposite happened in 2011 the day of the game you could get 50 yard line for 4000 each.

Last year the NFL withheld tickets to mess with brokers. My advice is pick a seat and price you are happy with and buy them anytime you see that price whether it is in the parking lot after the AFCCG or the day of game or anytime in between

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This was my experience in 2011. It was really easy to get them. I had been in contact with a broker and just showed up and we got decent nosebleed seats for about $1200 each.

My guess would be in the Bay Area where there is a lot of money tickets will be expensive this year. Plus, if Seattle or Zona makes it that's an easy trip for fans. I plan on driving up from LA and giving it a try if they make it though. Only so many more of these Brady/BB SBs left.

Brady_to_Moss said:

Not sure if this is the right place to put this so MODs if it needs to be moved feel free.

So today i purchased flights and hotels ect to SF SB week. If pats make it we will be going..if not we are still going to see the city and take in the atmosphere that weekend.

BUT if pats (knock on wood) make it...i assume it's best to wait till that week to find tix somewhere.,,,as right now cheapest on stubhub are 3500 each and no way we are paying that..but i am not sure how much if any it would drop...2-3 days before it would have to drop no?

Click to expand...

Usually that's a good strategy but it sure as heck backfired last year. StubHub oversold from their inventory and since they guarantee seats, they scrambled to fill their orders and drove prices way up.

What do you guys think for getting the cheapest playoff tix? Last week I waited till the Wednesday of the Ravens week to get them off of craigslist. Would rather not do that again, but wondering when you guys think is best (December, couple weeks before, week of, day before)

I think it is fair to say it's a roll of the dice (what the odds are is a ?). Wait and you may get lucky to get a reduced price. Weather could also hamper some spirits on going to the game and you could pick up some tickets last minute (it is an open air stadium, Santa Clara weather in February as the sun goes down can be nippy...which is not even counting that this is an El Nino year and it could be wet). On the flip side, it's certainly a nice new stadium and there is plenty of companies and people who have money to spend on the rarity of SB tickets. That can't help...

In terms of the Bay Area? I lived there for many years so, in case you have never visited, here is some info (obviously plenty to do and can be found in a tourist book). Fyi, if you are staying close to the stadium there isn't much directly around the stadium (the adjacent amusement park is closed during Winter months -- unless that has changed with the stadium being built).

If you gamble and miss the SB, both the Sharks and the Warriors are good teams that have decent venues to see a game. Certainly cost A LOT less for good seats.
Provided weather cooperates, noted and good places outside SF to walk around for dinner, drinks, coffee etc: Santana Row in SJ (big/nice mall directly across from there) and Jack London Square in Oakland.
If you're looking for a few nice views/picture moments: try driving up twin peaks in SF for a killer elevated view of the city if fog allows. Haven't done that drive in many years but I assume it still is there accessible to the public. Also, hot the west/coast side of SF for a beach at sunset view. If you don't mind a bit of a drive southward, an hour and a half to two hours there is Monterey's views and cannery row.

If it has been multiple loooong days of getting around, it you just want to get out of the hotel but keep it really low key and expend little effort/expense, a lot of people don't know San Jose has a 6 screen drive in movies inside the city limits (15 mins south of downtown SJ). You can grab some take out and a hit a drive in movie with your SO. I liked a pizza/italian place about 20 mins from the moves called Tony and Alba's.

There are some interesting mountain see views of the bay: skyline blvd or up Mt Hamilton Rd (Mt Hamilton observatory does star gazing through the big telescope on certain dates. It is a windy mountain drive, fyi).
Indoors stuff too in case of weather are some good science museums: Academy of Sciences in SF, Tech Museum in SJ, and a small not overly impressive one that I still liked that is hidden away in the hills of Oakland, Chabot Space And Science Museum (if it is till open hit the hole on the wall burger joint near the bottom of the hill first. Back in the day it was a killer burger).
BART has a station stop at a nice mall in/near downtown SF.
If you like Wine, Napa/St Helena/Calistoga (as everyone probably knows) is one of the center's of the world for wine. Wine-dinner train around the napa valley i hear is nice for a couple (though never got aroudn to it). Also, if the SO or you & the SO like the natural spa thing, that area has the mineral water and natural mud spring places (I believe thanks to the volcanic activity of the past).
For a day excursion alternate to the one hour northward to Napa, eastward-ish of SF for 3 hours drive is Yosemite. This time of year and with recent rains it should be serious waterfall views.

A note for SF. If you are doing a day in the downtown/pier area of SF? find a good located parking garage/lot then get a transit pass to get around. It isn't economic to park, drive and re-park (parking costs are often very high in SF - and they hit you with the lion's share of cost for the first handful of hours)) not to mention the time and effort it expends. SF has transit go almost everywhere in the general downtown area. If going specifically to Pier 32, the specific pier parking garage (at least back in the day) would validate 2 hours if you eat at one of their listed establishments on the pier. Some are half way decent seafood though probably a bit more $$$ than some that are away from the pier.

Hope that helps when you get there, have a great SB week....

tombonneau said:

My guess would be in the Bay Area where there is a lot of money tickets will be expensive this year. Plus, if Seattle or Zona makes it that's an easy trip for fans. I plan on driving up from LA and giving it a try if they make it though. Only so many more of these Brady/BB SBs left.

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This is why we are giving it a try this year...only so more left in this era right?

My hope is CAR makes it...long trip for them..not as many panthers fans ect..(except Seattle fans that jump ship )

Thanks for the help all. Do you guys have personal brokers you use? Or did you just use the sites like stubhub..ace ticket ect?

First i need them to win those 2 games..then we will worry about tix! Worst case and we can't find any few days before ect in our price range..we will watch the game somewhere out there!

We went out to AZ hoping tickets would decline and they never went below $10k each. We parked ourselves at a bar across the stadium and had just as much fun.

I'm going to be in California that week and was thinking about going. Are tickets really this much? I seem to remember $1000 tickets when it was in nyc. And eventually less. I'm going to be out there that week anyway but we've never paid more than $600 for all the biggest games.

I flew to Vegas and drove to Phoenix last year. Borrowed a tv from Walmart and watched the game from the trunk of the car near the stadium. Had a blast!

The folks next to us didn't get their tickets from the broker. They paid $2500 each. The broker refunded them 5000 each. They ended up paying 10k for tix onsite.

PatsWickedPissah said:

Looking for some nice young men to bunk with in SF for SB week

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Your craigslist ad practically wrote itself

I had the opportunity to purchase tix for about 2500 apiece, but that was either right before or after the AFCCG. As others have mentioned, they skyrocketed within days after the victory vs. the Colts, and by the next week had gone up so much that it was virtually impossible for people like me to even consider it.

Airfare, expensive hotel rooms, and tickets can very easily send you north of 10,000 for 2 people. If you find a price that you feel is reasonable now, you may want to consider it.