What do you mean the tickets are fake?
We met a ton of people at the bar from New England that were in the same boat as us, no tickets. Being a huge football fan, and a Patriots fan for life, I had suffered through some horrible seasons and was ready to sell my first child for tickets to the show.
Still looking for tickets? Hell ya!
While sitting at the bar, my cell phone starts to ring. I look at the caller ID and have no idea what number it is but I had to answer it, after all it could be one of my clients. Being in sales, I give my cell number to my clients and tell them I am available 24/7. So I put one finger over my ear and answer the phone, it’s the call I have been waiting for all weekend.
The caller says, “Hey Mike, still looking for Super Bowl tickets?” I immediately answer, “Hell YA!” The price for the tickets was $3,500 for the pair. This was a little too rich for my blood, but Mark and Thom decided they were going to pay.
Fans at the bar to the rescue
Mark had stopped at a bank and had the cash to cover the tickets, so it was game on. I gave the phone to Thom and they arranged the pick-up. I had the tough task of holding our table and watching the beers, heck someone had to do it! So Mark gave the guy the $3,500 and took the tickets.
This is how the bar came to save us! There were fans at the bar that had their tickets in a holder around their neck. Thom had given me his cell phone, so when it rang I noticed it was my cell calling and picked up right away. “Mike, its Thom, go find a Patriots fan who has tickets, I’ll be there soon.”
Thom comes into the bar and finds me hanging out with a couple of guys with tickets. We take the tickets and compare them to make sure they are real. Raised trophy…check, NFL hologram….check, everything looks great.
They are fake!
The guy picks up the ticket and says, “Wait, the paper stock is different, they are FAKE!” This is when traveling with an ex-marine comes in handy. Thom picks up the phone and tells Mark to grab the guy.
Mark calmly (ya right) tells the guy to give the money back if he would like to walk away. Personally I would have taken all his money, but Mark was happy to get his $3,500 back!
Big Bucks in Scalping Tickets
This is the most valuable lesson you will learn by reading this blog. There are BIG bucks in scalping tickets. There are professional outfits that print tickets so good it is almost impossible to tell they are phony.
If you buy tickets from a scalper, from Craigslist or any other non-certified broker, chances are very high the closest you will get to the big show is the front gate. From there you will be escorted from the property and out several thousands of dollars. It was then and there we decided we wouldn’t buy tickets from anyone off the street.
Next stop…Patriots’ headquarters!