Should you buy Baseball Season Tickets?
Pros and Cons of a Major League Investment
For a true baseball fan living near a major league team, it can be a tremendous status symbol to be able to say that they are a season ticket holder for their favorite team. With that symbol comes a significant cost.
This article will look at the positives and negatives of buying a full season pass in an attempt to answer the question: Is buying baseball season tickets a good idea?
Positives of Buying Season Tickets
The primary purpose of buying a season ticket is to have a guaranteed seat to every game, or at least a large number of games. The major league season consists of 81 home games, and though ticket packages vary by team, most teams have full season and partial season plans. Partial season plans can range from 10 to 40 games.
Season tickets plans will usually include an opportunity to purchase tickets for playoff games before the general public. The seats for the playoffs may be the same as for the regular season, or different for partial season plans or for special sections.
With season tickets, the buyer may have the option to purchase related items, such as parking, suites or club dining. There may be special invites to team related events, such as camera day, or an opportunity to meet the players for season ticket purchasers only. The fan can also receive discounts on team merchandise or books.
If the holder cannot attend a game, the tickets can be given away for promotional purposes, or resold, although not every city allows for resale legally. Illegal sales of tickets, or “scalping”, carries greater risk than sanctioned ticket sales either through the team or ticket brokers. Unused tickets can often be traded in for tickets to select future games, or donated to charity.
Fans can jointly buy tickets with others, sharing the cost. There are sometimes price discounts for season ticket holders compared to single game tickets, and some games are priced at premium rates to non-season ticket buyers.
Negatives of Buying Season Tickets
Cost is a major factor in purchasing season tickets. Payment is required for the entire package before the season. The team has the use of the money for several months, and prices for season packages can run well into the thousands of dollars.
Only the most dedicated fan will be able to attend 81 games, or even 40. Games played at undesirable times, or in inclement weather will not be as entertaining for the buyer, and will limit resale opportunities.
The buyer must make a decision on the number of season seats they want to purchase before the season. If a couple chooses to purchase two seats, they will likely not be able to purchase additional adjacent seats if they want others to attend the game with them.
If they choose to purchase four for those times, they will need to account for those extra seats for other games. If they chose to resell them, they need to be careful, as they may not like their new neighbors.
Summary
Each potential buyer will have to make his or her own choice regarding season tickets. Is it worth the cost and inconvenience to impress friends and business associates? For a big fan, the many positives of being a loyal supporter to a favorite team can outweigh the substantial investment and trouble. Play ball!
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