Masters Ticket Scalpers

[dmbolp]

27 minutes ago, fairways4life said:

Question for those who have attended in the last couple of years. I remember a few years ago there was a lot of chatter about Augusta starting to crack down on the second-hand market a little by requiring a photo ID that matched the name of the original owner or whatever. I haven't paid much attention to it lately as I haven't attempted to go since I last went in 2016. But I'm targeting 2023 to be my third trip there and was wondering about all these crackdown measures.

 

I haven't read all the way through this thread, but upon a quick glance it appears people are not having any issues. What's the latest on any of these crackdown efforts? Are there any new hoops to jump through? Did any of that name-matching stuff come to fruition? The previous times I went it was as simple as me handing the person cash, they handed me a ticket and I was off to the races. Is it still that simple? 

 

No ID or name-matching; have my WED tix for this year and no name on them to match.  But new since 2016 is they've eliminated the unlimited IN/OUT with a paper practice round ticket, and now you can only do IN/OUT/IN (and you have to scan the out).  Because of that I wouldn't pay someone in the parking lot or on the street cash for a practice round ticket; it could have already been maxed out

[fairways4life]

20 minutes ago, dmbolp said:

 

No ID or name-matching; have my WED tix for this year and no name on them to match.  But new since 2016 is they've eliminated the unlimited IN/OUT with a paper practice round ticket, and now you can only do IN/OUT/IN (and you have to scan the out).  Because of that I wouldn't pay someone in the parking lot or on the street cash for a practice round ticket; it could have already been maxed out

 

Gotcha. So what you mean by In/Out/In is that a practice round ticket can get inside the gates a maximum of twice in one day? 

 

The first time I went I bought my ticket the day before and the second time I bought it right before the gates opened, so the in/out thing wouldn't have factored in. 

 

I remember reading about some badge owners who had their badges revoked for scalping them (maybe it was just rumors) and it seemed like there was some buzz around names being associated with the bar code on the ticket and the person's ID would have to match the name tied to the barcode or whatever. This was probably like 2018? Sounds like it hasn't really materialized though from what I'm gathering. 

[dmbolp]

A ticket can be scanned in a first time, and then scanned out, and then scanned in a second time, and then the ticket is effectively useless at that point for any additional entry.  There’s a link in this thread to a letter from ANGC blacklisting a patron for scalping their tickets.  Someone probably bought them on the secondary market and turned them in.  Or, the patron posted photos of the tickets on eBay or Craigslist and got caught.  Last few years there are color coded boxes on the front of the tickets that are tied back to the original purchaser, as well as a barcode on the back that’s always been there

[dmbolp]

Monday down to $400

[aus10KC]

2 hours ago, fairways4life said:

 

This^

 

I am about 0-for-12 in the Masters ticket lottery, but I've been able to attend twice thanks to the second hand market (practice rounds in 2014 and 2016). 

 

Without scalpers, I wouldn't have been able to attend and create the experiences and the memories that I did. The second time I went I did so with my lifelong best friend, and he was able to bring his dad along who was in his 70s and had been a golf fan his whole life and had never set foot on the grounds before. I thought his dad was about to cry when we got to Amen Corner. Amazing day that I'll remember forever, and it was all possible because of the second-hand market. If the lottery was my only shot at a ticket, none of it would have been possible up to this point. 

 

That is absolutely providing something of value. It's providing opportunity. I'm grateful for the scalpers because they open up doors for those of us who have no luck in the lottery. Does it suck paying the second-hand prices? Sure. But at least the opportunity to get a ticket is there. You can choose to either pay or not pay. But without a second-hand market, the door is slammed shut on most of us. 

 

"Ideally Augusta would just price the tickets according to what they are worth." Why?  So the lottery can then be both hard to win AND expensive? At least the way it is now the tickets are pretty cheap if you do win the lottery. And like another poster said, increasing the face value would only increase the second-hand value even more. 

 

Question for those who have attended in the last couple of years. I remember a few years ago there was a lot of chatter about Augusta starting to crack down on the second-hand market a little by requiring a photo ID that matched the name of the original owner or whatever. I haven't paid much attention to it lately as I haven't attempted to go since I last went in 2016. But I'm targeting 2023 to be my third trip there and was wondering about all these crackdown measures.

 

I haven't read all the way through this thread, but upon a quick glance it appears people are not having any issues. What's the latest on any of these crackdown efforts? Are there any new hoops to jump through? Did any of that name-matching stuff come to fruition? The previous times I went it was as simple as me handing the person cash, they handed me a ticket and I was off to the races. Is it still that simple? 

 

If ANGC increased their price closer to market that would most likely decrease demand, how many people are willing to pay the $115 vs $500 for a day pass for example? One would think the demand would decrease as price increased thus increasing your changes of winning the lottery as less people would play. If your argument there is no limit on price that curb demand, I would disagree there. Also by ANGC pricing the tickets correctly, you're lowering margins on secondary sales thus lowering demand of secondary market trying to procure as many tickets as possible for resale. Only so many people are willing to pay $2500 a day for passes, more people would be willing to pay $500 a day, lots of people are willing to pay $100. There is an equilibrium to this for demand and price, or we have the lottery system which makes procuring tickets on the secondary market even more expensive because of higher demand at face value well below market, and huge margins for scalpers. 

 

I've used secondary to get tickets that were sold out as well. So I'm not completely against it especially when it's fan to fan, but I'm also think there could be more transparency and when venues price tickets well below what they are really worth it creates large margins for certain entities to try and get many tickets as possible for resale. That isn't creating value that is being opportunistic. 

 

 

 

[Greg Russell]

I got my UPS delivery today for Monday Practice through Stub Hub.. still waiting on Tuesdays ticket even though I bought it 10 days earlier..

[t4t3r]

Increasing cost to decrease demand may work on many things like material goods, but it won't work with something like Masters tickets. Scalpers will just charge more and now normal patrons who get access to their tickets through the lottery will have to pay elevated prices. Scalpers are always going to exist, but they shouldn't be the reason that everyone has to incur a huge price increase - if we want scalping to stop, then buyers need to not buy from scalpers. Part of the immense allure of the Masters is that it's accessible to almost anyone because prices are so low for everything.   If you enter the lottery every year along with a few friends and family, you WILL get practice or tournament round tickets eventually and probably more than once.

Edited March 23, 2022 by t4t3r

[Greg Russell]

5 minutes ago, t4t3r said:

Increasing cost to decrease demand may work on many things like material goods, but it won't work with something like Masters tickets. Scalpers will just charge more and now normal patrons who get access to their tickets through the lottery will have to pay elevated prices. Scalpers are always going to exist, but they shouldn't be the reason that everyone has to incur a huge price increase - if we want scalping to stop, then buyers need to not buy from scalpers. Part of the immense allure of the Masters is that it's accessible to almost anyone because prices are so low for everything.   If you enter the lottery every year along with a few friends and family, you WILL get practice or tournament round tickets eventually and probably more than once.

Your right. But im willing to pay the price for the chance to go while I can walk and enjoy. Who knows what will happen in 5 years when me, family member or friend hits the lottery. So for me, scalpers are a must.

[bladehunter]

6 minutes ago, t4t3r said:

Increasing cost to decrease demand may work on many things like material goods, but it won't work with something like Masters tickets. Scalpers will just charge more and now normal patrons who get access to their tickets through the lottery will have to pay elevated prices. Scalpers are always going to exist, but they shouldn't be the reason that everyone has to incur a huge price increase - if we want scalping to stop, then buyers need to not buy from scalpers. Part of the immense allure of the Masters is that it's accessible to almost anyone because prices are so low for everything.   If you enter the lottery every year along with a few friends and family, you WILL get practice or tournament round tickets eventually and probably more than once.

No want to argue with any of that except the last line.  I’m at 9 nos in a row now.  So is my wife and father in law.  I enter all there names every year.  

[fairways4life]

6 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

No want to argue with any of that except the last line.  I’m at 9 nos in a row now.  So is my wife and father in law.  I enter all there names every year.  

 

Lol yup. My 0-for-12(ish) is in addition to all my friends also being 0-for-lifetime. I don't know of a single person who has actually won it. The only time I hear of people winning it is on the internet. 

 

Once you win it, are you ineligible to win it again for any length of time? I would think there would be a more fair way to distribute them instead of one person winning multiple times while others are 0-for-20. Some sort of way to increase your odds each year that you don't win or something. 

 

Something I've long wondered ....... are your chances exactly the same if you select all the days on your lottery application versus selecting only one day? I always just check the box for every day, but never knew if that was hurting (or helping) my chances or not. 

[bladehunter]

1 minute ago, fairways4life said:

 

Lol yup. My 0-for-12(ish) is in addition to all my friends also being 0-for-lifetime. I don't know of a single person who has actually won it. The only time I hear of people winning it is on the internet. 

 

Once you win it, are you ineligible to win it again for any length of time? I would think there would be a more fair way to distribute them instead of one person winning multiple times while others are 0-for-20. Some sort of way to increase your odds each year that you don't win or something. 

 

Something I've long wondered ....... are your chances exactly the same if you select all the days on your lottery application versus selecting only one day? I always just check the box for every day, but never knew if that was hurting (or helping) my chances or not. 

Yep. I always check for everyday too.  
 

Personally think they choose based on location.  I’m pretty close by , so I’d bet anything that they X out a certain circle around the place.  Doesn’t help the town and surrounding economy to have those of us who can sleep in their own bed get in.  

[t4t3r]

13 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

No want to argue with any of that except the last line.  I’m at 9 nos in a row now.  So is my wife and father in law.  I enter all there names every year.  

 

3 minutes ago, fairways4life said:

 

Lol yup. My 0-for-12(ish) is in addition to all my friends also being 0-for-lifetime. I don't know of a single person who has actually won it. The only time I hear of people winning it is on the internet. 

 

Once you win it, are you ineligible to win it again for any length of time? I would think there would be a more fair way to distribute them instead of one person winning multiple times while others are 0-for-20. Some sort of way to increase your odds each year that you don't win or something. 

 

Something I've long wondered ....... are your chances exactly the same if you select all the days on your lottery application versus selecting only one day? I always just check the box for every day, but never knew if that was hurting (or helping) my chances or not. 

 

There are probably a bunch more people who would put some pie on my face with their 0/50 streaks. Sometimes it's good to know there are people less lucky than me. 😄 About half of my circle of a dozen or so people have gotten through the lottery myself included. It will happen.

 

I've never seen any confirmed information that winning changes your chances for subsequent years. The number of tickets is an interesting one though - I've always selected the max and would think the majority of entries do the same. 

[Ghost of Snead]

8 minutes ago, t4t3r said:

 

 

There are probably a bunch more people who would put some pie on my face with their 0/50 streaks. Sometimes it's good to know there are people less lucky than me. 😄 About half of my circle of a dozen or so people have gotten through the lottery myself included. It will happen.

 

I've never seen any confirmed information that winning changes your chances for subsequent years. The number of tickets is an interesting one though - I've always selected the max and would think the majority of entries do the same. 

 

The 0-for streaks are probably because the number of lottery entries has grown exponentially over the past 20 years so your odds lessen every year. 

 

[t4t3r]

5 minutes ago, Ghost of Snead said:

 

The 0-for streaks are probably because the number of lottery entries has grown exponentially over the past 20 years so your odds lessen every year. 

 

 

100%. All of the tickets in my group were won over the past 5-7 years and as recent as 2019, but I agree that lottery entries have probably increased dramatically.

[dmbolp]

I'm 8-for-16

 

I don't max out my request....

[fairways4life]

45 minutes ago, dmbolp said:

I'm 8-for-16

 

I don't max out my request....

 

Are you seriously 8-for-16?? 

 

And when you say you don't max it out, do you mean in terms of the number of tickets? Or the days selected? (or both?)

 

Bladehunter -- I live about 5 hours away. So not super close, but close enough that the first year I went I drove down that morning (left at like 4am) and then drove home that night (got home at like midnight). Interesting that you mention the proximity thing. I hadn't ever considered that before. Now I'm curious if there could be something to that. 

[dmbolp]

I put in for 4 MON and 2 SUN; that's it.  But someone here once said it's really my Atlanta zip code, and once you get picked you're more likely to keep getting picked.

[jeffc]

I was about 0 for 10 and finally won them for 2022 so just going now. I have had friends that won them in the first few years.

 

And I hear ya on going while you can. If COVID has taught us nothing, we should be living life now. My dad was going to join me (was 78, now 80), but with COVID (and to a lesser degree walking the course) he chose not to take the travel risk.

[bladehunter]

1 hour ago, dmbolp said:

I'm 8-for-16

 

I don't max out my request....

Meaning you pick a specific day for 1 ticket ? 

[bladehunter]

1 hour ago, fairways4life said:

 

Are you seriously 8-for-16?? 

 

And when you say you don't max it out, do you mean in terms of the number of tickets? Or the days selected? (or both?)

 

Bladehunter -- I live about 5 hours away. So not super close, but close enough that the first year I went I drove down that morning (left at like 4am) and then drove home that night (got home at like midnight). Interesting that you mention the proximity thing. I hadn't ever considered that before. Now I'm curious if there could be something to that. 

I’d say youre close enough to be inside my ring of SOL.  …… lol.  I’m right at 2 hours by maps doing the speed limit.   Can do it in 1 :40 and some change easily.  Went to a farm equipment auction couple years ago where we had to basically drive by the entrance to get to the place.  Bought several things so we made a couple trips. I did it twice in less than 2 hours pulling a gooseneck trailer. 

[milesgiles]

6 hours ago, t4t3r said:

Increasing cost to decrease demand may work on many things like material goods, but it won't work with something like Masters tickets. Scalpers will just charge more and now normal patrons who get access to their tickets through the lottery will have to pay elevated prices. Scalpers are always going to exist, but they shouldn't be the reason that everyone has to incur a huge price increase - if we want scalping to stop, then buyers need to not buy from scalpers. Part of the immense allure of the Masters is that it's accessible to almost anyone because prices are so low for everything.   If you enter the lottery every year along with a few friends and family, you WILL get practice or tournament round tickets eventually and probably more than once.

 

thats really not right. The face value has nothing at all to do with the secondary market price. If the resale price is 1k, it doesnt matter if the face value was 100 or 500. 1k is the market price.

 

There is an argument to put up face value to deter scalpers entering the lottery at all though

[t4t3r]

3 minutes ago, milesgiles said:

 

thats really not right. The face value has nothing at all to do with the secondary market price. If the resale price is 1k, it doesnt matter if the face value was 100 or 500. 1k is the market price.

 

There is an argument to put up face value to deter scalpers entering the lottery at all though

 

I understand the argument and I simply disagree with it for this particular "good." It's just going to make scalpers increase the market price proportionately.  The price for this event is intended to make it accessible to anyone. You really think changing face value to $500 is going to make the scalpers keep the same margins? The only thing that will get rid of scalpers is for people not to buy from them which won't end any time soon.

[Vespar]

7 hours ago, bladehunter said:

No want to argue with any of that except the last line.  I’m at 9 nos in a row now.  So is my wife and father in law.  I enter all there names every year.  

You are probably now on the list of "no tickets" it specifically states one address, I am assuming your &  wife lives at the same address. You and your wife are probably in a dump list. 9years of nos? I have been doing it for 25-30, I lost track but have never been chosen. 

 

[milesgiles]

23 minutes ago, t4t3r said:

 

I understand the argument and I simply disagree with it for this particular "good." It's just going to make scalpers increase the market price proportionately.  The price for this event is intended to make it accessible to anyone. You really think changing face value to $500 is going to make the scalpers keep the same margins? The only thing that will get rid of scalpers is for people not to buy from them which won't end any time soon.

 

so you think a scalper will charge 1400 instead of 1000 so he can keep the same margin?

 

lol no, they will charge as much as the market will bear under any circumstances, and that has zip to do with the face value

[bladehunter]

1 minute ago, Vespar said:

You are probably now on the list of "no tickets" it specifically states one address, I am assuming your &  wife lives at the same address. You and your wife are probably in a dump list. 9years of nos? I have been doing it for 25-30, I lost track but have never been chosen. 

 

Actually use mine and father in laws.  Maybe so. Didn’t realize that. Would have assumed that multiple people form one house could apply.  Say two brothers who still live at home and want to both go.  Maybe they apply individually without either knowing? .  You’re saying  they both get flagged for life ?  Lol.    Whatever I guess.  Seems stupid to me.  

[dmbolp]

	MON		TUE		WED
	#	Low	#	Low	#	Low	Total #
3/18 Noon	273	30 @ 575-700	312	53 @ 785-900	297	36 @ 1,000-1,400	882
3/19 8AM	277	32 @ 675-700	351	35 @ 750-800	341	42 @ 1,100-1,300	969
3/19 1PM	293	49 @ 644-700	367	41 @ 700-800	342	31 @ 1,100-1,200	1002
3/20 8AM	310	34 @ 550-650	378	39 @ 675-750	349	38 @ 994-1,200	1037
3/20 1PM	314	27 @ 525-600	355	23 @ 620-700	364	21 @ 942-1,100	1033
3/21 8AM	290	41 @ 500-600	350	40 @ 689-750	407	34 @ 900-1,000	1047
3/21 1PM	294	31 @ 595-600	341	27 @ 690-750	379	12 @ 990-1,000	1014
3/21 6PM	300	44 @ 550-600	363	44 @ 685-750	385	15 @ 950-1,000	1048
3/22 8AM	323	48 @ 550-600	360	31 @ 669-700	379	18 @ 1,000-1,100	1062
3/22 9PM	318	43 @ 550-600	356	21 @ 674-700	377	14 @ 950-1,000	1051
3/23 9PM	280	44 @ 550-600	362	18 @ 650-700	392	14 @ 900-950	1034

[Body_Visions]

7 hours ago, bladehunter said:

No want to argue with any of that except the last line.  I’m at 9 nos in a row now.  So is my wife and father in law.  I enter all there names every year.  

 

Better hope the wrong person doesn’t see that, or you are out.😳

 

 

7 hours ago, bladehunter said:

Yep. I always check for everyday too.  
 

Personally think they choose based on location.  I’m pretty close by , so I’d bet anything that they X out a certain circle around the place.  Doesn’t help the town and surrounding economy to have those of us who can sleep in their own bed get in.  

 

The persistent rumor used to be they wanted to keep the tickets as close as possible to encourage people to drive there because they hated the way the city gouged the patrons for hotels etc.  That could have changed, I guess.  

[bladehunter]

12 minutes ago, Body_Visions said:

 

Better hope the wrong person doesn’t see that, or you are out.😳

 

 

 

The persistent rumor used to be they wanted to keep the tickets as close as possible to encourage people to drive there because they hated the way the city gouged the patrons for hotels etc.  That could have changed, I guess.  

I’m out anyway. No worries.  

[dmbolp]

Very little change in pricing this morning

[StudentGolfer4]

Any chance that Masters tickets are actually a Veblen Good, and that prices increase as demand increases? This is most commonly found in luxury goods such as jewelry and designer items, but this thread has made me wonder if Masters, Super Bowl, Hamilton, or whatever other big expensive exclusive event that comes once a year would also qualify. 
 

On a different note, won practice round tickets through the lottery this year. Will happily pay the $75 but for me anything over $250 I would have passed on.