Buying St. Louis Cardinals tickets can be difficult and expensive but having a plan and knowing where to look can save you a lot of time and money. Here are a few tried and true options to consider when looking to purchase your tickets.
No matter how high the perceived demand for a particular game checking with the Cardinal’s ticket office should always be the first place you look for tickets. Most games don’t sellout and even the most popular games tend to have single seats available up until game day. Even if you’re planning on shopping around on the web, you should always check to see what’s still available to get a baseline price and seating level in mind. If you’re in the area, you can also stop by the Busch Stadium ticket office. 8th street and Clark Street ticket windows are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm and on home game days from 9:00 am until two hours after game time. You can also buy tickets on the St. Louis Cardinals Official Website or at your local Schnuck’s grocery store.
2. First Pitch/KFNS 550 Tickets
If you aren’t too picky about where you sit or you’re just looking for cheap tickets, KFNS 550 First Pitch ticket vouchers are another good way to go. According to the St. Louis Cardinals website, “[e]very home game beginning at 9:00 am fans may go to the 8th Street ticket window and purchase a voucher for two tickets to that day’s game. Each voucher is $11.00. Fifteen minutes prior to game time, fans will enter Gate 5 with voucher and identification to receive two random tickets to that day’s game. Each game there is a total of 275 vouchers (550 tickets).” This is a great option if you are able to get out to Busch Stadium in the morning when the vouchers go on sale. For the more popular series, be prepared to get in line well before 9:00 am to have any chance at getting the vouchers. 3.Ticket Brokerage Websites
There are a number of websites that provide a marketplace for people buying and selling St. Louis Cardinals tickets. These sites include StubHub.com, RazorGator.com, and TicketsNow.com among others. StubHub.com is the official ticket marketplace of the Cardinals but they are all essentially the same thing. You’re probably not going to get the best deal on your tickets from any of these sites but they do provide the widest selection of seats and price levels. The other benefit to most of these sites is that they guarantee the authenticity of your tickets and that they will arrive in time for the game. Each site has slightly different policies and procedures so be sure you understand them before purchasing your tickets but in general these site offer a quick and hassle free way to buy those hard to get tickets (at a premium of course).
4. Ebay/Craigslist
Ebay and Craigslist are great ways to get the tickets you want at a lower price than the ticket brokerage websites. In my experience, these sites offer the best opportunity to buy Cardinals tickets at an affordable price. The key here is planning and patience. If you know well in advance that there is a specific game or series that you want, check both sites early and often. Determine what you are willing to pay, the type of seats you’re looking for, and then stick to your guns. This is important for Ebay and when negotiating ticket prices with sellers on Craigslist. Don’t fall into the trap of getting into a bidding war and end up paying more than you intended to, there will always be more listings. On Craigslist, do not limit your search to the St. Louis area. Depending on your situation and how badly you want the tickets, I’ve had success finding Cardinals tickets by searching postings in central and southern Illinois and even as far away as Chicago. While these sites may provide the best opportunity for getting a great deal, it is important to recognize that the opportunity does not come without risk. I’ve always had very good luck with tickets purchased from sellers on both Ebay and Craigslist but it is important to note that there is no guarantee with either of these sites that you will be getting authentic tickets. On Ebay, you can minimize risk by sticking to sellers with high user ratings and a history of positive feedback but on Craigslist it’s up to the buyer to communicate with the seller and ultimately decide if they are a trust worthy source.
If price is not necessarily an issue, buying your Cardinals tickets from a scalper outside the stadium is always an option. While buying tickets from a scalper was never illegal, in November 2007 the state of Missouri repealed its anti-scalping laws making it legal to buy and sell scalped tickets. According to the revised statute on the Missouri General Assembly’s website, effective November 28, 2007 “[n]o regulation or ordinance of any city, county, or other political subdivision shall prohibit the sale or resale of an admission ticket to any legal event at any price or prohibit the charging of any fee in connection with such sale or resale except that nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the enforcement of any regulation or ordinance relating to criminal activity, consumer fraud, false advertising, or other deceptive business practices.” The effect of this change in law was very apparent on the Cardinals’ opening day 2008. KSDK News Channel 5 in St. Louis reported that “[p]lenty of scalpers were out around Busch Stadium Monday selling tickets for $10 above face value to hundreds of dollars.” It’s not hard to find a ticket scalper outside of Busch Stadium but if you are feeling a little timid about approaching a scalper just walk north on S Broadway towards Walnut Street and you are sure to be asked by a number of people if you are interested in buying tickets. Buying your tickets from a scalper doesn’t always mean you can’t get a good deal; don’t be afraid to negotiate the sale price. Here too, patience will pay off. If you’re not in a huge hurry to get to the game, spend the first inning watching the game on the patio of the Hilton on Broadway and Walnut where the beer is cheaper than inside the stadium. Once the game starts the scalpers in the area are desperate to get rid of their remaining tickets and they tend to drop the prices dramatically.
Remember, there’s always a way to get Cardinals tickets if you know where to look and you’re willing to spend the money. I’ve had good experiences with each of these options and I’ve found that there are usually good deals to be found if you shop around. Go Cards!
Sources:
“First Pitch Tickets”, St. Louis Cardinals.
“Missouri Revised Statutes, Chapter 67, Political Subdivisions, Miscellaneous Powers, Section 67.306″, Missouri General Assembly.
“Ticket Scalping Legal for First Cardinals Opening Day”, KSDK NewsChannel 5.
