5 tips for scoring tickets to the area’s best events

Ticket Crusader

SPONSORED — You’ve been there before. It’s late at night, you’re scrolling through Instagram and suddenly, you’re hit with some serious, serious jealousy. Your friends are out enjoying the concert of the year — a concert you didn’t even know was happening. If you’ve got a case of the FOMOs (fear of missing out), you’ll have to put a little effort into making sure you score tickets to the year’s hottest events. Here’s how you can do just that.

Know what’s coming

It’s easy — and almost guaranteed — to miss out on amazing events if you never know they’re happening in the first place. If you hope to score the best seats to the hottest concerts, sports events or even conventions, you’ve got to keep your eye on the calendar — or find someone (or something) to do it for you. The thing is, when a great event is coming up, you’ll need to know more than the date it goes down. You’ll want the scoop on ticket sales and presales as well. Check out Ticket Crusader to get all the information you need on upcoming events in the Seattle area. By checking the site regularly, you’ll have no reason to fear missing out.

Get exclusive access

Sure, you know the event of the year is coming up, but can you get tickets before it sells out? Many events feature exclusive ticket presales, and if you’re not in the know, the best seats could sell out before you have a shot at scoring a pair. Many credit card companies, including American Express, Chase, Capital One and Citi provide their members with exclusive access to event tickets before they go on sale to the public. If you have a credit card from any of the aforementioned companies, check out Ticket Crusader for unique access codes and presale dates for specific concerts and events.

Wait for it

So you missed out on tickets the day they went on sale. Now you have to buy on the secondary market and a pair is three times their face value. Don’t freak out and spend this month’s rent on nosebleed tickets to Justin Timberlake. According to Ticket Crusader, when you’ve missed the initial ticket offering, wait until the day of the show to nail down your seats. On the day of the event, ticket holders who can’t make the show start to panic. Rather than losing out entirely, they’ll be much more willing to let the tickets go for a lower price. You may still pay more than face value, but hey, now you can still afford a drink or two at the show.

…or go VIP

Your favorite performer doesn’t come to town every day (or every year, for that matter). When you’re holding out for a bucket list event, consider treating yourself to a VIP experience. Check out VIP packages available for local events, which include not only tickets but all the bells and whistles to make the experience one you’ll remember for a lifetime as well. Sure, you can catch Taylor Swift while she’s in town, but wouldn’t you rather see her from an all-exclusive seating area and score some limited-edition swag at the same time? Check Ticket Crusader for exclusive VIP information for the area’s best events.

Profit from your mistakes

You bought tickets, then realized Grandma’s 80th birthday party was the same night as the big game. Think you’re out of luck? Well, you might be playing bingo instead of tailgating, but you might be doing it with some extra dough in your pocket. For great events, you may be able to sell your tickets on the secondary market for more than you paid. Yep, that means you can pick grandma up something special on the way.