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The Top 20 Concert Tours - October 2011

2011-10-31T08:08:00.002-06:00

The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America.

The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS

1. (1) Kenny Chesney; $2,059,446; $74.62.

2. (2) Taylor Swift; $1,723,022; $73.61.

3. (3) Sade; $1,239,763; $94.97.

4. (4) Britney Spears; $861,028; $80.29.

5. (New) Enrique Iglesias; $803,654; $67.98.

6. (5) Brad Paisley; $668,053; $37.77.

7. (6) Journey; $638,374; $50.68.

8. (8) Foo Fighters; $635,506; $49.06.

9. (7) Rascal Flatts; $585,110; $36.27.

10. (9) Jason Aldean; $508,581; $33.97.

11. (10) Tim McGraw; $505,186; $37.53.

12. (13) "American Idols Live"; $494,142; $54.49.

13. (11) Katy Perry; $493,777; $42.52.

14. (12) Keith Urban; $488,813; $54.80.

15. (16) Def Leppard / Heart; $456,045; $51.83.

16. (15) Motley Crue; $450,321; $56.51.

17. (14) Train / Maroon 5; $449,701; $41.99.

18. (17) Steely Dan; $398,747; $66.67.

19. (18) 311 / Sublime With Rome; $288,266; $32.53.

20. (19) Bob Dylan; $248,797; $55.25.

The Top 20 Concert Tours - September 2011

2011-09-14T11:19:00.003-05:00

By The Associated Press The Associated Press – Thu Sep 8, 8:43 pm ET
The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS

1. (1) U2; $6,655,278; $94.32.

2. (2) Taylor Swift; $2,107,388; $73.50.

3. (3) Kenny Chesney; $2,095,277; $75.19.

4. (4) "Glee Live! In Concert!"; $1,457,416; $81.61.

5. (5) Sade; $1,338,550; $100.33.

6. (6) Phish; $1,035,786; $52.23.

7. (7) New Kids On The Block / Backstreet Boys; $842,387; $73.53.

8. (9) Rush; $688,049; $72.51.

9. (10) Rascal Flatts; $662,125; $35.20.

10. (11) Michael Buble; $566,789; $76.04.

11. (12) Motley Crue; $506,027; $55.89.

12. (13) "American Idols Live"; $495,297; $54.29.

13. (14) Katy Perry; $493,909; $42.37.

14. (15) Josh Groban; $433,929; $79.05.

15. (16) Keith Urban; $432,768; $53.03.

16. (17) Sugarland; $390,620; $51.77.

17. (18) Luis Miguel; $339,916; $89.97.

18. (19) 311 / Sublime With Rome; $289,533; $29.21.

19. (20) Chelsea Handler; $272,990; $70.10.

20. (21) Rain — A Tribute To The Beatles; $231,265; $63.43.

The eBay Blacklist

2011-01-30T11:27:00.001-06:00

The eBay business can be most likened to an online flea market. But, as with most flea markets, there is always the possibility that questionable hawkers lurk around the corners. Therefore, there must be rules in place to insure that the auctions and transactions formed through eBay are safe and legal. Only then can a market – online or not – flourish.

Certain types of items are prohibited or regulated on eBay. eBay reserves the right to terminate auctions that violate its specifications for allowed items on listings. In the case of a violation, eBay emails the bidder and the seller to notify them of the violation and to explain the need to terminate the auction.

There are many eBay guidelines in-place that describe items that may not be posted for auction. They fall under three main categories: Prohibited, Questionable and Potentially Infringing.

Prohibited

This describes items that are not permitted on eBay. This list includes alcohol, tobacco, drugs, animals, human parts or remains, government properties, lottery tickets, and others. eBay contains a complete list of such in their policy statement.

Questionable

Items listed as questionable can be posted provided they follow certain conditions. For example, some adult material may be listed for auctioning only if they are posted in the Mature Audiences section of eBay. Event tickets may be sold provided that the auction closes before the actual event itself. The list also includes batteries, artifacts, food, used items, event tickets, weapons and knives, police related equipment, Freon, hazardous chemicals, offensive material, mature audiences material, international selling, and international buying among others.

Potentially Infringing

Items listed under this heading may be legal. However, they almost always violate copyright, trademark, and other rights. Some examples of Potentially Infringing items are: academic software, beta software, bootleg recordings, contracts and tickets, downloadable media, movie prints, OEM software, Replica and counterfeit items, and unauthorized copies.

The eBay list of problem items is updated periodically and is incorporated into the User Agreement of eBay. These guidelines do not represent legal advice. It would do well to check with law enforcement agencies, a lawyer, or other legal outlets to verify the legality of a questionable item to be posted.

This policy applies even if you offer to give your item away for free. As long as it is posted on eBay, it is subject to the above policy.

As a final note, it is stressed that a eBay buyer is subject to liability if he or she purchases an illegal item. It is still the responsibility of the buyers and sellers to monitor the legality of their transactions since eBay is merely a facilitator in the market process.

Your Guide to Online Ticket Brokers

2011-01-30T11:23:00.001-06:00

Back in the day (which is not all that long ago when you step outside cyber-time), if you wanted a ticket to a sporting event, or a concert, movie, or air plane trip, you had to think about a long wait in a line, getting in the car to drive somewhere to pick up the tickets, and confronting any number of various frustrations.

Today, the story is a little different, and in many ways, a great improvement. With the Internet has come the ability to easily and quickly find and buy almost anything you want, from a new book on Amazon to your own small town on eBay. The same is true for tickets. You will find numerous online ticket brokers on the web very easily.

The benefit that the Internet has brought to the ticket procurement process is a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is easier to sit in the comfort of your home and source tickets. The Internet has also helped to keep the prices of tickets down. On the other hand, the Internet has also created a surplus of ticket brokers with online outlets, and so locating the best source for the tickets can be daunting. In fact, it is reported that the largest sellers of online tickets are small eBay operations.

There is also the issue of fraud. Online ticket sales are not the only web-enabled fraud magnets but there have been numerous cases of people being sold tickets via these smaller operations that turn out to be fakes. So the first thing to keep in mind when you go online for your ticket is that you want to validate the legitimacy of the seller. A legitimate online ticket reseller will offer a guarantee on the tickets they sell.

When going online to buy tickets, check around for various sources. The fees associated with these tickets can vary significantly, and you can save as much as 10-20% just by finding a seller who will not take you to the cleaners with the fees.

Also, ensure that the payment method is secure. This seems like basic blocking-and-tackling, but it’s important to check for when going to buy tickets online. The requirement to become an online ticket broker is pretty low, and some brokers opt to cut costs by leaving their credit card processing unsecured.

Make sure you know what the broker’s policy is regarding tickets that are not delivered to you on time for the event. Not all brokers will refund in this situation, which is surprising, but true. Also, understand what will happen if the event is canceled. Again, brokers will have different policies. On one of the end spectrum you have brokers who will offer full refunds (including fees), and on the other hand, you have brokers who will tell you that you keep all the risk when you by the ticket. Sometimes, this might be a fair trade-off for less expensive tickets, but irrespective, it pays to find out ahead of time.

The Top 20 Concert Tours - October 2010

2010-11-09T14:21:00.000-06:00

By The Associated Press The Associated Press – Thu Oct 21, 8:43 pm ET
The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS

1. (1) Paul McCartney; $3,434,998; $145.72.

2. (2) Dave Matthews Band; $1,494,507; $58.57.

3. (5) Walking With Dinosaurs; $1,285,325; $45.41.

4. (4) Phish; $1,228,998; $50.01.

5. (7) The Black Eyed Peas; $1,155,868; $66.35.

6. (3) James Taylor / Carole King; $1,101,288; $72.46.

7. (8) Michael Buble; $1,094,514; $85.76.

8. (6) Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers; $1,056,601; $66.83.

9. (9) Rush; $759,731; $72.91.

10. (10) Toby Keith; $676,814; $36.10.

11. (12) Iron Maiden; $670,513; $57.77.

12. (11) Jack Johnson; $653,252; $40.75.

13. (13) Tim McGraw; $629,908; $41.94.

14. (15) Tool; $627,640; $57.88.

15. (14) Rascal Flatts; $599,219; $42.40.

16. (16) Brad Paisley;; $591,676; $40.63.

17. (17) Justin Bieber; $571,601; $46.76.

18. (18) Furthur; $440,833; $45.86.

19. (New) Carrie Underwood; $409,002; $47.99.

20. (19) Vans Warped Tour; $380,529; $31.70.

Mobile Ticketing Applications - The Future in Sports and Concert Tickets

2010-09-26T10:25:00.007-05:00

E-Commerce is becoming the standard for purchasing since 1995 when eBay and Amazon came on the scene. Since then most consumers have become very comfortable with purchasing products online. Internet sales are projected to be close to $180 billion in 2010.

With this shift from conventional sales to e-Commerce the ticketing industry is also in a transition. In the past if you wanted to attend a concert or see your team in the playoffs in order to get the best seats you had to camp out in front of the venue or stadium a day or two before they went on sale.

Now, with the internet that is no longer the case. Today you go online and purchase your tickets. However, with the introduction of mobile devices such as Google's Android and Apple's iPad and iPhone, Mobile Ticketing is becoming the standard whereby fans can purchase, pay for and download tickets for sporting events, theatre and concerts.

Mobile Ticketing is a new technology that allows consumers to purchase their tickets to events using their cell phone application and have them delivered and stored until used at the concert or sporting event. This can even work for train, bus and plane tickets along with purchasing items from a vending machine.

The way this works is that your phone receives a special barcode that is scanned at the event. This will only work on phones that are Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) or Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) equipped. To be sure your phone is enabled if it is a camera phone or has web browsing capabilities then it meets this criteria.

But do not despair if your phone is not one of those. If you have SMS (Short Messaging Service) you can still receive a text message with an alphanumeric receipt for your purchase. However, this technology is going out of favor because of the security issues.

Here's How To Purchase And Use the Tickets:

1. Open the iPhone or Android App on your phone.

2. Browse for the event you want to attend. Usually on the home page of the app there are icons for Concerts, Sporting Events and Theatre.

3. Buy your tickets and choose the Mobile Ticketing as your delivery option. You can also have them delivered by other conventional means but this negates the convenience of storing the tickets on your phone.

4. Enter your Mobile Carrier, Cell Phone Number and if asked the Cell Phone Model.

5. After completing the order you will receive a receipt message with the special barcode image. If your phone can only accept text messaging then you will receive an alphanumeric code that is manually entered at the event. For some venues this may require entry through a special entrance.

6. Keep the message and do not delete it as this is your ticket. The good news is that if you do not have it at the time of entry the original ticket barcode can be cancelled and reissued in a matter of minutes, but this is a delay and negates the convenience of this technology.

7. When you get to the entrance at the event have the barcode ready to be scanned. Most venues now have the scanning capabilities in place already as they scan the barcodes on paper tickets and "Print-At-Home" tickets currently.

This new technology will make the purchase and use of event tickets a much more enjoyable process. It will make it easier and less costly for all involved and well as well as help the environment with the elimination of Paper Tickets.

EZ-Ticket's Mobile Ticketing platform is a user-friendly application, in which the customers can buy a ticket online via either through the Web or directly from their mobile phone.

The EZ-Ticket Mobile Ticketing Application is EZ-Ticket's answer to the growing consumer demand for purchasing tickets from their mobile device whether Apple's iPhone, iPad or Google's Android.

Juniper Research, the specialist in identifying and appraising high growth opportunities in mobile telecommunications, content and applications sectors, conducted a study of the mobile commerce market. They have forecast mobile ticketing transactions to exceed $100 billion as soon as 2012, which could be a little more than double the market in 2010.

The Top 20 Concert Tours - September 2010

2010-09-20T07:50:00.001-05:00

By The Associated Press The Associated Press – Wed Sep 15, 8:11 pm ET
The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS

1. (1) Paul McCartney; $4,474,865; $137.28.

2. (2) Eagles; $1,773,932; $104.84.

3. (4) Dave Matthews Band; $1,331,423; $53.75.

4. (3) James Taylor / Carole King; $1,302,143; $80.79.

5. (5) Phish; $1,207,644; $49.82.

6. (6) Michael Buble; $1,094,514; $85.76.

7. (7) Walking With Dinosaurs; $1,088,162; $42.95.

8. (8) Nickelback; $891,460; $60.73.

9. (9) Maxwell / Jill Scott; $680,358; $85.29.

10. (10) Jack Johnson; $663,040; $40.51.

11. (11) Brad Paisley; $638,405; $39.33.

12. (12) Iron Maiden; $636,588; $53.38.

13. (13) Tool; $621,028; $57.86.

14. (14) Tim McGraw; $608,033; $44.23.

15. (15) Brooks & Dunn; $567,627; $41.73.

16. (17) Justin Bieber; $562,286; $46.23.

17. (16) Chayanne; $545,653; $71.46.

18. (18) Star Wars: In Concert; $402,953; $49.70.

19. (20) Neil Young; $360,477; $126.00.

20. (21) Carrie Underwood; $360,178; $48.46.

The Top 20 Concert Tours

2010-02-04T23:41:00.001-06:00

By The Associated Press - February 4, 2010, 8:44AM

The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS

1. (1) Metallica; $1,369,182; $69.70.

2. (2) Miley Cyrus; $1,113,391; $68.89.

3. (3) AC/DC; $942,001; $72.55.

4. (4) Aventura; $767,582; $77.13.

5. (5) Trans-Siberian Orchestra; $642,942; $44.53.

6. (6) KISS; $590,007; $59.89.

7. (8) Dane Cook; $534,309; $62.22.

8. (New) Lady Gaga; $464,404; $47.75.

9. (9) Star Wars: In Concert; $463,024; $56.09.

10. (10) Robin Williams; $457,731; $90.98.

11. (11) Leonard Cohen; $383,296; $100.24.

12. (12) Jeff Dunham; $367,407; $46.13.

13. (14) So You Think You Can Dance; $253,500; $51.86.

14. (15) Tiesto; $206,613; $55.67.

15. (16) Rob Thomas; $179,670; $52.62.

16. (17) Daughtry; $168,834; $39.01.

17. (18) Mannheim Steamroller; $143,365; $55.97.

18. (19) Jason Aldean; $140,120; $27.84.

19. (New) Brian Setzer Orchestra; $115,370; $53.80.

20. (20) Zac Brown Band; $113,378; $30.35.

Customer Service - Cancelling Online Orders

2010-01-20T20:56:00.001-06:00

When a customer makes a purchase online and they cannot see the merchandise, mistakes can be made and disagreements can arise between the vendor and customer. The problem with canceling an order and making a refund is that many times the vendor did not have the inventory in stock. He was required to purchase it from a wholesaler and have the item drop shipped to the end customer. Cancellation and refund policies should be in place for all to see.

Most online ticket brokers have a clearly stated cancellation policy and must be acknowledged before making a purchase by the customer. Many brokers still receive complaints and chargebacks because of the customer’s failure to read and abide by these policies. Our stated policy which is posted as follows:

"CANCELLATIONS: ALL SALES ARE FINAL. There are no refunds or cancellations of orders. Upon request we will attempt to place your order on an A Try to Sell Basis. If we are unable to fill your ticket order as specified, we will exercise the following procedure: 1) Comparable tickets will be provided 2) Tickets will be upgraded 3) Tickets will be downgraded with a partial refund 4) Ticket order may be canceled with a full refund. For all cancelled events, clients will receive a full refund in the form of a store credit (except for an act of God, strike, act of war, terrorist act, lockout, or any postponements). "

With the acknowledgement of your stated policy by the customer before checkout the vendor has met the criteria to prevent chargeback. However, the end result is with the credit card company. Regardless of what you have in place the credit card company can and many times does go in favor of the consumer. This is because the credit card company will want to make their customers happy and by making the chargeback to the vendor they will receive their money and not have any financial liability. The final outcome will rest with which party is most convincing and persistent with their claims.

The problem is that most online brokers do not own the tickets they sell themselves and therefore must purchase the tickets from other brokers or wholesalers. This creates the largest cost to them and if they refund the purchase price to the consumer they may be stuck with the tickets that cannot be resold. Usually the retailer's profit consists of a portion of the service charge.

If confronted with a mistake like this by the customer try to work out a reasonable solution. However, it is best to tell the customer that you cannot cancel the order but can and will try to sell the tickets or merchandise on a consignment basis for them. Make no guarantee the tickets or other merchandise will be sold. Another alternative is to be willing to buy the tickets or goods but this is usually at wholesale and most times is 20-30% below the base cost. If the retail broker had wanted these tickets or other merchandise in their inventory to begin with he would have been the original purchaser.

The final decision as to what to do is in the hands of the business owner. Is a happy customer with no assurance of repeat business more important than your current sale. However, if this is a long standing good customer that needs your help in rectifying a problem the choice is simple.

Your Guide to Online Ticket Brokers

2009-12-16T11:06:00.002-06:00

The Top 20 Concert Tours

2009-09-10T13:13:00.002-05:00

By The Associated Press - Thu Sep 3, 10:53 PM

The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

TOP 20 CONCERT TOURS

1. (2) Kenny Chesney; $1,621,691; $68.75.

2. (New) Phish; $1,397,298; $48.25.

3. (3) Dave Matthews Band; $1,337,256; $47.91.

4. (4) Jonas Brothers; $1,293,737; $60.86.

5. (5) Beyonce; $1,108,997; $94.15.

6. (6) Coldplay; $1,090,279; $61.57.

7. (7) Fleetwood Mac; $927,539; $96.88.

8. (8) Rascal Flatts; $920,735; $48.58.

9. (10) Nickelback; $742,048; $39.59.

10. (12) Dane Cook; $692,473; $60.61.

11. (9) No Doubt; $687,530; $45.38.

12. (11) Keith Urban; $665,514; $62.53.

13. (13) Def Leppard; $659,118; $45.28.

14. (New) Blink-182; $638,451; $38.38.

15. (14) American Idols Live; $632,293; $62.20.

16. (New) Lil' Wayne; $597,740; $42.52.

17. (15) Brad Paisley; $586,101; $34.83.

18. (17) Kid Rock/Lynyrd Skynyrd; $568,745; $34.04.

19. (20) Il Divo; $478,274; $80.35.

20. (19) Bob Dylan; $472,927; $63.39.

Isn't Ticket Scalping Illegal?

2008-12-31T19:49:00.009-06:00

Is Ticket Scalping illegal? There are two sides to this question. First, is that the individual or business that buys the tickets in advance is taking the risk that there will be enough interest in the tickets to make a profit later. This is simply disambiguation or the supply and demand model, which regulates all commerce in the Free World. Secondly, other people state that the only reason the events are sold out in the first place is because the ticket brokers bought up all the tickets when they went on sale making it sold out and ticket brokers shouldn’t be allowed to do this.

Well, to the second point they are not. There is usually a limit on the number of tickets that can be purchased from a given address, person, email address or credit card. Also, many of the presales require a Fan Club membership to purchase tickets in advance with added costs and limits also.

The first point of supply and demand like any other speculative endeavor has its prices. The Ticket Brokering business has a tremendous number of applications with eBay being the most used in that at any given time there are approximately 65,000 plus sales for tickets listed. Most of these are listings in which people are either trying to unload their tickets for events that they cannot attend but more often someone has purchased the tickets and wishes to resell them at a profit.

There is no assurance that number one the tickets that are listed on eBay will sell at all and number two that the expected sales price can be obtained, The downside of using eBay is that if the tickets don’t sell the seller still generates expenses in the form of listing fees.

However, eBay is a great venue for new brokers to use to sell tickets who don’t have a customer base, have no website and thus no exposure or simply want to test if this business model can work for them. The key to success as in any retail or wholesale business is to buy low and sell high.

But how low is low enough and how high is too high?

One can purchase tickets from different sources, Ticketmaster, Craigslist or even eBay itself in advance of the event and then turn around and list your tickets back on eBay. This can be profitable but is very risky, particularly if one is not experienced in the buying and selling process.

Just today, tickets went on sale on Ticketmaster for Miami Dolphins Playoff Home Game 1. The only tickets available with fees cost $90.25 each. These in Section 418 Row 29 which is almost at the top of Dolphins Stadium. Comparable tickets are selling on eBay for about $40-$50. So this is not a viable means to acquire those tickets. It would be much more advantageous to buy those on eBay to begin with.

Thus, one can purchase tickets for below face value on eBay and speculate that as the event gets closer they will appreciate in value and one be able to sell at a premium to the original purchase price. As was mentioned, there is no guarantee that this will occur. As with any business that depends on a physical inventory, the key is to buy the product wholesale and sell later for more. This is true whether it is jewelry, clothing, home improvement products or event tickets. The problem with the ticket business is that the inventory is time sensitive. The products will expire after the event and then be worthless.

The ticket brokering business is not extremely difficult but it is a tricky business to be able to be profitable at. Things maybe going great one day, profits rolling in, all of your inventory being turned and your customers happy. Then the next day can be wrought with all kinds of troubles. “Customers” giving you bogus credit cards over the internet, events being undersold and your tickets not selling at all, Express Mail not being delivered on time before that “Big Game”. Bye the way, guaranteed deliver by 3:00 PM only guarantees against the postage paid and the $500 automatic insurance is not automatic. I’m not a FedEx stockholder but I definitely believe in them now.

Nevertheless, the ticket brokering business if approached systematically can be very rewarding, both mentally and financially. Treating your customers right is a good first step. Get them the tickets they want at a reasonable price. Don’t buy General Admission tickets, they’ll probably be available at the door and watch the venues you’re considering. The resell market is a lot better for The Eagles and Britney Spears in Dallas and NYC than for Ryan Cabrera or Mudvayne in Corpus Christi, Texas or Des Moines, Iowa. Sorry, Corpus and Des Moines but that’s the facts. Same goes to Ryan and Mudvayne.

Ticket Scalping in its purest sense is standing out in front of a venue and selling tickets to would be attendees at an inflated price. This is illegal and most municipalities have ordnances against this. However, the ticket brokering business is legal in most states with a few exceptions in which thirteen states have laws that prohibit ticket scalping. These being Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and South Carolina but this can usually be circumvented by sellers in other states using the internet or imposing a service charge to supply the tickets.

So ticket brokering is not illegal but it is also not guaranteed profitable.

Michael Davis is the President of EZ-Ticket.com, an independent ticket brokerage located in Dallas, Texas which has been in operation since 2002.

The Ticket Brokering Business

2008-11-05T13:38:00.000-06:00

So you want to be a ticket broker? This can be a fun and exciting business but can be wrought with stress, worry and disappointment. It can also be very rewarding both financially and emotionally.

The ticket brokering business gets a bad rap from many people in that most believe that it is a business with no product being offered to customers but simply inflating the price of event tickets. Many believe that the ticket broker simply hoards up available tickets to different events and then automatically resells them to the public with no risk to themselves. This is far from the case.

A ticket broker will purchase tickets in advance to a sporting event or concert with the "HOPE" that they will be able to sell at a profit. In actuality this is far from the case. Many times a ticket broker will purchase these tickets in advance and either sell at a loss just to get some of their money back or at worse be stuck with the tickets that go unsold. Many a ticket broker looks at his inventory Monday morning with a stack of useless, expired tickets from the weekend.

The Ticket Broker thus must buy tickets he knows he can sell at a profit in order to continue in this business. There is no sure thing in the ticket broker business. As in any speculative endeavor whether it be real estate, the stock market, gold coins or ticket brokering the key is buy low and sell high. Now how does one do this?

The only way to do this is with experience and some luck. The ticket broker to be successful must devote a lot of time and effort to his business and he must have the wherewithal to weather some lean times and mistakes in buying tickets. If you only have a bankroll of a couple hundred dollars and you make one mistake in a ticket purchase you can be out of the business quickly.

Finding good seats to sold out events is a good start. Scouring eBay or Craig's list for fan's excess tickets they would not use is a good means to find tickets for resell. It is key to have the exposure for your business in order to resell any tickets you do have. The Ticket Broker to be successful is usually the result of word of mouth and referrals. Treating your customers right as in any business leads to success.

The Ticket Broker serves a useful purpose for the sporting and concert industries. He allows fans to easily purchase tickets to an event and he serves as a method for fans that have bought tickets but cannot use them to unload them easily.

Also remember if you find yourself wanting to get some tickets to a sold out event or if you are looking to unload your excess tickets you should use a reputable source such as a ticket broker that is a member of the Better Business Bureau, Member of the Better Ticketing Association or The National Association of Ticket Brokers. DON'T GET RIPPED OFF!

Michael Davis is the President and Founder of EZ-Ticket.com, an independent ticket broker based in Addison, Texas. EZ-Ticket was established in 2002 and has provided 1000s of event tickets for fans of almost any sporting or concert event over the years. Michael is EZ-Ticket Mike and can be heard every Wednesday giving his sports commentary with Kate Delaney on America Tonight Radio.

Texas - Home of the Outlaw Movement in Country Music

2008-06-01T17:20:00.000-05:00

Back in the early 1970s several country music recording artists moved from Nashville to Texas and created the Outlaw movement in country music.

Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings were the leaders of the Outlaw revolution, but there were also some great singers songwriters who helped make Texas Music stand out. Artists like Billy Joe Shaver, who wrote most of Waylon's Honky Tonk Heroes LP and Steven Fromholtz, who gained recognition for writing Willie Nelson's Number 2 single "I'd Have To Be Crazy".

At the same time Jerry Jeff Walker moved from New York to Texas and joined the outlaw movement, writing such songs as Mr. Bo Jangles and recording the million selling LP "A Man Must Carry On". Jerry Jeff was helped when Waylon and Willie included him in their song about Luckenbach, Texas.

Another Texas artist who received some recognition in the 1970s is Joe Ely. While not receiving the radio airplay of Willie and Waylon and the boys, he has over the years gone from a "rocker" to a balladeer with songs such as Gallo Del Cielo.

There are a number of Texas artists who claim a loyal following both in Texas and also Outside of Texas thanks to the satellite radio stations playing alternative country. These artists include:

James McMurty, who is considered one of the strongest songwriters of his generation.

Cory Morrow, has sold over 200,000 cds and currently tours over 150 dates. He has recorded a duet CD with Pat Green, who began as a Texas icon and has made some inroads in Music City with a major record company deal.

Roger Creager has left his own musical mark throughout the south and Texas over the past seven years.

Robert Earl Keen has filled dance halls throughout Texas for years and wrote the classic song "The Road Goes on Forever", which has been covered by The Highwaymen and Joe Ely.

Ray Wylie Hubbard, known best for his theme song "Redneck Mothers", continues touring and producing high quality Texas sounds.

Texas has several newer artists making a name for themselves, Jack Ingram being foremost among them. There is also Max Stalling, Stoney Larue and Aaron Watson.

Dale Watson, known as the Texas Troubadour remains popular in Europe and Texas playing traditional country music.

Gary P Nunn, former lead guitarist for Jerry Jeff and the leader of the Lost Gonzo Band continues to tour throughout Texas as does "The Anti-Garth" Tommy Alverson.

The Randy Rogers Band and Cross Canadian Ragweed are two of the more popular bands in Texas music today.

If you'd like to hear the great Texas Songs you'll need the internet to find this great music, but it's certainly worth the effort.

Enjoy!

Elements of Scrapbooking

2008-01-10T19:19:00.000-06:00

Scrapbooking has been around for many years as a hobby. Unlike albums, scrapbooking can include more than just memorable photos. For more creative scrapbook hobbyists, their scrapbooks can include pieces of memorabilia: a rose petal from their first date, movie tickets to their first date, a poem written on a diner tissue, so on and so forth. Scrapbooking is an excellent way to preserve memories as well as a creative and positive outlet to channel emotions such as love, joy, gratitude and even longing. Scrapbooking is a form of collecting and compiling fond memories creatively.

Scrapbooks can have various purposes: for keepsake, as a going-away token for a best friend or a favorite teacher, or as a means of chronicling a part of your life in which you find the most significant memories with someone you love.

However, not all people take readily to scrapbooking. They hesitate at the thought of having to put things together for fear that it might not be what their recipients expect. But even the most non-creative person can put a scrapbook together if they follow these simple steps in starting with scrapbooking.

1. Choose Your Theme - What is the purpose of your scrapbook? Answering the question can make a lot of difference and can start you on the right track on scrapbooking. Themes can either be individual themes such as for a painter, for a teacher, for a friend, for a sister, for a new-born baby, or it can also be a group theme such as for an entire graduating class, for a family, for a group of friends. If you are making a scrapbook, it is important to keep that individual or group in mind while making the whole scrapbook: his or her favorite color, his or her favorite sport, his or her favorite line in a poem, etc.

2. Choose Your Photos - Photos are one of the major elements of a scrapbook. Photos capture memories and events in time and present them again and again in scrapbooks in different views. Choose photos that capture the emotion you want to evoke in your scrapbook. Photos that are clear and with up-close shots work best. Photos can be sporadically arranged in a single page or on two open pages of your scrapbook. Keeping them in odd numbers add variety and can subconsciously pique the interest rather than displaying photos in even numbers. As much as possible, use photos with people in them rather than exclusively displaying landscape photos without people all in one page.

3. Choose Your Colors - If you are using the scrapbook as a going away present, it would be thoughtful to use the recipient's favorite color. However, the one making the scrapbook must keep in mind that each page should be decorated unique and different from the other pages. If you are displaying a photo, your whole page color theme may be built around a dominant color in the picture. For example, when making a concert scrapbook of your friend playing the violin in a dark green gown, use the color dark green to build your color scheme around for that particular page. Different color themes for each page adds variety and keeps your scrapbook interesting.

4. Choose a Focus Point - Each page should contain a focal point where the viewer's attention may be drawn to the moment the page is opened. A good focal point need not necessarily be a photo; it can be a concert ticket stub, a dried leaf or dried petals, or it can also be a poem written on a tissue paper from the local diner. The thing is, anything ordinary can be transformed into something beautiful and meaningful with the right colors, the right set-up or arrangement and the right page decorations. Focal points are not only for visual purposes. They also give sentimental value.

5. Choose Your Texture - Scrapbook textures add interest, variety and layer to your scrapbook composition. Texture may be attained by bordering and layering colored materials one on top of the other. Texture can also be attained by methods of folding or crumpling art materials or using corrugated paper for decorations.

Scrapbooking is both a science and an art. It is a science in a way that it requires the organized and systematic, chronological collection of important event photos, and memorabilia. But it is also an art in such a way that it takes creativity and ingenuity to arrange these memories that can take its viewers back in time. It takes creativity and art to arrange these memories and make them worth reminiscing again and again.

Fun and Functional Gift Ideas for Men - Playoff Tickets

2008-01-03T10:45:00.000-06:00

All men love gadgets, toys, and things for tinkering. The search is over. Try these fun, yet out of the ordinary gift ideas that are great for the executive man, for dads, for grandfathers, or just that special man in your life. Below are the answers to all those special gift idea needs that you may have.

For the fisherman in your life, a great gift idea is an Underwater Fishing Camera. It allows the fisherman to see his hook, which in turn allows him to target specific species and not just aimlessly attempt to lure in the species he is trying to catch. Underwater cameras also allow the fisherman to see the contour of the land below, giving added benefits to the fishing experience, whether in a pond, in a river, or at sea. Underwater cameras can be found in varied price ranges and with other varied features such as water depth, temperature, etc. No one wants to give the same boring gift time after time. This is a great alternative to the standard rods, reels, and lures so often given.

For the backyard grill master in your life, here is an unusual gift that gives him the ability to say to all of his family and friends, "I am the grill artist master". A branding iron with the initials of your recipient is a relatively inexpensive, unique and much appreciated gift!

Looking for that special gift for the sports lover on your list? Surprise him with those tickets he's been wanting, but refusing to buy for himself. There are many offers available and you'll find lots of deals no matter what the sport. Don't settle for yet another box of golf balls; get the tickets to the tournament he's always wanted to attend. Don't let him miss the event he's been talking about for a month. Get him tickets. He'll have lots to share with his buddies because of your thoughtful gift.

Now for the more traditional type of gift you can always fall back on the ever so "manly" pocket knife. With such a wide varity available, it can be difficult to decide which kind of knife would suit him best. Personalize it. Make it specific to your man. Whether it is a collector's item or your run of the mill pocketknife, have a small inscription or his name put on the blade or the handle. The man in your life will cherish it forever.

These few ideas will have the man in your life bragging to his buddies about the great gift he received. When you find that perfect gift, don't hesitate. Grab it, and let the appreciation for your special someone show.

The Golden Rules of Buying a Gift for Your Personal Assistant - Event Tickets

2008-01-03T10:41:00.000-06:00

It is that time of year again, and you are stuck for gift ideas for your personal assistant. It is their birthday, or the holidays are looming or an important work anniversary is nearly upon you. Perhaps they reached down deep and went to extraordinary lengths on that last project and you need something special to thank them for their efforts. Well by the time you are through with this article you will not only have some great gift ideas beyond fruit baskets, you'll also leave with the golden rules for generating great ideas of your own.

Let us start with the first golden rule: a gift should be for the sole good of your Personal Assistant. A genuine gift should be something that is a treat for them. So steer clear of things that could be seen as self-serving. If they need a Blackberry for your convenience, that is not a gift - that is a prison sentence! The same goes for fancy day planners, productivity software or paying for a trip that happens to coincide with a work conference. Your gift should be something given for their benefit. Now let us think about which category of gift you should be considering: things vs. experiences.

Clearly your PA makes your life easier, so perhaps it is time to return the favor. Simply giving the gift of a thing can be the safe bet. Especially if you are not that familiar with your PA yet. A smart new pen, gift vouchers, those dreaded fruit baskets are all predictable staples of the PA gift bag. But if you plan to make a special gesture, you should plan an experience for your PA. Arrange an evening with paid professional babysitting services and a dinner for two at their favorite restaurant and tickets to a concert. Perhaps something wild like a helicopter ride, or even wilder still, how about a parachuting course? Always include their partners. On the more practical side, perhaps hire someone to help them finish a D.I.Y. project they've been putting off because they're been stuck in the office.

So to recap: make sure your PA gift is for their benefit, experiences make more thoughtful gifts, and always include their significant other. Oh yes, and one final suggestion. Always keep in mind that any gift you make is probably the beginning of something of a tradition. So get something in your price range that you're prepared to match next year. Keep the golden rules and you'll be a classy gift buyer for years to come.