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As Wednesday"s Cubs win sinks in, the first logical question for fans is how to get tickets to the next round versus archrival the St. Louis Cardinals.
A better question might be: Are you willing to take a road trip?
The time has passed for Cubs season-ticket holders to purchase postseason tickets for eight possible home games at Wrigley Field.
So, too, has the registration to enter a drawing that offers a chance to buy tickets to the National League Division Series between the Cubs and Cardinals, which begins Friday. Those lottery winners received an email after last night"s game, according to Cubs spokeswoman Alyson Cohen.
That leaves the rest of the Cubs faithful at the mercy of secondhand ticket sellers for the hot matchup.
"We"re already seeing a ton of sales. I don"t see why this couldn"t be the highest-selling series for the postseason," StubHub spokesman Cameron Papp said Thursday.
As of Thursday morning, the average ticket price for Game 3, the first Cubs home game, was $450, according to Papp.
Prices started at $280 and that was for a standing room-only ticket. The cheapest seat was $324 in the left field upper deck.
But a 4 1/2-hour drive down Interstate 55 to St. Louis this weekend for the first two road games could save you quite a bit of cash, Papp said.
The average ticket price at Busch Stadium is $140 for Game 1 at 5:30 p.m. Friday. The least expensive Game 1 ticket was standing room-only, at $115, while a right field terrace seat cost $148, according to StubHub.
"It"s definitely a cheaper deal," Papp said. "The Cubs have a big fan base and haven"t seen success like this in a while, and Cardinals fans are a kind of used to this."
Ouch.
StubHub ticket sales are showing that Cubs fans may already be taking advantage of cheaper prices in their rival"s stadium. By Thursday morning, more customers from Illinois were buying tickets to Game 1 in St. Louis than fans from Missouri, at 36 percent to 35 percent. However, it"s impossible to know how many of those Illinois buyers are Cardinals fans.
For Cubs fans unwilling to go behind enemy lines, there are other options.
Outside of Wrigley Field, there are rooftops bleacher seats available that have sightlines into the ballpark.
Stacey Loukas, director of sales at Wrigleyville Rooftops, said the company is selling tickets for $300 that include food and beverage options for both Cubs home games. So far, Wrigleyville Rooftops has sold about 500 tickets at its seven rooftop locations, each of which accommodates 200 people. After Wednesday"s Cubs win, the company"s rooftop at 1032 S. Waveland Ave., a customer favorite with views over left field, sold out, Loukas said.
The other option takes a little bit more confidence.
Fans who believe that the Cubs will advance can register for the drawing to buy tickets to the National League Championship Series until noon Thursday, and for the World Series until Oct. 16.
Meanwhile, officials from the Better Business Bureau are warning people to watch out for scammers selling fake tickets.
"Cubs fans have waited many years for a postseason opportunity," Steve Bernas, CEO of the bureau"s local office, said in a statement Thursday. "We don"t want their excitement to be spoiled by losing money with fake tickets or poor merchandise."
The organization advises fans to check for an official hologram and license to avoid bogus tickets. When buying online, it"s better to buy with reputable ticket brokers on licensed sites, and avoid those that may contain clumsy English translations, as foreign counterfeiters are common culprits.
Credit cards can often be a safeguard against scams as customers can dispute a charge before they pay.
tbriscoe@tribpub.com
Twitter @_tonybriscoe
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-cubs-cardinals-nlds-tickets-met-20151008-story.html
