NBA Finals tickets are three times more expensive in Oklahoma City compared to Miami. The Miami Heat boost South Beach and all the expensive glamor, the real prime locations are back at OKC in Chesapeake Energy Arena. There are currently 2,484 NBA Finals game 4 tickets listed for resell on Stubhub with cheapest tickets listed for $176. Game 4 will be played at American Airlines Arena in Miami. Contrast those prices with game 6 back in Oklahoma City. Stubhub currently has 740 NBA finals tickets for game 6 with the lowest price currently at $578.

NBA finals court side tickets located in rows 12-17 for game four in Miami have resold between $1,350-$2,000 per ticket. The same amount of money will buy you a baseline ticket back in OKC for game 6. Upper level seats behind the basket are being resold between $165-$250 for game 4 in Miami while Thunder fans are paying between $500-$700 for comparable seats.

Why the disparity in NBA Finals ticket prices? While Miami might bring in high rollers to South Beach, Miami Heat fans are not big spenders when it comes to watching the playoffs compared to other NBA teams. Typically teams located near beaches (ie Florida), carry a population base that is passionate about other recreational activities and less likely to drop as money on a basketball game like rabid Thunder fans. Last year, NBA Finals ticket prices were 2-3 times more expensive in Dallas compared to games played in Miami.

Scalping might be taking place with Super Bowl tickets in Indianapolis this year, but the real scalping is taking place at the hotels and motels in the Indianapolis area. You can book a “special” on Expedia at a “cheap” 1 star motel called the Knights Inn by the airport for $725 per night! Downtown hotels which normally retail for $250 per night were being sold for $5,000 per night.   If your doing the math, hotels and motels for Super Bowl weekend are going for 20 times face value.

The face value of the cheapest Super Bowl tickets this year is $600. The cheapest 2012 Super Bowl tickets are currently going for $2,352 per ticket or four times face value. Ticket scalpers always take a bad rap, but I’d love to see someone calling Marriott, Hilton, and the Knights Inn on their own carpet.

The hotel chains aren’t the only ones raising prices in Indianapolis over Super Bowl weekend. Car rental companies are gauging fans as well. A full-size SUV will run you $1,500 per DAY at Hertz or should we say “Hurts”.

If you have $5,000 per night to spend on your hotel room and $1,500 per day for your SUV on Super Bowl weekend, you probably can drop a half a million dollars to invite your top 35 friends to join you in a luxury suite for the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl adds are also in the Super Expensive category. The average 2012 Super Bowl add costs $3.5 million, up $500K from last year. A prime time 30 second add for the 2012 Super Bowl went for $4 million.

The Super Bowl Lesson – if you come, bring your Visa, Master Card, American Express, AND Discover Card…

The face value of Super Bowl tickets over the last 40 years has increased by a factor of 100! In 1967, the cheapest Super Bowl ticket had a face value of $6 while the face value in the 2011 Super Bowl at Dallas Cowboy Stadium started at $600. The NFL holds an annual lottery for Super Bowl tickets. My blog post describes all of the details to enter the Super Bowl ticket lottery and buy tickets at face value.

Super Bowl tickets resell much higher on the secondary ticket market. Currently Super Bowl tickets are going for over $2,000. If you are looking for current prices on Super Bowl tickets, the link will take you to my blog post with trended 2012 Super Bowl ticket resell prices.

Below is a trended look at the face value of Super Bowl tickets (Data from the Dallas Morning News):

1967: $12, $10, $6

1968-69: $12

1970-74: $15

1975-77: $20

1978-80: $30

1981-83: $40

1984-85: $60

1986-87: $75

1988-89: $100

1990: $125

1991-92: $150

1993-94: $175

1995: $200

1996: $350, $250, $200

1997-98: $275

1999-2001: $325

2002: $400

2003: $500, $400

2004: $600, $500, $400

2005: $600, $500

2006-07: $700, $600

2008: $900, $700

2009: $1,000, $800, $500

2010: $1,000, $900, $800, $500

2011: $1,200, $900, $800, $600

2012 Super Bowl tickets are expensive as usual. Super Bowl XLVI will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 5th in Indianapolis. The cheapest 2012 Super Bowl tickets listed on reseller sites were on Super Bowl Sunday on Ticket Networks at $1,179 per ticket. Tickets dropped $800 the last four days as resellers were not able to move tickets quickly.

****Sunday February 5th update. Super Bowl tickets are in a free fall! Prices have declined $700 over the past 36 hours crossing below $2,000 and now approaching below $1,000 (see link above).  Yesterday I predicted Super Bowl tickets would continue to drop. Keep an eye out for Super Bowl ticket bargains.  Ticket Network has 11th row end zone tickets for $1,800 each. Last year the opposite happened in the last few days leading up to the Super Bowl.

I will update the number of Super Bowl tickets being resold on Tickets Now and Stubhub as well as the cheapest Super Bowl ticket price. Data further below details actual sales of 2012 Super Bowl tickets by location. The trended amount and price of Super Bowl tickets provide insight whether ticket prices are going up or down.

                 Tickets Now                                                               Stubhub

Date         # of listings      Cheapest Price              # of tickets      Cheapest Price

1-6-12        279                   $2,671

1-10-12     335                    $2,614

1-13-12     305                    $2,614                                2,415                    $2,195

1-17-12     576                    $2,842                                2,450                    $2,099

1-22-12    1,072                 $2,386                                3,439                    $2,284

1-23-12    1,121                  $2,717                                3,012                    $2,543

1-25-12    1,072                 $2,614                                3,113                     $2,399

1-27-12   1,687                  $2,613                                3,389                    $2,475

1-29-12   2,071                  $2,613                                3,866                    $2,090

1-31-12   2,217                  $2,200                               3,382                     $2,120

2-1-12     2,018                  $2,387                               2,655                      $2,250

2-3-12     1,255                  $2,188                                2,477                     $2,000

2-4 am    1,057                 $1,999                                 2,222                      $1,900

2-4pm        883                  $1,592                                 1,503                      $1,535

2-5-12        291                  $1,351                                     549                       $1,270

Last year on Tickets Now, prices dropped to just below $2,000 nine days before the Super Bowl. Ticket Networks actually had Super Bowl tickets reselling between $1,600-$1,800 ten days before the Super Bowl, but prices began to rise quickly leading up to the Super Bowl.

Usually the best time to buy Super Bowl tickets from ticket resellers like Stubhub and Razor Gator is about nine days before the Super Bowl. A majority of tickets are sold during the weekend. The weekend before the Super Bowl is when demand begins to exceed supply. If Super Bowl tickets  follow last years trend, Super Bowl ticket resell prices will be at their lowest on January 27^th (click link to see trended 2011 Super Bowl ticket price and quantity amounts).

The first set of 2012 Super Bowl ticket sales data below is from October 29th to January 13th and segments transactions by seat location at Lucas Oil Stadium on Stubhub. The second set of data represents Super Bowl tickets sales on January 24th on Stubhub. Reviewing Super Bowl ticket sales reveals a couple of interesting points. First, more sales took place during a 24 hour period (January 24th), then a two and a half month period (Oct. 29-Jan 13). Second, average sales prices for Super Bowl tickets have increased as the two teams are now set (New England Patriots and New York Giants). Super Bowl ticket resell prices were flat from October to mid-January. Third, expensive Super Bowl tickets in the Club Midfield section have increased 66% ($8,129 per ticket to $13,530).

Super Bowl ticket sales prices October – mid January

Super Bowl ticket resell Prices January 24, 2012

Seating capacity for Lucas Oil Stadium for the Super Bowl will be around 70,000. The total number of 2012 Super Bowl seats will be much less than the 110,000 seats/standing room only tickets for the 2011 Super Bowl in Cowboy Stadium. Fewer available Super Bowl tickets will drive prices higher.

The face value of Super Bowl tickets range from $600-$1,200. Click the following link to view the historical trend of the face value of Super Bowl tickets. Amazing to think you could buy a Super Bowl ticket for $6!

If you would like to buy 2013 Super Bowl tickets at face value, read my blog post describing how to enter the Super Bowl ticket lottery.

2012 BCS National Championship ticket resell prices have dropped 30% since the beginning of December when the rematch for Alabama and LSU was set. On December 4th, there were 1,867 2012 BCS Championship tickets listed on Stubhub with the cheapest pair of tickets being resold for $1,370 per ticket. On December 28th, the cheapest pair of tickets had dropped to $950 per ticket and the ticket supply has almost doubled.

***January 9th update. 2012 BCS National Championship tickets didn’t experience a “run” like last year but have increased somewhat. Currently, the cheapest pair of BCS Championship tickets is listed for $1,200 per ticket on Stubhub. There are 421 BCS tickets left on Stubhub.

Prime 50 yard lower level seats on the LSU side in section 142 have been reselling for an average of $4,500 per ticket. A Tiger fan waiting patiently until December 21st to buy BCS National Championship tickets  saved some Christmas money paying $2,500 per ticket in Section 142 row 4. Prime 50 yard seats on the Alabama side in Section 114 were reselling for an average of $4,900 per ticket and since Christmas have dropped down to $3,100 per ticket.

Demand to watch the rematch between the Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers is pale compared to last years match up between Auburn and Oregon. My prior year post on 2011 BCS National Championship ticket prices details the unusual circumstances Stubhub was placed in. Demand was so high as ticket brokers couldn’t stop sales fast enough as their tickets were sold simultaneously on multiple ticket reseller sites. Stubhub had to guarantee sales and therefore was buying back tickets for around $2,500 each.

Although LSU is playing very close to home and Alabama right around the corner, fans seem less willing to pay four digit ticket prices to see this year BCS Championship game. Obviously a rematch BCS title game is never as exciting as pairing two undefeated teams. Probably a more telling reason for a balanced ticket supply is the seating capacity for the Super Dome compared to the University of Phoenix Stadium. The Super Dome has an expanded seating capacity for the Sugar Bowl and BCS National Championship game of approximately 85,000 while the Fiesta Bowl was able to expand to approximately 73,000 seats for the 2011 BCS National Championship game.

2012 Cotton Bowl tickets are more expensive than all BCS bowl games except the BCS National Championship game. The Kansas St Wildcats and the Arkansas Razorbacks might have been left out of a BCS bowl game, but their football fans should just smile and realize they are in the 2nd best bowl game behind the BCS National Championship game. 2012 Cotton Bowl ticket resell prices support the claim.

Currently on Stubhub, the cheapest pair of tickets to the Cotton Bowl are going for $225 each while the “Grandaddy” Rose Bowl checks in at $170 per ticket. The Fiesta Bowl lags further behind right now at $90 per ticket while the Sugar less SEC is now below face value at $50 per ticket. A year ago, I predicted 2012 Orange Bowl tickets would be very cheap on the ticket resell market. Three weeks away and Orange Bowl tickets are down to $35 per ticket.

Ten days ago, BCS Bowl Game ticket resell prices on Stubhub were a different story. The cheapest Rose Bowl tickets were going for $255 per ticket, while the cheapest Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl tickets were going for $135 (Orange Bowl tickets were going for $54). Was the ticket price change related to supply and demand? Kind of, but not really. Ten days ago there were 8,133 tickets being resold for the Cotton Bowl while there were only 1,933 for the Rose Bowl. Today there are 3,583 tickets left on Stubhub for the Cotton Bowl while Rose Bowl tickets listed on Stubhub have jumped to 3,386.

If you want to understand why 2012 Cotton Bowl tickets resell for more money than the Fiesta, Sugar, and Orange Bowl combined, check out my post last year on Cotton Bowl tickets describing why they are such a hot commodity.

2012 BCS bowl ticket price changes have followed almost the same pattern as 2011. Check out the ticket price analysis for each of the BCS Bowl Games:

2011 Rose Bowl ticket prices

2011 Sugar Bowl ticket prices

2011 Fiesta Bowl ticket prices

2011 Orange Bowl ticket prices

2011 Cotton Bowl ticket prices

SEC college football is golden. SEC Championship ticket prices for LSU Tigers vs. the Georgia Bulldogs are selling for five times what comparable seats for either the PAC-12 or Big-10 Championship games. Currently on Stubhub, the cheapest tickets for the SEC Championship game are going for $136 while tickets for the PAC 12 Championship miss match between Oregon and UCLA are going for under $25. Big 10 championship game tickets are selling for $25 as well and maybe the game should be renamed the bargain bowl.

This weekend will be the first time the PAC-12 and Big-10 showcase conference championship games. The winning teams will then meet in the Rose Bowl. On the other hand, LSU plays in the SEC championship game, and after rolling over Georgia, LSU will play the second place team from the SEC West, Alabama, in the BCS National Championship game.

Why are fans paying so much more for the SEC championship game? College football is king in SEC country, period. NASCAR might run a distant second. The Big 10 could argue the championship game is being played at a neutral field, but one would expect Michigan St. and Wisconsin fans to travel better.

The PAC 12 decided to have their game be a home game for the team with the best record. Why would ticket prices for the PAC 12 championship game at Oregon be cheaper than earlier non-conference games like Nevada and Missouri State? First, Oregon is coming off an embarrassing loss to USC. Second, UCLA became the de facto opponent after all the other contenders lost – including UCLA getting waxed 50-0! Third, the PAC 12 is playing the game on a Friday night rather than compete with the heavyweight champion SEC.

I have to admit, I’m a rewards checking account fanatic. I have three separate rewards checking accounts: My Consumers Credit Union (CCU), Lake Michigan Credit Union, and Bank of American Fork. Out of those three, only My Consumers Credit Union has kept the checking account interest percentage unchanged. CCU’s rewards checking account interest rate is still 4.1% and CCU just guaranteed the 4.1% interest rate through June 30, 2012!

If your looking to open a new checking account or move from a Bank to a Credit Union, My Consumers Credit Union would be my first choice. Also, if you open a new rewards checking account with CCU, be sure to fill out the member referral form and if you meet the rewards checking account requirements for the first two months, you will earn an extra $50. If your interested, click the following link to my earlier post on the CCU member referral bonus as well as description about My Consumers Credit Union rewards checking account.

My other two rewards checking accounts, Lake Michigan Credit Union and Bank of American Fork, started out with higher interest rates, but have since reduced their rates. Bank of American Fork dropped the interest rate down to 2.5% about a year ago while Lake Michigan Credit Union recently dropped their rate down to 3%. I was worried that CCU would follow suit when Lake Michigan CU reduced their checking rate just like the airlines all seem to follow each other. Consumers Credit Union definitely showed they are THE Consumers Credit Union by not only holding their rewards checking account at 4.1%, but being bold enough to guarantee the best interest rate on a checking account through next year.

There has been a recent movement called “Bank Transfer Day” as some of the larger banks have increased fees to customers. As customers start to look for a new Credit Union, they should look no further than My Consumers Credit Union. There are a few requirements for monthly rewards checking that are described in my blog post you can read from the link above.

World Series tickets prices skyrocketed after David Freese went from a relatively unknown baseball player to a World Series immortal with back-to-back swings in the 9th and 11th innings. The cheapest World Series ticket for game 1 was going for $178 on Stubhub. After Freese sent his 11th inning shot over center, the cheapest World Series tickets were going for $535 on Stubhub.

Wise ticket buyers paid only $300 for World Series game 7 tickets just four days earlier for tickets in Section 329. If your ever planning to attend a game 7, buy the tickets on a reputable reseller like Stubhub or Ticket Networks when the team is down in the series. If the World Series doesn’t go 7 games, you will get a refund. On the flipside, if you team comes back to force a game 7 like the Cardinals just did, there will be complete euphoria and fans will be buying up tickets and in turn forcing prices higher.

If you are planning to buy infield box seats for game 7 of tonight’s World Series game, be ready to spend $1,000 and up. Ticket prices in similar locations were going for under $500 for game 1 of the World Series.

Texas Ranger fans are paying more than double for World Series tickets on the secondary ticket resell market than St. Louis Cardinals fans. At first glance one would think World Series games in St. Louis would be higher since the Rangers played in the World Series last year. Higher ticket prices in Texas should come as no surprise since Mavs fans paid twice as much as Miami fans for NBA finals tickets. My earlier post on NBA finals ticket prices describes why they are higher in Dallas.

The cheapest World Series game 1 tickets at Busch Stadium are going for $178 per ticket on Stubhub while lower infield tickets for the World Series start out at $470 per ticket. Compared to Super Bowl ticket prices, World Series tickets in St. Louis are 10 times less expensive!

World Series tickets for game 3 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington start out at $399 per ticket if you want to at least buy a pair of World Series tickets together. If you have more money to spend and want to sit in the lower infield, than be ready to spend $1,250 and up per ticket. Obviously if St. Louis goes up 3-1, than game 5 World Series ticket prices will drop dramatically.