Seems like this topic comes up every couple months, so I figured I'd start a thread with some general tips on how to find tickets to Chiefs games. None of these are all that groundbreaking, but hopefully just knowing where to look will help some people out! Here are the things I've learned while searching for tickets over the past few years.
- Although selection is limited, you can't go wrong with the officially-sanctioned Ticket Exchange system set up by the Chiefs. Tickets are listed by season ticket holders looking to get rid of a couple tickets. Prices are usually pretty close to face value, and the entire system is handled by the Chiefs, so there's no chance of fraud. If I were you, I'd check here before looking anywhere else.
- Don't forget to check the obvious. There are often a few single-game tickets floating around on Ticketmaster. Also remember that visiting teams often release a bunch of unused tickets a week or so before each game. Now that the Chiefs have gone to electronic ticketing, you can even print out your ticket online. You could buy your ticket on Sunday morning and still make it in time for the game! This is often the ONLY way you'll get seats at face value.
- One of the best sources for tickets at relatively reasonable prices is eBay. Use the tickets finder on the left side to narrow down your choices to the game you're looking for, rather than searching for keywords. That way, you might find auctions with misspelled words that others can't find!
On eBay, buy it now prices are usually sky high, but auctions close at reasonable levels most of the time. Be patient, and look for auctions that close at weird times of the day (like early morning or after midnight). Fewer people will be using it then, so your chances of success are higher. If you won't be around at the auction's close, use a bid sniping program like PhantomBidder to bid for you at the last second.
- Look in classified ads for people just wanting to unload their tickets. Not EVERYONE is trying to make a small fortune on tickets, so if you're patient and watch you might get some good deals. Check out local newspapers like the Kansas City Star and the online classifieds site Craigslist. Finally, there is a relatively new website called KCChiefsTickets.net. Between those, you might be able to find the tickets you're looking for.
- It seems a bit useless to mention this here, but you can always check around on message boards in their ticket sections. This is a no-brainer since you're here, but remember that there are message boards out there other than ChiefsPlanet, and many of them have ticket sections.
- Worst comes to worse, you can usually buy tickets off of people at the stadium. This is a little risky if you're traveling a long way, but there are almost always tickets available. The advantage of this is that the closer you get to game time, the lower the prices will be. If you can find someone standing around outside the gate right at kickoff, chances are you'll be able to get a ticket for next to nothing.
- If you are more concerned about the seats you get than the price you'll have to pay, your best option is to go with a ticket broker. Their prices will be sky-high, but you'll have far better selection with a broker than you'll find anywhere else. Probably the best online broker is StubHub. If you're near KC, you may also want to check out Ace Sports in the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park. You'll pay a premium for tickets from these places, but you'll have a much better selection there than you'll find anywhere else.
One word of warning: buying tickets online from anyone other than Ticketmaster or StubHub can be risky. There are plenty of scammers out there in the world, so just make sure everything's on the up and up before sending a ton of money to someone you've never met.
If you're patient, you should be able to get tickets at somewhat reasonable prices. Good luck!