Dutch Auctions are the answer for how tickets should work

[mdmf007]

We get your point, truly. You think the system is broken and propose stifling sales by increasing the price to do so. Normally this would work, but this is an emotionally driven scheme - The tickets will sell at any price all this scheme does is screw people for no reason.

Want to stifle sales? make it an invite only event and forget public sales entirely. That will go over about as well.

[Simon of the Playa]

but it's one of the least civil message boards I participate on, if not the least,

THATS BECAUSE WE KEEP IT REAL, BRAD...

[maladroit]

I remember the time I finally realized that the calmest, politest person in an argument wasn't always right.

[GreyCoyote]

Make it an invite only event and forget public sales entirely. That will go over about as well.

You know... you might be on to something there...

[vargaso]

Hey Brad, how would this "subsidized ticket" program work? You say you wouldn't have to prove income like in the current low income ticket program. So, let's say the auction tickets ended up at around $600 (a conservative number, in my opinion). That would absolutely price a lot of people out, not to mention further the frenzy for the year after, where people who underbid the first year would bid higher the next year, further driving ticket prices upwards. But back to the subsidized tickets, who would be eligible? How would people register? Who would make the decision on who qualifies for a ticket? Or, would it be another online registration and open sale? These tickets are free or just "discounted?" In either case, can you imagine the demand for these tickets? Free and/or cheap tickets to Burning Man, the frenzy would be even greater than it already is.

Can you address some of my questions here? We get it that you understand that ticket prices will rise, but what about these consequences (I can't even say unintended consequences, because they all seem pretty obvious to me)?

[theCryptofishist]

I think I have it figured out. As we all remember, this was an innovation of the Dutch Tulip Market. As we all remember, the Dutch Tulip Market crashed big time, and became the classic definition of a bubble. Therefore, if we adopt this method of selling tulips tickets, the bubble will pop, and the llc non-profit wont be able to give them away.


Genius!

[engineer2012]

They probably didn't think that twice as many people would register for the individual sale as there were tickets. They might have decided it was worth $410 to take the risk, feeling that will a bunch of work they could find a ticket if they lost.

You would expext that as from the first sell out in 2011, people know that getting a ticket in the main sale is a risk, the risk of not getting a ticket. Demand is simply too high.
There are several reasons I can think of why people buy the high price pre-sale ticked. For me, I can only participate once every 3 years. It is just to expensive to go every year. The year I can/will participate, I need then to be more sure of a ticket. Pre-sale is more sure, at least, up to now. Second reason, flights, hotels etc needs to be arranged, as early as possible due to I am from Europe.