I don't know what to do.

[XnightmarekittenX]

So I'm sure I'm not the only person with this issue but I need some guidance. The registration for main sale ends tomorrow and I need two tickets (one for me and one for my boyfriend) and we don't have any money. Can we both apply for low income tickets of we live in the same house? I'm waiting for taxes and I'm really hoping I don't get stuck with open sale or it will be 800$. What can I do?

[XnightmarekittenX]

Our first year was last year and it was the most amazing experience of my life I would hate to miss out on the opportunity to participate this year.

[trilobyte]

Start saving now, if you can. Details of the low income program, as well as applications for it, will happen next month. Keep your eyes open for that info, and when announced see if that's something that may work for you.

There will also be a secondary sale, which will happen on March 28.

[moonrise]

I doubt it matters if you both live in the same house.

I hope it works out for you and the BF...see you in the dust.

[Eric]

Low income tickets become available in Feb- you can apply for those (I don't know the answer about both of you having the same address)

Open ticket sales happen in March at $390, so that gives you a month if you want to try extreme creative financing. The other option is to save money until July(ish) and buy secondary market tickets (people who bought & can't go, usually; though this year there may be some hoarders). You might luck into early tier tickets then, but even if you have to pay top tier it gives you 5 more months to raise the funds.

If you can't raise the money- skip the year. I know it sucks, but if your finances are that tight you might need to do longer term planning to get you there in 2013. I've missed years due to money or jobs, lots of others have as well- it sucks, but sometimes that's the way life is.

[XnightmarekittenX]

Low income tickets become available in Feb- you can apply for those (I don't know the answer about both of you having the same address)

Open ticket sales happen in March at $390, so that gives you a month if you want to try extreme creative financing. The other option is to save money until July(ish) and buy secondary market tickets (people who bought & can't go, usually; though this year there may be some hoarders). You might luck into early tier tickets then, but even if you have to pay top tier it gives you 5 more months to raise the funds.

If you can't raise the money- skip the year. I know it sucks, but if your finances are that tight you might need to do longer term planning to get you there in 2013. I've missed years due to money or jobs, lots of others have as well- it sucks, but sometimes that's the way life is.

Yeah I'm really hoping the low income works out if all else fails I think tax returns might save us but I think I read if you apply for low income you can't get the open sale but what if you are denied? Is it only if you are approved for low income that you can't get the open sale?

[XnightmarekittenX]

I'm also hoping if all else fails some kind hearted burners will sell their unwanted tickets at face value instead of scalpers trying to rob us. I was hoping so much that I could apply for the 240 tier but it's too soon. I wish they had just delayed the main sale for month.

[trilobyte]

Odds are that if getting tickets in the open sale are within the realm of possibility for you, you're not a good candidate for the low income program (the program is really intended for those who just plain would not be able to get to the playa otherwise).

[XnightmarekittenX]

Odds are that if getting tickets in the open sale are within the realm of possibility for you, you're not a good candidate for the low income program (the program is really intended for those who just plain would not be able to get to the playa otherwise).

It's not really in the realm but I seem to be running out of options. I don't have income at my disposal whatsoever but I would sell all of my belongings to go to burning man.

[XnightmarekittenX]

My fear is because resold tickets will probably come very late if I have to wait until that point I will have no time to plan.

[XnightmarekittenX]

And there will be scalpers.

[maryanimal]

Where are you from?

[BBadger]

My fear is because resold tickets will probably come very late if I have to wait until that point I will have no time to plan.

That's an excuse. You have lots of time to plan. I've been planning this year's trip as long ago as during the previous year's BM.

Simply plan on going and make arrangements as if you are (i.e. get your stuff ready, schedule your vacations, get the rest of the money ready). If you don't go in the end, then you don't go, but only the ability to go at all hinges on whether you actually get the ticket in the end, and while important, it is actually a very small part of going to BM. The remainder makes up the majority of time and effort to bring the trip to fruition.

[XnightmarekittenX]

Where are you from?

Washington state

[XnightmarekittenX]

My fear is because resold tickets will probably come very late if I have to wait until that point I will have no time to plan.

That's an excuse. You have lots of time to plan. I've been planning this year's trip as long ago as during the previous year's BM.

Simply plan on going and make arrangements as if you are (i.e. get your stuff ready, schedule your vacations, get the rest of the money ready). If you don't go in the end, then you don't go, but only the ability to go at all hinges on whether you actually get the ticket in the end, and while important, it is actually a very small part of going to BM. The remainder makes up the majority of time and effort to bring the trip to fruition.

Thank you that is a very good point and I did consider that to an extent but it's just the feeling of possibly not obtaining tickets makes me a little nervous. Of course I will keep my head up I just keep saying if the universe wants us to go something will work out.

[XnightmarekittenX]

Low income tickets become available in Feb- you can apply for those (I don't know the answer about both of you having the same address)

Open ticket sales happen in March at $390, so that gives you a month if you want to try extreme creative financing. The other option is to save money until July(ish) and buy secondary market tickets (people who bought & can't go, usually; though this year there may be some hoarders). You might luck into early tier tickets then, but even if you have to pay top tier it gives you 5 more months to raise the funds.

If you can't raise the money- skip the year. I know it sucks, but if your finances are that tight you might need to do longer term planning to get you there in 2013. I've missed years due to money or jobs, lots of others have as well- it sucks, but sometimes that's the way life is.

Thank you for your insight, it's very much appreciated.

[XnightmarekittenX]

I don't know anything about the newly implemented resale system they have been talking about but do you think it might have a way to filter scalpers? Charging 1000$ per ticket is not very burner-like to me. :-/

[5280MeV]

Our first year was last year and it was the most amazing experience of my life I would hate to miss out on the opportunity to participate this year.

2011 was my first year too, so the urge to go back in 2012 is overwhelming - I feel your pain.

I am already preparing before I have my ticket, even though I do expect that I will get a ticket in the main lottery.

I dunno about 2013 though. I live pretty far away, and getting to Black Rock City can be very difficult. Even though I am pretty much obsessed, I don't plan on going every year, especially now that it looks like there are more burners than spots in the dust.

I have been thinking that there has to be more to this than just Burning Man. There is. I am hoping to go to at least two regionals this year, and even though it isn't the magic of the playa, I expect that the people will make it amazing. I am also looking forward to the fact that I can just drive to regionals, and I already have the gear ready to go. The total cost of a regional is tiny, and I don't need to ask for a week off from work. Since I am driving, I can bring a lot more stuff too.

[BBadger]

I don't know anything about the newly implemented resale system they have been talking about but do you think it might have a way to filter scalpers? Charging 1000$ per ticket is not very burner-like to me. :-/

The lottery, the ticket mailing in June, the proposed official ticket exchange system, etc. are all designed for preventing scalpers. However, as of now, the tickets have not even been sold yet (with exception to pre-sale ticket). All this scalper stuff is complete speculation and last year was a very poor indicator of future conditions this year. I for one don't think scalping will be a big issue this year.

The best way to mitigate worry is to have many different fallback plans:

- Can't afford a ticket during the lottery, or don't win one? See if you can afford one by the open sale.

- Can't afford the open sale? Try for the low-income tickets.

- Can't get low-income tickets? Wait until around June to see if you can nail a ticket that way.

- Can't get a ticket at all? Save your money for next year. Settle for a regional burn. I know people who have gone to, and help organize, regional burns for years, and have never gone to BM. It's fun there too.

Still, you should prepare for each of these events as if you are guaranteed a ticket. That means not putting off your plans until the last fallback. You don't want your ticket fortunes to come through, only to find out you weren't prepared in other ways.

[XnightmarekittenX]

For some reason I can't quote but yeah I hear what you are saying. What kind of regionals are in WA?

[trilobyte]

Click on the link on the top left corner of this page to go to the main site home page. Then click on the link for regionals, and you should be able to look up your regional group fairly easily.

[XnightmarekittenX]

Click on the link on the top left corner of this page to go to the main site home page. Then click on the link for regionals, and you should be able to look up your regional group fairly easily.

Oh, ok thank you.

[caturdaze]

Hi buddy. Don't despair just yet.

This year, I bought twice as many tickets as I normally do for fear of not winning the lottery. Normally me and my partner buy 2 together. We were very concerned about this whole lottery thing so I bought 2 and he bought 2. This way, if one of us doesn't win, maybe the other will and we have a good chance of getting at least 2 tickets.

But, really I think everyone who registers will win. Logically, this must be true, right? So chances are good that we will end up with 4 tickets, which is 2 more than we need. Even though logically we are going to get tickets, the anxiety of possibly not getting tickets was too great, so we just had to hedge our bets and go for 4.

I'm thinking there are LOTS of people who did just the same thing that we did. Probably whole theme camps full of people bought twice as many tickets as they need, to ensure that there would be enough to go around for everyone in their camp. Surely there will be extras. So, just keep an eye on the forum here for people selling their extra tickets.

[trilobyte]

Your logic is incredibly flawed - there will only be plenty of tickets for everyone if people DON'T hoard tickets. Those who aren't awarded tickets in the drawing will have you, and others like you to thank for the added stress anxiety and frustration they have to go through.

[JayBobBoy]

Trilo,

I can appreciate your role as moderator here and I agree with discouraging hoarding. However, the psychological motivation to hoard is there regardless. It is an unwanted byproduct of the ticket distribution BM has created.

I think the post may have been trying to allay some fears and point out that there will be tickets available at or near face in value in the secondary sale because the majority of tickets have been purchased by burners rather than scalpers.

How many will resist the temptation to make some extra cash? Not sure, but the odds are much better that you won't be really screwed in the ass by a scalper.

My 1 cent (cant afford 2 cents right now...waiting for my ticket purchase to go through)

[theCryptofishist]

Trilo,

I can appreciate your role as moderator here and I agree with discouraging hoarding. However, the psychological motivation to hoard is there regardless. It is an unwanted byproduct of the ticket distribution BM has created last year's sellout and the fear it has engendered.

There, I fixed it for you.

[Elderberry]

You know--if you actually just realize that you have no control over whether you get a ticket or not, why not just let go of it. It's not worth the stress. I have moved into that area of -- well, it I get a ticket I'll go, if not, I won't. No biggy either way. It sure has removed all the stress for me. (along with a a big bit of the attachment I had with BM as well, and I'm not sure that's a bad thing either.)

[XnightmarekittenX]

Hmm

[XnightmarekittenX]

You know--if you actually just realize that you have no control over whether you get a ticket or not, why not just let go of it. It's not worth the stress. I have moved into that area of -- well, it I get a ticket I'll go, if not, I won't. No biggy either way. It sure has removed all the stress for me. (along with a a big bit of the attachment I had with BM as well, and I'm not sure that's a bad thing either.)

Yeah its just we missed a lot last year and I just didn't get to experience as much as I really wanted to. So This year I'd be a little more prepared because I know what I'm in for. I'm not stressing too much just putting the good vibes out there and weighing my options.

[theCryptofishist]

No one ever experiences as much as he or she wants to out there. It is so not worth stressing about that.