honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Folks not ready to pay top dollar yet for U2

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Entrepreneurs who bought tickets to U2 may have hoped for a quick, fat profit on the online resale market, but it looks like the big money has yet to flow in that direction.

A few tickets still were available yesterday through official outlet Ticketmaster to U2's Vertigo Tour finale April 8 at Aloha Stadium, and that could be putting a damper on the resale value.

At ticket reseller StubHub .com, the asking price for U2 tickets yesterday ranged from $83.99 each for general admission floor tickets that originally sold for $49.50, to $1,488 each for section HH, row 13 seats that originally sold for $165. Price ranges at other resale sites such as Gotickets.com and CheapPricedTickets.com were similar.

From a limited sample viewed yesterday, the tickets aren't actually selling at a huge premium.

On eBay, auctions for a pair of section CC, row 1 seats with an asking price of $349 and a pair of section G, row 1 seats for $329 — seats that originally sold for $165 each — ended with zero bidders.

Bidding for a pair of section GG, row 3 tickets that originally cost $165 each — plus Ticketmaster convenience charges — ended with a final bid of $343.99.

Seats were still available at Ticketmaster's Web site yesterday, including side by side and single seats for $165 or $95 each. All $49.50 tickets have been sold out since Feb. 14, the first day of sales.

As for the likelihood of a second U2 concert on April 9, Aloha Stadium spokesman Patrick Leonard said he was still optimistic one might happen.

"They've asked about the date. It's available. But we have not received confirmation or a signed contract from the promoters," Leonard said. "The only way we could hold the date is if a down payment is put down."

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.