It's amazing when some flavor of cream pie or a pan of cinnamon rolls sells for hundreds of dollars.
If you're a good shopper and successful bidder, you can get a bargain on your purchase which, as an added benefit, it tax-deductible.
I had my eye on a pair of season tickets for the Broadway Series at Michigan State University's Wharton Center.
I have fallen in love with the stage at the Wharton Center. There is less seating than the theaters in Detroit, which makes it much more intimate for show viewing. As an added benefit, the attached parking structure is less expensive and drivers are much less offensive when arriving and departing. Plus the Wharton Center is roughly just as far away as Detroit, with much less traffic hassle.
As the ticket package lot number grew closer, I was calculating my buying strategy:
- There are seven shows in the series: Anything Goes, War Horse, Billy Elliot the Musical, Sister Act, Blue Man Group, Green Day's American Idiot and Catch Me If You Can.
- Two tickets for each show.
- Tickets would be sold at an individual rate and you had to take at at least a pair.
I decided that I could bid as high as $100 per ticket, use the tickets for the shows I really want to see and sell off the rest at a minimal loss.
I jumped into the bidding at $50 each, but I had competition and the bidding climbed quickly to $85, $90, $95, $100, $110... $110... $110. They were looking at me to up the bid. $110, once; $110 twice; Sold for $110.
I lost the bid.
My competitor took only two sets: Billy Elliot and Blue Man Group.
Of course those were my top choices as well.
As the backup bidder, I was offered the remaining tickets at the same price.
No thanks.
Bidding was reopened, starting much lower. I jumped in and became the successful bidder at $50, which is a pretty good savings over normal prices.
I took the remaining 10 tickets.
It will be a fun way to spend a few evenings over the course of the next few months.
See you on Broadway (at the Wharton)!
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